Millennium Chemicals Inc. is changing the name of its three operating units, including Sycamore Township-based Quantum Chemical Co., to the Millennium name as part of a corporate identity program, the Iselin, N.J.-based company will announce today.
Quantum Chemical, the nation's largest producer of polyethylene and industrial alcohol, will be known as Millennium Petrochemicals Inc. Employees were notified Friday.
In addition, Baltimore-based SCM Chemicals, the nation's largest producer of titanium dioxide, will be renamed Millennium Inorganic Chemicals Inc., and Glidco in Jacksonville, Fla., the largest producer of terpene aroma chemicals, will be known as Millennium Specialty Chemicals Inc.
''The Millennium Chemicals operating units now share not only in a value-creating attitude, but a corporate identity as well,'' said William M. Landuyt, Millennium Chemicals chairman and CEO.
''The name changes will raise the profile of Millennium Chemicals to our employees, customers, suppliers and communities where we operate.''
Millennium Chemicals was spun off in October from Hanson Plc, the British-American conglomerate.
This isn't the first time that Quantum Chemical, which operates 11 U.S. manufacturing plants, has undergone a name change. The company, which traces its roots to the U.S. Industrial Alcohol Co., founded in 1902, was known as National Distillers and Chemical Corp. after a merger with National Distillers Products Co. in the 1950s.
After the acquisition of Enron Chemical Co. in 1986 and the divestiture of its wine and spirits business in 1987, the company's name was changed to Quantum Chemical Corp.
