A process for making a tertiary aminoalcohol compound of formula I: wherein R 2 is H or C 1 -C 6 alkyl; R 5 is H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or C 3 - C 12 cycloalkyl, or R 2 and R 5 together with the carbon to which they are attached form C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl; R 3 and R 4 are independently C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, or -C R 2 R 5, or R 3 and R 4 together with the carbon to which they are attached form C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, the process comprising: (a) reacting a nitroalkane compound of formula IV wherein R and R 1 are independently H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or C 3 -C 12 Cycloalkyl, or R and R 1 together with the carbon to which they are attached form C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl with a molar excess of a carbonyl compound of formula III in the presence of a basic catalyst to form an intermediate product mixture comprising free carbonyl compound of formula III and a nitroalcohol compound of formula II (b) hydrogenating the intermediate product mixture in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst such that the nitroalcohol compound of formula II and the free carbonyl compound of formula III react therein to form the tertiary aminoalcohol compound of formula I, wherein alkyl represents straight and branched chain aliphatic groups, optionally substituted with 1, 2, or 3 substituents selected from nitro, halogen, carboxylic acids, and C 2 -C 6 alkene, and wherein cycloalkyl represents saturated and partially unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon groups, optionally substituted with 1, 2, or 3 substituents selected from C 1 -C 6 alkyl, nitro, halogen, carboxylic acids and C 2 -C 6 alkene. wherein R 2 is H or C 1 -C 6 alkyl; R 5 is H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or C 3 - C 12 cycloalkyl, or R 2 and R 5 together with the carbon to which they are attached form C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl; R 3 and R 4 are independently C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, or -C R 2 R 5, or R 3 and R 4 together with the carbon to which they are attached form C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, the process comprising: (a) reacting a nitroalkane compound of formula IV wherein R and R 1 are independently H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or C 3 -C 12 Cycloalkyl, or R and R 1 together with the carbon to which they are attached form C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl with a molar excess of a carbonyl compound of formula III in the presence of a basic catalyst to form an intermediate product mixture comprising free carbonyl compound of formula III and a nitroalcohol compound of formula II (b) hydrogenating the intermediate product mixture in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst such that the nitroalcohol compound of formula II and the free carbonyl compound of formula III react therein to form the tertiary aminoalcohol compound of formula I, (a) reacting a nitroalkane compound of formula IV wherein R and R 1 are independently H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or C 3 -C 12 Cycloalkyl, or R and R 1 together with the carbon to which they are attached form C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl with a molar excess of a carbonyl compound of formula III in the presence of a basic catalyst to form an intermediate product mixture comprising free carbonyl compound of formula III and a nitroalcohol compound of formula II (b) hydrogenating the intermediate product mixture in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst such that the nitroalcohol compound of formula II and the free carbonyl compound of formula III react therein to form the tertiary aminoalcohol compound of formula I,