Chemetall is a global company committed to specialty chemistry. The Group's activities focus on products and processes for the chemical treatment of metal surfaces and plastics, as well as selected fields of fine chemistry, e.g. lithium and cesium compounds. Chemetall's businesses historically emerged from the combination of expertise in chemistry and metallurgy, which is still mirrored in the company's name. Chemetall mainly sells customised packages of products and services, ranging from consultation via development through to the operation of entire plants at the customer's site - for instance car body pre-treatment in the automotive industry. The company's product portfolio is based on continuous research and development of leading edge technologies. High performing products combined with Chemetall’s dedication to providing the best technical service and support to its customers have, over the decades, established excellent market positions in its fields of activity. Chemetall GmbH is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. It is the centre of a worldwide network of some 40 subsidiaries in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Most of these companies operate their own production sites, and many also have their own development laboratories. A largely decentralised organisation ensures that each local company can respond quickly and flexibly to the customers' needs in its markets whilst at the same time being able to draw on the specialist resources within the Group. In this way Chemetall combines the strength of a global supplier with the flexibility and customer focus of a medium-size company. The international Chemetall Group and its approx. 2.950 employees recorded sales of some 800 million Euro in the business year 2007. These sales are generated, more or less in equal parts, by the surface treatment and fine chemistry businesses. Since August 1st, 2004, Chemetall has been part of Rockwood Holdings, Inc.