For the past 20 years, The Washington Post has evaluated hundreds of the area's largest public and private companies and financial institutions. The public and private companies are ranked by fiscal year 2000 revenue. The financial institutions are ranked by assets. Top 200 Editor Terence O'Hara talks about businesses in the region. W.R. Grace is a specialty chemicals and materials company.
Grace makes building materials and catalysts used in chemical and petroleum refining.
The company has about 6,000 employees, including 1,100 in Maryland, and operations in nearly 40 countries. Grace succumbed this year to the onslaught of asbestos-related lawsuits. The bankruptcy filing freezes pending lawsuits and blocks suits from being filed while Grace reorganizes. The filing includes 61 of Grace s domestic businesses but none of its foreign subsidiaries. Shortly after the bankruptcy filing Grace named longtime executive David B. Siegel as chief restructuring officer, giving him broad authority to rework the company so it can survive the bankruptcy.