Company Profile
Firmenich
Company Overview
WELCOME TO FIRMENICH
Firmenich is the largest privately-owned company in the perfume and flavor business. Swiss and family owned, we have created many of the world’s favorite perfumes for over 100 years and produced a number of the most well known flavors we enjoy each day.
Our passion for perfumes and flavors, our creativity and innovation, together with our exceptional understanding of sensory perceptions and trends, have forged our world-class reputation. Our consistently superior investments in R&D substantiate our desire to understand, share and reinvent the best of what nature has to offer in the realms of smell and taste.
Worldwide, Firmenich currently employs approximately 6,000 people in 64 countries.
Specialties: Fragrances, Flavors, Ingredients, Research, and Natural Ingredients
Headquarters: Meyrin-Satigny, Geneva
Company Size: 5,001-10,000 employees
Website: http://www.firmenich.com
Company History
OUR HERITAGE
Firmenich is not just the name of a Fragrance and Flavor House. It is also the name of a Family that has been personally committed to its Colleagues, Customers, Communities and Creativity for 120 years.
Firmenich was founded in 1895 in Geneva, Switzerland, by Philippe Chuit, a talented Swiss chemist, in association with Martin Naef, a shrewd businessman.
They rented premises from a certain Charles Firmenich and it was there that they started creating groundbreaking molecules such as Dianthine® and Iralia® (still present on the market today) and attracted their first customer, Francois Coty.
The daughter of Charles Firmenich, Therèse, later married Philippe Chuit. Her older brother, Frederic, soon joined the company as the salesman of Chuit, Naef & Co. After Chuit, and later Naef, retired, the Firmenich family became the majority partner and in 1934 the company changed its name to Firmenich & Co.
Since then, Firmenich has remained independent, building on that original entrepreneurial vigor and pioneering spirit. Today we are the world’s largest private company in the fragrance and flavor industry.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
MAIN HIGHLIGHTS OF 2016
Firmenich recorded solid growth in its Fiscal Year 2016, which ended June 30th 2016. The Company reached CHF 3.2 billion in net sales, with an increase of +8.2% in local currency with positive performances across all its Business Units.
120 Years of Passion for Delighting the Senses:
This year the Company celebrated its 120th Anniversary and legacy of world-class research and creativity, customer intimacy, and deep sense of social responsibility. To mark the occasion, Firmenich inaugurated the Firmenich Museum in its global headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Also it launched the Firmenich Next Generation Research Programs at Stanford University in the United States and the EPFL in Switzerland to support breakthrough innovation in neurosciences and sustainability.
Adding to the Company’s unique heritage, Patrick Firmenich, Chairman of the Board, was inducted into the Fragrance Foundation’s Circle of Champions in recognition of his extraordinary impact on the fragrance industry.
Global and Diverse Team and Footprint:
Firmenich welcomed three new leaders to its executive team this year. Prof. Geneviève Berger joined as Chief Research Officer, effective July 1st 2015; Jane Sinclair as General Counsel and Secretary to the Board, in February 2016; and Mieke Van de Capelle as Chief Human Resources Officer, on June 1st 2016.
Pursuing operational efficiency, Firmenich successfully ramped up the capacity of its Perfumery plant in Geneva and now operates one of the most highly automated sites of the industry. Expanding its footprint in High Growth markets, the Company inaugurated a state-of-the-art plant in Argentina and operations in Lagos, Nigeria. Also, to develop its business in India, Firmenich welcomed Satish Rao as the new Country Chairman and Managing Director in this key market.
Pushing the Boundaries of Science and Creativity:
Advancing its world-class research and creativity, Firmenich published 29 patent applications this year to delight the senses, contribute to greater health and well-being, while preserving the planet.
Enriching its portfolio of Ingredients, Firmenich launched Ambrox® Super, a highly sustainable and cost-effective amber note. Building on the success of Clearwood®, it further anchors the Company’s leadership in white biotechnology.
Pursuing its vision to develop alternative sources of proteins for greater health and nutrition, Firmenich advanced its Biomarine science to demonstrate the many nutritional benefits of marine proteins.
Building on its partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to “Reinvent the Toilet,” Firmenich developed cutting edge mal-odor counteracting solutions. Recognized as ground-breaking science by Bill Gates, these technologies associate Firmenich’s unique fragrance creation capabilities with its deep understanding of olfactive receptors.
Innovative Partnerships:
Taking a leading stance on Climate Change, Firmenich actively engaged in the Paris COP 21 Summit and signed the Paris Pledge for Action. At this occasion, the Company was elected as co-chair of the WBCSD’s Cluster for Sustainable Lifestyles.
Demonstrating its commitment to responsible sourcing, Firmenich launched the Naturals Together Campaign, sharing how it actively partners across its value chain to source the best that nature has to offer. Engaging leading sustainability and traceability practices, Firmenich’s work positively impacts the lives of more than 250,000 farming families around the world.
To scale up its impact in this area, Firmenich became an investor in the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming to support sustainable farming practices around the world. This investment builds on the Group’s successful engagement with the Livelihoods Carbon Fund, elected “best corporate offsetting program" by the market in 2016.
As signatories of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, Firmenich is an active champion of its principles and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). To advance its work in support of the SDGs, Firmenich hosted a panel of world experts along with leading Swiss Companies to mobilize action in support of Hygiene and Sanitation.
Sustainability - Pathways to Positive:
Firmenich launched ambitious environmental goals for 2020 and attained a perfect “100A” score in the CDP Supplier Climate A List, and a “Gold” status with EcoVadis, for its leadership in combating climate change. The Company also became the first Fragrance and Flavor house to engage its suppliers in the CDP supply chain climate change and water reporting index to drive a more sustainable value chain.
As a result of its integrated sustainability strategy, Firmenich was recognized by a number of prestigious distinctions, including the DuPont “Safety and Sustainability Award 2015” and Ethical Corporation’s “Head of Sustainability of the Year.”
Firmenich’s deep commitment to safety was honored by the New Jersey authorities for operating for ten years without any lost time injuries at its Newark plant. Also, the Swiss Accident Insurance Organization (SUVA) recognized Firmenich with its Excellence Award, distinguishing Switzerland’s leading 5 companies in terms of safety performance every year.
Discover more about this year’s highlights in the Firmenich Performance and Sustainability Report FY16 (available for download at www.firmenich.com).