Croda International

Croda International plc is a British speciality chemicals company based at Snaith in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

History

The company was founded by George Crowe in 1925 at Rawcliffe Bridge to manufacture lanolin, a natural protective fat present in sheep's wool, which must be washed out before the wool can be woven, under the name Croda (a combination of the first few letters of his surname with that of his partner, a Mr Dawe).

In 1927 Philip Wood became the first manager of the Croda lanolin factory. Philip swiftly refined Dawe's production process and, in the 1930s, he gradually developed a wider range of product applications for lanolin. When Philip died in 1949, aged 46, the board decided to run the business by committee, with Philip's son Sir Frederick Wood appointed sales director. In 1950 Fred relocated to New York to set up a new office with some success. In 1953 Fred returned to the UK and was appointed Croda's managing director, aged just 27.