About Cheminova > History

Cheminova was founded in 1938 by chemical engineer Gunnar Andreasen in Copenhagen. During the first years, several chemical products were made, depending on the shortage of a number of original products during the war.

In 1943, the founder of the company donated all company shares to the Aarhus University Research Foundation which had been established with the purpose of supporting research at the university.

In 1953, Cheminova was relocated to Lemvig in the western part of Denmark.

During the following decades, the company focused on the area of organophosphorous insecticides and intermediates resulting in Cheminova achieving a global leading position in this specific area. The product portfolio has since been expanded to include pyrethroid insecticides, herbicides and fungicides including products such as glyphosate and flutriafol. Further, sales subsidiaries have been established in key markets and the product portfolio is today marketed under own registrations and trademarks in most leading agricultural markets. Today, Cheminova is known as a leading global generic producer and accounts for 2 per cent of the global business of plant protection products.

The parent company of Cheminova, Auriga Industries A/S, is listed at the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. Auriga is the sole owner of one other company, Hardi International A/S.

Historical facts 2000-2006 - Cheminova

  • 2006 - Cheminova buys the global rights to the insecticide acrinathrin from Bayer Crop Science.
  • 2005 - Cheminova signs a global agreement with Bayer CropScience concerning the insecticide imidacloprid.
  • 2004 - Cheminova achieves its best year ever.
  • 2003 - Cheminova completes the construction of the new plant for production of gamma-cyhalothrin and takes over the French company Flexagri.
  • 2002 - Cheminova buys the two insecticides acrinathrin and phosalone from Bayer CropScience. The first registration of gamma-cyhalothrin obtained in Argentina. Cheminova India commences production and sales of the world's largest insecticide, imidacloprid.
  • 2001 - Cheminova acquires the fungicide flutriafol from Syngenta, takes over the Mexican company SQI and a controlling interest in the British Headland Group.
  • 2000 - Together with Dow AgroSciences, Cheminova forms a 50:50 joint venture company to register and market gamma cyhalothrin, a newly developed highly efficient pyrethroid insecticide.