NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2019--
Regulatory News:
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) (Euronext Paris:
IFF) (TASE: IFF), is celebrating its 130-year anniversary with an
appreciation of its past, its extraordinary people and a look to its
boundless future.
IFF Chairman & CEO Andreas Fibig commented, “The incredible growth and
success IFF has enjoyed through its 130-year journey didn’t happen on
its own. We are the result of every win, challenge and fortune that we
have experienced since our inception in the 19th century. But
more than anything, it is a story best told through our people.”
From humble beginnings to IFF
On January 27, 1889, when Leopold Schwarz and Josef Polak officially
turned their kitchen table startup into Polak & Schwarz (P&S), it is a
safe bet that they couldn’t imagine what this fledgling company would
become. Mr. Schwarz was simply following a passion for spices and
essences, moving from the bakery ingredients sales job he’d begun as a
teenager. But under their capable hands, P&S grew.
Fast-forward to 1917. Mr. Polak left the young company, but Mr. Schwarz
persevered. He established P&S in many countries, but set his sights
opening an office in the United States. As IFF folklore states, the
“enterprising Dutchman,” Arnold Louis van Ameringen was hired to open
P&S’s first US facility. Shortly after Mr. van Ameringen’s arrival in
the US, P&S let him go. Undaunted, he quickly established van Ameringen
& Co., selling both flavors and fragrances. Both companies prospered.
In 1958, Mr. van Ameringen shared the news that his company, evolved
into van Ameringen-Haebler, and Polak & Schwarz, would merge to become
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., with him as president. The
irony of helming the company that fired him 41 years earlier was never
lost on him.
Our People
“One of the hallmarks of IFF and its predecessor companies has been the
passion of its people,” said IFF Chairman & CEO Andreas Fibig.
“Throughout our history, we have been fortunate to share our lives with
some truly spectacular colleagues – people unafraid to speak their mind,
to turn dreams to reality, or to buck convention. We embrace these
changemakers. They have shaped our company and the world.”
Take Dr. Braja Mookherjee, for example. An IFFer for 38 years, he was a
scientist with the soul of an artist. He embodied everything IFF strives
for and his impact on the flavors and fragrances industry reached much
further than the greenhouse he ran. He dreamed big – all the way to
outer space – and pondered the effect of microgravity on the aroma
molecules of a living rose. On October 29, 1998, his “Overnight
Sensation,” a miniature rose plant, became the most famous payload
aboard the NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-95, while IFF monitored the
control plant back on earth. The findings showed that the three major
chemical components of the flower changed dramatically in microgravity;
causing a difference in fragrance. "This transformation has created a
completely new fragrance that is not of this earth," he stated. His
spirit of discovery and innovation lives on at IFF.
Our story continues…
“IFF has changed and reinvented itself many times over its 130 years,
but the past five years has seen its biggest shift to date,” continued
Mr. Fibig. “With an unprecedented innovation pipeline and the
acquisition of Frutarom, we are a new company yet again. The magnitude
of our talent, the increase in our portfolio and offerings to our
customers, and our expanded geographical and customer reach is
unparalleled in our history.”
“Our story continues to unfold and I have never been more optimistic
about our future,” Mr. Fibig concluded. “I want to recognize every IFFer
that made this great company their passion. I honor our past leaders for
rising to extraordinary challenges and taking the right risks. I thank
our customers, big and small, for their partnership and shared vision.
IFF is what it is today because of the relationships we’ve forged
through good times and challenging ones, from the risks we’ve undertaken
and those thrust upon us. We wear our age, history and our scars with
pride and I know they make us stronger and more confident about our
future than ever.”
# # #
Meet IFF
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) (Euronext Paris: IFF)
(TASE: IFF) is a leading innovator of scent, taste, and nutrition, with
over 110 manufacturing facilities, 100 R&D centers, and 33,000 customers
globally. At the heart of our company, we are fueled by a sense of
discovery, constantly asking “what if?”. That passion for exploration
drives us to co-create unique products that consumers experience in more
than 150,000 unique products sold annually. Our 13,000 team members
globally take advantage of leading consumer insights, naturals
exploration, research and development, creative expertise, and customer
intimacy to develop differentiated offerings for consumer products.
Learn more at www.iff.com,
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and LinkedIn.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190128005611/en/
Source: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
Michael DeVeau
Head
of Investor Relations and Communications & Divisional CFO, Scent
212.708.7164
Michael.DeVeau@iff.com