UNIVAR USA INC.
DOWNERS GROVE, IL

…. we are obliged to ask your permission before placing any cookies on your computer. This website uses cookies to make your browsing experience more efficient and enjoyable. Univar is a world leader in the distribution of chemistry and related products and services. Univar is more than just a distribution company; we’re a global partner to our customers and suppliers dedicated to: Using our global network to provide market insight and expertise to grow our customers business Our scale, geographic reach, diversified distribution channels, industry expertise and comprehensive product portfolio enable us to develop strong, long-term relationships with our suppliers and to provide a single-source solution for our customers. Univar is a leading global chemical and ingredient distributor, and value-added service provider. We safely deliver chemistry (products, expertise, and relationships) that helps our customers improve the quality of life through:   We help energy companies get natural gas and oil from the ground and to your home for heating. Univar serves the Oil & Gas industry end to end with a comprehensive set of chemistry products and services. Univar provides chemistry to the water treatment industry such as disinfectants to remove bacteria, Flouride to prevent tooth decay, Aluminum Sulfate to prevent cloudiness and improve taste, and Polyphosphate to remove lead. Univar provides crop protection and micronutrient products and services to help enhance farmer productivity. We also provide healthy and great tasting food ingredients to food companies, as well as clean and disinfect products to food producers and restaurants. In sum, we help the food industry from the farm to your table to make sure food is plentiful, great tasting, healthy and safe. Products that improve our health, homes and environment:  From the Glycerine in your toothpaste to the Surfactants in your shampoo, Univar helps you start your day fresh and clean. Univar ingredients also help brighten your laundry, clean your kitchen, and sanitize your hands. I like buying products from Univar, because of their very knowledgeable and competent technical support. We are thrilled with the extension of our strong partnership with Univar into North Africa and Greece. Together, we can offer localized services while retaining the advantage of a global network and broad product portfolio. Our partnership in these regions will mean that customers will benefit from Dow Corning's superior product ranges and Univar's in-depth industry knowledge and supply chain expertise. …. we are obliged to ask your permission before placing any cookies on your computer. This website uses cookies to make your browsing experience more efficient and enjoyable. To be the world leader in chemistry distribution, products and related services where the best people want to work, benefiting all stakeholders. , focusing on superior execution, product access, optimized logistics and productivity. And because we are Univar: Univar's Code of Conduct is an extension of our values and is the foundation for our company culture. 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. 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. At the lowest point in the Great Depression, when roughly one in four people were jobless, Van Waters & Rogers was growing by leaps and bounds, adding people, products and places to its business. "What saved us – and our customers – was that we were small," Nat Rogers said. "As a small but widely diversified operation, we survived rather handily." In 1935, sales were about $657,000. The following year they topped $1 million, and by the end of the decade the company was closing on the $2 million mark. Locations were added in Portland, Oregon, Spokane, Washington and Los Angeles, California. A notable addition was the industrial chemicals division headed by Glen McElvain, a chemical salesman who was instrumental in the acquisition of local chemical companies. Van Waters & Rogers flourished during the Great Depression, but soon World War II would engulf the United States. 1940’s: Seller's Market On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered World War II. World trade routes were disrupted or simply dried up, causing shortages. A government priority system was created to divert essential resources to the war effort. The system favored companies that had been buying items in large quantities for several years – like Van Waters & Rogers. "All commodities were hard to get," Nat Rogers said. "It was a seller's market, and we could move almost anything we were lucky enough to get our hands on." Sales continued to skyrocket, jumping from $2 million in 1940 to more than $18 million in 1949. Acquisitions led to market entries in San Francisco and Texas. And two women, Noreen McKee and Liala Thompson, were the first women appointed to officer positions. In 1949, Van Waters & Rogers celebrated its 25th anniversary.