Our industrial team took a trip to Nürnberg for the European Coatings Show 2025. The team met with all our long-standing principals, including Robert Kraemer GmbH & Co. KG and N. BENASEDO S.p.A. at their respective stands, as well as meetings with new suppliers. After walking 12km a day, we can safely say our team […]

An incredible visit to JEC World, the premier event for the composites industry! Jim Bell and Clare Holtham saw the latest advancements in materials, sustainability, and manufacturing processes. It was great to see one of our long-standing principals Vibrantz Technologies Inc., who highlighted their innovative solutions firsthand to delegates and discussed how they’re pushing the […]

It’s been an amazing experience for Emma Marchant and Matthew Sanderson visiting MAMTA POLYCOATS, where they got to see first hand their expertise and innovation in flavours and fragrances particularly their Triethyl Citrate. Their commitment to quality and sustainability is truly inspiring! Along the way, Matthew and Emma had the opportunity to witness the Statue […]

After meeting at IFEAT 2024 in Bangkok, Stort Group is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Techvina, a leading Vietnamese manufacturer specialising in natural essential oils and aroma chemicals ex Cassia. This collaboration enables us to offer Techvina’s premium products to our UK customers, enhancing our portfolio with high-quality, natural ingredients. Established in 2009, and […]

We’re delighted to welcome three professionals to our leadership team as we continue to strengthen our presence in the chemical supply chain.  Please join us in welcoming Iain Coull, Melanie Sanderson, and Matthew Sanderson as they step into their respective director roles! Iain has been with Stort Group for 17 years and will be reaffirming his commitment to Stort […]

2025 is barely a month old, and is already looking like a seismic year. Our new century is hitting its own quarter life crisis and the fragrance industry needs to keep consumers captivated with a dynamic blend of nostalgia and innovation. We here at Stort continue to see a strong emphasis on sustainability, sensory escapism, and mood-enhancing […]

December saw our industrial sales team pack their bags and jet off to Bremen for another valuable opportunity to catch up with old friends…

This year, the always-anticipated IFEAT (International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades) Conference landed in Bangkok—later than usual, but totally worth the wait! Set against the vibrant backdrop of Thailand’s bustling capital, the event attracted the biggest crowd ever, with nearly 1,700 delegates from all corners of the fragrance and flavour (F&F) industry. And […]

Our industrial sales team recently enjoyed a fantastic view of Europe’s longest castle while visiting Wacker Chemie’s largest production site nearby. Founded in 1904 at this site in Burghausen, Wacker has grown into an industry giant with 27 global sites and a pioneering portfolio of over 3,000 speciality chemicals. However, this powerhouse needs little introduction. […]

When you think of the USA, you probably picture breathtaking landscapes, world-class athletes, a thriving entertainment industry, a dramatic Presidential race and the tech marvels of Silicon Valley. But did you know it’s also home to some of the most innovative ingredients in the F&F industry? Recently, the Stort F&F team took another exciting journey, […]

After more than 20 years at Stort Group, Ken Nicholls has made the decision to retire. Ken joined Stort Chemicals (now Stort Group) in 2001 as part of the sales team and quickly proved his worth in the family business, working his way up to become Sales Manager. By spending years building successful relationships with […]

Recently, the Stort F&F team had the pleasure of experiencing this “Koselig” firsthand at the bi-annual European Distribution event hosted by Borregaard, right at their headquarters in Sarpsborg, Norway.

Maflon have added a new, exciting range of deblocking agents to their extensive portfolio of blocked polyisocyanates. These fluorine- and formaldehyde-free products offer a more efficient, energy-saving crosslinking solution. The main attraction to these new deblocking agents is the lower temperatures (as low as 74°C) required to unblock and form crosslinking isocyanates. In conjunction with […]

We are pleased to announce that we are now stocking yuzu oil in the UK! With our new supplier, Ogawa & Co., we are delighted to offer a variety of Japanese citrus and wood oils to the UK market. Ogawa were founded in 1893 as an importer and seller of aroma ingredients. Over the years, […]

Vibrantz Technologies have announced their $20 million investment in Pearls™ with a dedicated facility in Sittard, Netherlands. Over the next two years, Vibrantz plans to increase their global Pearls™ production capacity 20-fold to 1.2 million litres per year, putting them at the forefront of meeting sustainability, performance and cost demands of colourant producers worldwide. With […]

The heart of our F&F division for 35 years, fragrance continues to be a fascinating, compelling industry with some nostalgic comebacks set for 2024. The fragrance trends of 2024 are expected to be focussed on transparency and sustainability, concentrating on foodie gourmands, aquatic florals and bottled therapy in-line with the beauty wellness trend. Currently worth […]

After 3 years of construction, Kraemer have officially opened their new production facility in Liethe. This 50,000 m2 site will focus on the company’s bio-based binders and resins for a variety of applications including printing inks, coatings and adhesives, accelerating their sustainability plans. With focus on energy efficiency and environmental protection, Kraemer’s new site utilises […]

Organic September is a month-long campaign focussed on raising awareness of the hard-work and dedication that goes into organic farming and the benefits to our health and the environment. Emissions from fossil-fuel based nitrogen fertilisers are contributing significantly to the climate emergency. Despite this, the UK government’s current net-zero strategy does not include any plan […]

Blue and green pigments for coatings, available from UK stock Since its creation in 1972, Mazda Colours has consistently driven expansion, diversification, and innovation. This has solidified their position as a global leader in the manufacture of Copper Phthalocyanine crude and pigments. Mazda’s 3 manufacturing plants across India function alongside a fully equipped R&D laboratory […]

Bedoukian have been manufacturing high-impact, high-quality ingredients for over 100 years. We are proud to have worked with them in the UK market for just over a year – happy anniversary to us! With sustainability and environmental concerns at the forefront of all our minds, Bedoukian focus on new materials and new techniques to improve […]

Last year, we wrote about the changes made to isocyanate regulations in September 2021. These regulations outlined training requirements for all professional and industrial users of polyurethane products with a total monomeric diisocyanate concentration over 0.1%. As of 24th August 2023, these regulations will be in force and training certificates will be required! However, there […]

In honour of World Fair Trade Day on the 13th of May, let us look at Payan Bertrand’s strategy for ethical sourcing and key values. At Stort, we pride ourselves on our close relationships with all our principals, allowing us to give our customers full transparency of where their products come from. The World Fair […]

During our visit to In-Cosmetics in March, our F&F team were delighted to visit the Kao Mollet plant in Barcelona. One of 4 manufacturing sites in Spain, the Mollet plant hires 75 people and manufactures Hexyl Cinnamic Aldehyde and Gamma Lactones. Kao are one of Stort’s longest standing principals, when founder, Kendrick Gilkes, represented Ambroxan […]

The Stort Industrial team will be returning to the European Coatings Show (ECS) in Nuremberg from 28th – 30th March for the first time back since 2019! ECS is the leading fair show for the paints, coatings and sealants industries, bringing raw material and end product manufacturers together from all over the world. Stort always look forward […]

Vitamins and their derivatives have been used in a variety of applications for centuries – although before the 1900s, somewhat unknowingly! For example, it was known in the 1700s that only oranges and lemons were effective in the treatment of scurvy, however Vitamin C itself wasn’t isolated until 1912 and the chemical structure deduced in […]

This year, our Managing Director and F&F Director will be heading to Kolkata for the silver jubilee FAFAI International Convention & Expo. With focus on how the F&F industry has changed since the pandemic, this years FAFAI theme will be “Asia: The Global Growth Engine”. FAFAI (Fragrances And Flavours Association of India) has been running […]

I think we can all agree that it has been a long-anticipated return to exhibitions. Seeing our colleagues, catching up with old friends and making new ones, discussing and smelling new materials, swapping stories and scents.

Stort Group to expand Svenska Aerogels distributor network in the UK & Ireland. We are pleased to announce that we have been appointed as Svenska Aerogel’s new distributor for the UK & Ireland..

Our supplier, Kao Corporation, has been listed in the world’s most ethical companies for 2022 by Etisphere for the 15th consecutive year. They have announced that they have achieved climate neutral status across their site in the UK and Journey. This is just the start of their journey to become more sustainable. Kao’s head office […]

In light of the changes made to isocyanate regulations in September 2021, Stort are proud to present Sapici’s Ultra-low free monomer isocyanates. Sapici are a global leader in high-performance polyurethanes for coatings, adhesives, sealants, inks and more. They offer every kind of isocyanate including TDI, MDI and HDI and have the ability to achieve ultra-low […]

Every December, or November for the keener among us, we dust off our decorations from last year and fill our homes with festive cheer. The days get colder and shorter and we can smell Christmas in the air. But what are those smells? What chemicals give us the smell of Christmas? Christmas Trees The first […]

2021 has been quite the rollercoaster for Vanillin and Ethyl Vanillin. The synthetic vanilla market has seen high growth for many years, covering over 97% of the overall demand. Vanilla from vanilla beans now accounts for only 1% of the global demand! Original demands for synthetic alternatives for vanilla came from the demanding environment required […]

Maflon’s wide range of cross-linking agents can improve your coating performance whilst also delivering a variety of benefits including: Stort are pleased to offer Maflon’s Aziridines, poly-isocyanates, blocked poly-isocyanates and poly-carbodiimides. The blocked isocyanates account for the most products in Maflon’s range, so what are their benefits? Blocked poly-isocyanates Cross-linking agents work by creating a […]

Synarome specialise in organic synthesis and distillation boasting a portfolio of around 200 products in their portfolio. But how did we get here? It all began with Mr Claud Fraysse whom founded a fragrance material manufacturing company in Switzerland towards the end of the 19th century. Along with Philippe Chuit and Mr Givaudan, Fraysse developed […]

Say goodbye to Laviosa Viscogel and hello to Laviosa Argimel! For decades, Laviosa have been one of the largest manufacturers of organoclay based products. Consequently, their clays are recognised and used globally in a wide range of applications from industrial additives to construction, cosmetics to pet care and many more. Introduction of the Argimel name will […]

Every year, we celebrate Easter with a 4-day weekend and plenty of tasty treats. The traditions and symbols we know today have evolved over time, some for centuries! So, how did we get to the chocolate eggs and buttery hot cross buns we have today? What do their flavours symbolise in relation to Easter? Hot […]

As of February 2021, Stort Chemicals are officially an FECC member. FECC act as the voice for the chemical distribution industry in Europe, representing around 1600 companies. FECC aims to promote the Chemical Distribution Industry as an added value partner in the supply chain and helps to ensure a sustainable business environment for distributors. Chemical distribution is […]

The naturals market has seen a huge increase in recent years. This has been driven by consumers growing interest in transparency, clean labelling, and eco-friendly lifestyles. In addition, the events of 2020 (we won’t go there…) have had an expected lasting effect on the behaviours and consumers demands, particularly regarding provenance and health. Naturals are […]