Kemira Metalkat Oy becomes Ecocat Oy

3 September 2003

Finland’s Kemira Metalkat Oy announced it has changed its name to Ecocat Oy. Ecocat remains a fully owned subsidiary of Kemira Oyj.

The name change reflects the changed product structure and business philosophy. Traditionally, Kemira products were based on open foil coating process of metallic foil. This original concept allowed only the production and sales of complete catalysts.

With the development of new product lines, such as the EcoCat® and EcoXcell®, Ecocat will be able to supply complete metallic catalysts and metallic substrates, both coated and uncoated. The new business strategy was adopted to improve the company’s prospects in the global automotive subcontractor business, said Ecocat.

Ecocat will now also coat substrates or other catalyst carriers made by other producers, in the customized coating line, using either its own washcoat formulations or the customer’s formulations. The production range has been expanded to cover catalysts for passenger cars, trucks, motor bikes, mopeds, chain saws, garden trimmers and industrial applications, regardless of the fuel used.

In 2002 Ecocat Oy had net sales of €34 million and employed 137 people. During the first six months of this year the company expanded its net sales by over 30% and the number of employees increased to 169. Product development has been centralized at the plant in Laukaa, near Jyväskylä, and at the chemistry laboratory in Oulu. Ecocat has canning units in Italy, India and Romania, and a production unit in the USA.

Source: Ecocat Oy