Belgian company Solvay based in Brussels were founded by Ernest Solvay in 1863. Its two major sectors of activity are chemicals and plastics and formerly they were also active in the allied pharmaceuticals industry. Taking over Rhodia’s affairs from Septembr 2011 , in 2012 the group made net sales of 12.4 billion Euro. Jean-Pierre Clamadieu remains at the head of operations after the transfer, and is chair of the powerful Brussels based lobby group Cefic, The European Chemical Industry Council.
The phasing out of Rhodia insignia has started at Trinity Street. At Rattlechain lagoon it currently still remains. What direction will the Belgians take the site’s future- it appears that things will probably play out like the past protagonists- denials, upbeat optimism disguised as hidden agendas and a failure to remove the blight that some 19th Century Englishman started when he lit a fire that was very difficult to extinguish.
