Johnson Matthey is a speciality chemicals company focused on precious metals, catalysts and fine chemicals. It has operations in 30 countries and employs around 8,859 people. Johnson Matthey’s operations are organised into three divisions: Environmental Technologies; Precious Metal Products and Fine Chemicals & Catalysts. 
History
Percival Johnson set up an assayer's shop in London in 1817. George Matthey joined the company in 1838 and championed the platinum business, securing a steady supply of platinum from Russia.
Company movements
In October 2009, Johnson Matthey said that it has purchased the assets of Applied Utility Systems from Catalytic Solutions.
On 6 February 2008, Johnson Matthey completed its purchase of catalyst producer Argillon Group for Euro214m ($314m). The purchase was approved by Germany's competition authority on 31 January 2008. The deal was previously announced in December 2007.
The business is organised into the following operating divisions:
Fine Chemicals and Catalysts
Fine chemicals and catalysts division is a global supplier of speciality chemical products and services to the fine chemicals and pharmaceutical industries.
The catalysts and chemicals business manufactures base and precious metal catalysts and chemicals from its facilities in the UK, US, Germany, India and China.
The division’s Macfarlan Smith, UK and Pharmaceutical Materials and Services, US businesses manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients and provide services to pharmaceutical companies. Both businesses specialise in the manufacture of low to medium volume, high value products, especially controlled drugs and provide a full range of commercial scale manufacturing services to both generic and branded pharmaceutical companies.
The research chemicals business is a catalogue based supplier of speciality inorganic and organic chemicals. It operates under the Alfa Aesar brand name and is based in the UK and US.
Environmental Technologies
Environmental technologies division is focused on technologies concerned with protecting the environment such as pollution control, cleaner fuel, more efficient use of hydrocarbons and the hydrogen economy.
The division operates globally under the market identity of Johnson Matthey Catalysts and consists of three separate business units:
Johnson Matthey's Environmental Catalysts and Technologies (ECT) business, which manufactures catalysts for automobile emission control and the reduction of emissions from industrial processes; the Fuel Cell business which manufactures fuel cell catalysts and catalysed components; and the Process Catalysts and Technologies (PCT) business comprising PGM refining, process catalysts and fine and research chemicals.
Precious Metals
This division is organised into three global businesses:
Platinum - includes platinum marketing and fabrication activities in the UK, Asia and the US. The company claims to be the world's leading distributor of platinum group metals and the sole marketing agent for Anglo Platinum, the world's largest platinum producer.
Gold and silver - consists of worldwide gold and silver refining operations in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. It is also a manufacturer of high-purity, small gold bars for investment and jewellery manufacture.
Colour technologies - is ranked among the world's top integrated suppliers of decorative products and associated raw materials for ceramics and glass. The division is structured into three businesses; glass, structural ceramics and speciality coatings.
The Glass business is based in the Netherlands and manufactures black obscuration and silver conductive enamels for automotive glass. It also makes enamels and decorative precious metal products for other glass applications such as bottles and architectural glass.
Speciality Coatings supplies colours, glazes, decals and decorative precious metal products to manufacturers of fine china in the UK and around the world.
Johnson Matthey
Strategy & Financial Highlights
Johnson Matthey's strategic intent is to achieve consistent growth in its earnings by concentrating on the development of high-added value products and services in areas where it believes it has a competitive edge, especially in catalysis, precious metals, fine chemicals and materials technology. (Edited from: Annual Report). ICIS also provides you with key financial data listed in table form.
More about Johnson Matthey Strategy & Financial Highlights
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