León, December 20, 2024 – The integration of ADL BioPharma S.L.U. (ADL) into the WACKER Group progresses. From now onwards, ADL will operate under the name of Wacker León S.L.U. (Wacker León).
“This is a logical, and visible next step on our common journey, as we continue to build a stronger organization”, commented Susanne Leonhartsberger, president of WACKER’s BIOSOLUTIONS division. “The new name, Wacker León, is a symbol of the innovative spirit we bring together and the great potential we will continue to unlock on our way to become one unified company. Everything that made ADL successful — the know-how, track-record, flexibility, innovation, and excellence — will now fuel the future of Wacker León. We carry this legacy with great responsibility, knowing that we can build something truly remarkable.”
Jörg Lindemann, member of the board of Wacker León, said: “ADL is not just a company. It is a part of León’s history, and we are proud to carry that heritage forward. We are building on the strong foundation ADL has provided. The dedication, expertise, and passion that have been nurtured over the past 70 years will now be the cornerstones of our future as Wacker León. All our customers can continue to count on our reliable and high-quality services, and their familiar contacts.”
WACKER’s commitment to León dates to 2016, when WACKER had acquired a plant for the fermentation-based production of cystine on the ADL site and established Wacker Biosolutions León S.L.U. Cystine and the amino acid cysteine produced from it are in demand in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.
The entire site has been part of WACKER since May 2023 with the acquisition of ADL. Investing over 100 million euros in the purchase, WACKER has positioned itself strongly in the growth market for sustainably produced fermentation-based ingredients for food and personal care as well as industrial applications. The León site’s strength as one of the largest biotech facilities in Europe is its scaleup and industrial production potential. Combined with WACKER’s profound R&D expertise in biotechnology and the broad market access it can provide as a global player, it opens up huge growth opportunities, both as a CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization) and for scaling up its own innovations.
Some 350 employees currently work for WACKER in León, making the site one of the largest employers in the region. It features just under 3,000 m3 of fermentation capacity, enabling the division to supply customers from all over the world.
About WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS
Using advanced biotech processes, WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS provides the life-science sector with tailored, innovative solutions and products – including pharmaceutical proteins, cyclodextrins and fermentation generated L-cysteine. The portfolio is additionally complemented with catalog chemicals such as acetylacetone. The division focuses on solutions for growth sectors, such as food ingredients, pharmaceutical actives and agrochemicals.
WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS is the WACKER Group’s life-sciences division.
For further information, visit wacker.com
For further information, please contact:
Wacker Chemie AG
Media Relations & Information
Dr. Karsten Werth
Phone +49 89 6279-1573
karsten.werth@wacker.com
The Company in Brief:
WACKER is a global company with state-of-the-art specialty chemical products found in countless everyday items, ranging from tile adhesives to computer chips. WACKER has a global network of 27 production sites, 22 technical competence centers and 48 sales offices. With around 16,400 employees, WACKER generated annual sales of around €6.4 billion in fiscal 2023. WACKER operates through four business divisions. The chemical divisions WACKER SILICONES and WACKER POLYMERS supply products (silicones, polymeric binders) for the automotive, construction, chemical, consumer goods and medical technology industries. WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS, the life sciences division, specializes in bioengineered products such as biopharmaceuticals and food additives. WACKER POLYSILICON produces hyperpure polysilicon for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries.