About Us
About PPC Chemicals
People. Expertise. Commitment.
At PPC Chemicals, industrial expertise is driven by people. Building on more than two centuries of chemical manufacturing heritage, our teams combine technical know-how, operational discipline and a customer-focused mindset to deliver reliable chemical solutions.
Management Board
Meet our Management Board
Leadership rooted in expertise and responsibility.
Our management team brings together industrial experience, operational expertise and a shared commitment to our customers, employees and partners. Working closely with our teams, they guide PPC’s development with a focus on safety, quality, reliability and long-term relationships.
Jacques Sturm
CEO
Henrietta Forintos
Site Director
Jean-François Sturmel
Finance, Purchasing,
IT Director
Christine Chartroux
Commercial Director
Marion Libourel
HR Director
Who we are
Strategic Location & Infrastructure
Situated in Thann, eastern France, near the German and Swiss borders, ICIG affiliate Potasse et Produits Chimiques (PPC) offers seamless logistics via road, rail, and the nearby Rhine River.
Potassium Derivatives
Equipped with a modern membrane electrolysis plant (inaugurated in 2015), PPC produces chlorine (Cl₂), potassium hydroxide (KOH), and liquid or solid potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃) in tailored concentrations.
Brominated Fine Chemicals & Sustainability
PPC manufactures high-value organic and mineral bromides—marketed under the WeylChem umbrella—and supports circular resource management through bromine recovery from customer process streams.
Our Quality
As a responsible manufacturer, PPC is certified for the ISO 9001 quality management standards, the ISO 14001 standards for environmental management, the ISO 45001 standards for occupational health and safety management systems and the ISO 50001 energy management system standards.
PPC at a glance
Employees
approx. 265
Production
since 1808
Site area
approx. 7.7 ha
On-site portfolio
Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), Potassium Carbonate (K₂CO₃), Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl), Hydrochloric Acid (HCl), Brominated Organic Products, Mineral Bromides
OUR HISTORY
1808
Industrialist Philippe-Charles Kestner and Thann pharmacist Joseph Willien sign a memorandum of association for the manufacturing of chemical products in Thann, ratifying the birth of the Thann chemical site.
1816
The Kestner Frères company employs 30 people and produces sulfuric, nitric and tartaric acids.
1927
Start-up of a potassium electrolysis unit.
1931
The company is renamed Potasse et Produits Chimiques (PPC).
1932
First production of mineral bromides.
1951
First production of brominated organic products.
1971
PPC becomes a subsidiary of the French chemical group Rhône-Poulenc.
1993
PPC is acquired by the American group Ethyl Corporation, one of the world’s leading companies for brominated products.
1994
Ethyl Corporation's specialty chemicals business is spun off as an independent, publicly traded company named Albemarle Corporation. PPC is renamed Albemarle PPC.
2006
The company is acquired by International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG) and integrated into ICIG’s Fine Chemicals platform, the WeylChem Group of Companies. The company is again renamed Potasse et Produits Chimiques.
2013
Construction starts on a new membrane electrolysis plant for potassium hydroxide (KOH).
2015
Start-up of a new state-of-the-art membrane electrolysis facility for the production of potassium hydroxide (KOH).
2019
The company is renamed Vynova PPC.
2026
The company is renamed Potasse et Produits Chimiques.
Our Commitments
Safety, quality and responsibility at the heart of our operations.
We place safety, product quality and responsible operations at the center of our daily work. Our management systems and continuous improvement approach support consistent standards for our employees, customers and industrial partners.
Contact Us
Potasse et Produits Chimiques
- 95 Rue du Général de Gaulle, BP 60090, 68802 Thann Cedex, France
- +33 (0)3 89 38 46 00
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