28.09.2009

ICIS names LANXESS Company of the Year

Leverkusen/New York/London – ICIS Chemical Business magazine, one of the world’s leading information providers for the industry, has named German specialty chemical company LANXESS ‘Company of the Year’.

“The ICIS Company of the Year Award goes to LANXESS for its outstanding financial performance in a challenging 2008,” said Joseph Chang, Global Editor of ICIS Chemical Business. “We congratulate LANXESS and its CEO Axel C. Heitmann.”

ICIS Chemical Business magazine selected LANXESS for this award on the grounds that the company increased net profit by 53% to EUR 171 million on nearly flat sales of EUR 6.58 billion in 2008, despite a sharp drop in fourth quarter demand. In addition, its management and workforce reacted promptly and effectively to the downturn, and the company achieved its growth and financial targets over the course of 2008 a year ahead of plan.

LANXESS CEO Axel C. Heitmann: “The results in the first nine months of 2008 highlighted that LANXESS was pursuing the right strategy of profitable growth. Then in the fourth quarter came an economic downturn of historic proportions. Our restructuring skills were called upon again and we reacted swiftly with a package of measures. I am confident that LANXESS will emerge strengthened from the crisis.”

LANXESS is ranked 45th in the ICIS Top 100 global ranking based on sales. U.S.-based fertilizer supplier Mosaic was named Company of the Year by ICIS the previous year.

Read the ICIS ‘Company of the Year’ article on ICIS Chemical Business at http://www.icis.com/topchemicalcompany/2009

ICIS is the world’s largest information provider for the chemical and energy industries. ICIS is part of Reed Business Information, a member of Reed Elsevier plc - a world leading stock market-listed publisher.


LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 6.58 billion in 2008 and currently 14,335 employees in 23 countries. The company is represented at 46 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by LANXESS AG management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.