Rainer Herrmann

The core business of Brenntag involves purchasing and storing large quantities of industrial and specialty chemicals; including the repackaging and distribution of a full-line portfolio of chemicals and providing value-added services such as product mixing, formulation, inventory management and drum return, as well as technical services and support. The company focuses on the indirect warehouse business, which comprises the sourcing, storage, packaging, sale and distribution of chemical products in less than truck load quantities ('LTL') to the end-users, and acts as a supply chain manager. In addition, Brenntag conducts a broad range of related processing services, such as mixing, blending and formulating, refilling and corresponding technical support services (e.g. end-use application and laboratory). Furthermore, the Group provides individual solutions aimed at reducing the complexity of its business partners' activities, such as Single Sourcing. Brenntag is also active in the direct business, which is characterized by the organization of logistics and sale of chemical products directly from the producer to end-users. Typically in this business segment full truck loads ('FTL') of chemical products are shipped. Brenntag primarily serves customers with smaller-volume chemical demands, a market that chemical producers have neither the sales nor marketing resources to support, nor the operating model or infrastructure to service economically. The firm has strong relationships with its customers as they value Brenntag's service reliability and product breadth. Brenntag has a diversified customer base ranging from small and mid-sized companies through to multinational companies. Brenntag's product portfolio comprises bulk and packed commodities as well as high-value products with a substantial technical service component resulting from the expertise required for their application (specialty chemicals).