ICI Pakistan

ICI Pakistan Limited, previously known as Imperial Chemical Industries, () is a Pakistani chemical company which is based in Karachi, Pakistan. It manufactures polyester, pharmaceuticals, agrichemicals, and soda ash.
In 2012, Yunus Brothers Group acquired the company for $152m from the Dutch paints giant AkzoNobel.
History.
The company's history dates back to British colonial-era when it was established as Khewra Soda Ash Company in 1944. They set up a soda ash manufacturing facility in Khewra, Punjab, Pakistan with a capacity of 18,000 tonnes per annum. This facility was sited next to the Khewra salt range, Punjab, Pakistan because rock salt and limestone; two key raw materials for manufacturing soda ash were available.
In 1995, ICI Pakistan Limited set up a US$490 million PTA manufacturing facility at Port Qasim, near Karachi, which was commissioned in 1998. In 2001, the business was demerged or spun off to form Pakistan PTA Limited, a subsidiary of ICI Plc UK. 
In 2008, Dutch paints and chemicals giant AkzoNobel bought out the global parent company Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI).
ICI Pakistan is one of the largest quoted companies on the Pakistan Stock Exchange with a paid up share capital of Rs 1.39 billion. The company has around 1,294 permanent employees and around the same numbers of people provide services through contractual arrangements.
Businesses.
Polyester.
ICI Pakistan pioneered polyester staple fibre (PSF) technology in Pakistan through its investment in a 12,000 tonnes per annum PSF plant commissioned in 1982 in Sheikhupura, near Lahore. Polyester fibre is used in cars, bedding and clothes.
Soda ash.
While the soda ash plant dates back to 1939, commercial production began in 1944. Over the years, the capacity of the plant has been increased through expansion in line with market demand. The total capacity of the plant today is 425,000 tons per annum. In 1995, the business commissioned a 10 ktpa plant for the manufacture of sodium bicarbonate, which was further expanded to 20 ktpa in 2004 and 30 ktpa in 2015. Besides, the business also has a production capacity of 500 tons per day of dense ash (Na2CO3.H2O), which is an essential raw material for glass making.
ICI Pakistan's soda ash business caters to approximately 70% of the country's total soda ash requirement. The business mainly uses indigenous raw materials and locally made equipment. The plant is located in Khewra, near the Khewra salt range.
Life Sciences.
The Life Sciences Business consists of two divisions; Pharmaceuticals and Animal health.
Chemicals and Agri Sciences.
ICI Pakistan Chemicals and Agri Business consists of General Chemicals and Specialty Chemicals (formerly Uniqema) as well as Agriculture Products ranging from seeds to pesticides.
The General Chemicals Segment includes trading and polyurethanes and is involved in the import, manufacturing, sale and distribution of industrial chemicals. The trading segment comprises a portfolio of fourteen product groupings with over 250 products/variants, including trading partners such as National Starch & Chemicals, Huntsman Polyurethanes, Ineos Chlor, Nalco, Huntsman Tioxide, supplemented by imports of complementary product lines from companies in the US, Europe and the Far East. This Segment markets a product range used for various applications including power, cement, textiles, paints, pharmaceuticals, personal care, food & beverage, solvents, detergents, footwear and household appliances.
Infant milk formula.
Since 2014, ICI Pakistan is importing, marketing and distributing selected Morinaga Milk Industry of Japan's infant milk formula products under the brand name of NutriCo Pakistan.
Factories.
ICI Pakistan operates factories in the following cities:
Awards and recognition.
In 2018, ICI Pakistan was awarded the Gallup Pakistan's 'Gallup Great Workplace Award'.