page_title: Elementis
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Elementis / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Daniel Harrison, James B. Crosfield, Smith Harrison, Charles Harrison, George Theodore Crosfield, Charles Heath Clark, George Croll of Harrisons &amp; Crosfield
context_page_description: Elementis plc is one of the UK's largest speciality chemicals and personal care businesses, with extensive operations in the United States, Europe and Asia. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
context_section_description: The company was founded in Liverpool in 1844 as Harrisons and Crosfield by Daniel Harrison, Smith Harrison and Joseph Crosfield to trade in tea and coffee. In the 1860s it became one of the largest tea traders in the UK. In 1903 it diversified into operating rubber plantations in the Far East acquiring shareholdings in a number of plantation companies. Then in 1948 the company became a major producer of latex at its factory in Petaling.
  In 1967 it acquired Durham Chemicals in Birtley and in 1973 acquired British Chrome & Chemicals in Eaglescliffe so diversifying into the chemicals business. It also acquired a stake in the Sabah Timber Company and then in 1978 took complete control of it. By the end of the 1970s Harrisons and Crosfield was the 91st largest industrial company in the UK by turnover. In 1982 it sold its Malaysian plantations and in 1994 it sold its Indonesian plantations: these business have since been absorbed into Sime Darby and London Sumatra respectively. In 1998 it changed its name to Elementis plc and acquired Rheox, a speciality chemicals business and in 2002 it acquired Oxychem's chromium chemicals business.
  In February 2016 Paul Waterman took up the role of Group CEO and President of the company. In February 2017, as part of a strategy to grow the company's personal care and cosmetics business, the company acquired SummitReheis, an antiperspirant ingredient supplier, for US$360 million.
  In March 2018 the company's surfactants business was sold to KLK in Malaysia.
  In October 2018 the company acquired Mondo Minerals, a talc additives business, from U.S. private equity firm Advent International for an enterprise value of $500 million, funded by a rights issue.
caption: The founders and early directors of Harrisons & Crosfield
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