History
In 1919, a young entrepreneur by the name of Wilson Laucks discovered that the hosiery mills in the Reading, Pennsylvania area use 400 pound drums of caustic soda and from time to time had difficulty getting this product. He decided to buy twenty drums and peddle them to a few of the hosiery mills in the area. He was successful in getting orders and making a profit. He started calling on some more hosiery mills and found he was able to sell enough caustic soda to purchase a complete truckload. Mr. Laucks found his business had grown significantly and by 1930, he had a fleet of three trucks. He hired some salesmen and spread out into other areas of Pennsylvania.
In 1951, Wilson Jr. took over his father's business. He decided to expand into new territories and in 1952, opened a warehouse in the Philadelphia area. In 1958, Wilson Jr. opened warehouses in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Later, Wilson Jr. sold the company to a group of investors. By this time the company had grown to be a full line chemical distributor, selling items ranging from food grade products to heavy solvents.
In 1972, the company moved to a new headquarters at its present location of Pottsville Pike and Huller Lane on the outskirts of Reading, Pennsylvania. By 1979, new warehouses were opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Piscataway, New Jersey.
In 1981, the new owners sold the company to Stinnes Oil and Chemical (SOCO), a German Company. The new owners brought further expansion of the company by moving the Pittsburgh warehouse to a larger facility in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. By the mid 1980's, the need to have more space in New Jersey moved the warehouse to New Brunswick.
In 1990, as business expanded into New York, the company purchased a warehouse in Liverpool, New York, a Syracuse suburb. In 1994, through the acquisition of R.W. Eaken, the Textile Chemical product line was expanded to include more solvent and lubricant business.
In 1998, the parent company, SOCO, changed its name to Brenntag. Through its affiliation with Brenntag and its other subsidiaries, Textile Chemical became one of the top chemical distribution companies in the United States. Combining the US subsidiaries with the distribution network in Europe and Asia, makes the company the largest in the world.
In November of 2000, Brenntag purchased HCI (Holland Chemical International), further solidifying the company's global presence. This acquisition heralded a new era for the organization, which is structured into 6 geographic regions, all carrying the Brenntag name. In keeping with this strategy, in May 2001, Textile Chemical officially changed its name to Brenntag Northeast, Inc.
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