Croda in focus

In a bid to improve its focus and accelerate growth from January 2003 UK chemical compny Croda International will have a new name and a new structure to its European chemicals operations.

In a bid to improve its focus and accelerate growth, UK-based speciality chemical company Croda International announced this week that it has restructured its European chemicals operations.

Renamed Croda Chemicals Europe, from 1 January 2003, the new company will change from a divisional to a market-driven structure and will incorporate the UK chemical manufacturing sites and all the UK and European mainland sales operations.

David Barraclough, previously responsible for the company's operations in Asia-Pacific, will head up the European executive board. Other board members will include Steve Foots, managing director of Home Care & Polymer Additives, Keith Layden, managing director of Personal Care & Healthcare and Bryan Jones as finance director.

"With this new structure we are in a better position to service our key markets in personal care, healthcare, home care and polymer additives.

It will also allow additional focus on new product development and innovation - two of our main strengths," said David Barraclough, president of Chemicals Europe.

Croda specialises in natural products from renewable raw material sources and has a portfolio of actives and functional ingredients for skin and hair care products, pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, and animal health.