ITASCA, Ill., Sept. 1, 2020 — Nagase America LLC announces the achievement of “Day One” for Nagase Specialty Materials NA LLC (“NSM”), a new company borne from the integration of its NY Chemicals Division and its Illinois Fitz Chem LLC into one company.

This successful integration strengthens Nagase Specialty Materials’ position in North America through demonstrated leadership in the provision of specialty materials and solutions, continued excellence in distribution, and a strategic business development focus. Moreover, the unification combines the legacies of two organizations focused on customer satisfaction, technology deployment and the representation of the finest suppliers in North America. The integration of the sales, business development, customer service and operations teams has now been successfully completed.

Although today is officially Day One, it represents the culmination of a long-gestating transition. “Our teams have worked tirelessly this year to ensure a seamless transition for our customers, suppliers and business partners into our new organization and I’m very proud of them and their effort, especially given the constraints imposed during the pandemic,” said Laura Mack, chief financial officer and integration head for NSM.

Now, Nagase Specialty Materials launches a new era as a future-forward distributor of specialty chemicals, a manufacturer of chemical ingredients and an innovative business development partner. The materials and ingredients sold by NSM can be found in consumer and industrial products enhancing lives around the world: from household products such as paints, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and electronics, to cutting edge technologies like 3D printing. NSM is committed to adding value to customers’ product development and manufacturing processes to serve these markets.

Nagase Specialty Materials is bringing innovative materials and technologies to customers, as well as jobs and opportunities to the area. NSM is growing, having increased its North American team by 20% in the past few months, half in business development and half in its corporate offices in Itasca. The Itasca Innovation Center, located at the Northern American headquarters, pairs chemical manufacturers with formulators to test performance and generate new products and formulations to serve leading brands.

“Many chemists from name-brand beauty and personal care products spend time in our lab formulating better products for everyday use,” said Mark Miller, president and chief operating office of Nagase Specialty Materials NA. “We are a growing company, excited to be bringing more jobs to Illinois.”

Nagase Specialty Materials is a member of the National Association of Chemical Distributors and adheres to its guidelines for sustainability, safe distribution of products through transactions, warehousing and sales. “We are proud stewards of our products, from cradle to grave, by lessening environmental impact and advocating the safe treatment of the products we distribute,” said Miller.

Nagase Specialty Materials plans to have a footprint covering all North America by 2025.

Additional information about Nagase Specialty Materials NA LLC can here.

About Nagase Specialty Materials

Nagase Specialty Materials aims to drive value for market innovators as a leading distributor of specialty chemicals and manufacturers of chemical products. The company serves industries impacting everyday life around the world: textiles; coatings; inks; plastics; packaging; automotive; aerospace; personal care; household, industrial and institutional; pharmaceutical; and electronics. Nagase Specialty Materials is committed to adding value to customers’ product development and manufacturing processes with extensive resources to fulfill that commitment. For instance, the Itasca Innovation Lab supports R&D and application testing, an expansive supplier network enables unmatched access to materials.
Nagase Specialty Materials is part of Nagase Group, a public company with $8 billion in annual revenue. Founded in Kyoto, Japan in 1832 as a specialized purveyor of dyes and chemicals, Nagase now has 100+ group companies and more than 6,000 team members. Spanning 27 countries and regions, NAGASE connects the world with high-end Japanese technologies.

Media Contact:
John Kaplan
Senior Marketing Manager
(630) 228-7653
jkaplan@fitzchem.com