1932

      Stepan Company began when twenty-three year old Alfred C. Stepan, Jr., company founder and visionary, started distributing calcium chloride to control road dust on the country roads in Illinois. His first “location” was a rented desk at Chicago’s North Pier Terminal.

1935

First sulfonation process started: oils for non-lathering shampoos.

1937

To accomodate business growth the Company relocated for the second time to a two-story building on Goose Island (a small island in the Chicago river near the downtown area).

1940

Officially became Stepan Chemical Company.

1951

The Company added space for offices, manufacturing and research at 3250 S Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, IL.

1954

Purchased 380 acre site and began modest operations at Millsdale (Joliet), IL. Future site of company’s largest manufacturing facility.

1959

Purchased Maywood Chemical Works in Maywood, NJ.

1960

Moved into Administration and Research Center in Northfield, IL

1961

Stepan stock began trading publicly on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol "SCL"

1964

Purchased Bzura manufacturing facilities in Fieldsboro, NJ and began sulfonation production at this location.

1965

Purchased facilities in Anaheim, CA.

1976

First European acquisition, Industries Chimiques de Voreppe, in Voreppe (Grenoble) France.

1982

Purchased the Kessco esters business from Armak.

1984

Company name changed to Stepan Company.

1985

Purchased surfactant business and manufacturing facilities of Westvaco in Winder, GA; and purchased urethane business of Reichhold.

1986

Purchased anionic and cationic surfactant business of Millmaster Onyx.

1987

Purchased PVO, which was incorporated into the facilities at Maywood, NJ

1988

Purchased the Petrolite surfactant facilities in Matamoros, Mexico

1989

Purchased surfactant business of Canada Packers in Toronto; also purchased Domtar surfactant business and manufacturing facilities in Longford Mills, Ontario, Canada.

1991

Purchased ACCOSOFT® line of fabric softeners from Karlshamns USA; purchased US-based sulfonate and sulfonate blend business of ICI Americas, Inc.

1993

Formed joint venture – Stepan Colombiana, Cali, Colombia

1995

Formed joint venture – Stepan Philippines, Inc., Bauan, Batangas, Philippines

1996

Acquired Cologne, Germany Plant; Stepan Company stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

1997

Formed subsidiary - Stepan Quimica, ltda., Sao Paulo, Brazil; acquired Lonza West coast surfactant business

1998

Acquired DuPont plastics and fibers additives business; acquired Boheme Filatex Canadian surfactant business; acquisition of Stepan Colombiana

2000

Purchased the Manro Performance Chemicals Plant in Stalybridge (Manchester), United Kingdom

2001

Purchased Akcros Chemicals Ltd. surfactant business

2002

Acquired methyl chloride and benzyl chloride quaternaries, amine oxides ,betaine and ethanolamide business of Pentagon Chemical Specialties (formerly owned by Dow Haltermann), based in Workington, UK

2004

Formed joint venture - Nanjing Stepan Jinling Chemical Co., Ltd., Nanjing, People's Republic of China; Purchased sulfonation plant in Vespasiano Brazil from Unilever.

2007

Acquired a specialty agricultural surfactant product line from the HallStar Company; Stepan celebrates its 75th anniversary