Login Contact Us Share English About Us Our Business Safety & Sustainability Investors Newsroom Why Univar Univar = Chemistry Delivered What we do Global chemistry distribution and innovative services What we believe Safety, health and the environment come first 2017 Annual Report Click here to read about Univar's 2017 financial performance. Univar to Acquire Nexeo Latest Press Releases 09 Oct 2018 Univar's ChemPoint and PMC Biogenix Expand Relationship 08 Oct 2018 Univar Inc. to Report 2018 Third Quarter Results on November 6 04 Oct 2018 Univar Appointed Distributor for Braskem's Polyisobutylenes in Nordics, France, Italy and Turkey 02 Oct 2018 Univar Releases its 2017 Sustainability Report 01 Oct 2018 Univar Canada launches new e-commerce platform - MyUnivar.com Read All News Contact Us Careers Terms of Use Privacy Notice Cookie Policy Sitemap Copyright © 2018 Univar Inc. All rights reserved. Follow us on This website uses cookies to make your browsing experience more efficient and enjoyable Cookie Policy Allow Cookies

Login Contact Us Share English About Us Our Business Safety & Sustainability Investors Newsroom Home About Why Univar Leadership Our Vision Our Vision Our History Investors Careers Code of Conduct Contact Us Our History Univar Corporate History Our history dates back to 1924 when George Van Waters and Nat Rogers opened a small firm in Seattle, Washington, USA, buying and selling naval supplies, paint, raw materials and cotton linters. Learn how Univar grew into a leading global chemical distributor from these roots. 1920s: The Birth of a Distributor On August 8, 1924, George Van Waters and Nat Rogers filed incorporation papers in Olympia, Washington. The small firm sold paint, raw materials, caustic soda, soda ash, cotton linters, dry colors for paint, and denatured alcohol. Their willingness to buy—and sell, for profit—new types of materials helped the company grow. When Van Waters & Rogers entered the laundry supply business, it paved the way for the company’s future—chemicals. “We sort of glided into the industrial chemicals business,” Nat Rogers said. Near the end of the decade, the company moved into a 5,000 square foot facility just south of downtown Seattle. Soon after, they expanded into the entire facility and plant next door. Times were good. The Dow Jones industrial average reached an all-time high of 381.17. Then, on October 24, 1929, the stock market crashed. 1920's 1930's 1940's 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's Contact Us Careers Terms of Use Privacy Notice Cookie Policy Sitemap Copyright © 2018 Univar Inc. All rights reserved. Follow us on This website uses cookies to make your browsing experience more efficient and enjoyable Cookie Policy Allow Cookies