In 1897, George Foret, from the South of France, joined “Delamare y Leroy” in Barcelona, changing the name of the company to “Delamare y Foret”. In the same year, glucose and syrup production started at the former factory in Sant Martí de Provencals.
Interestingly, among the products produced by Foret at the turn of the century was the “Champagne Foret”, for which an advertising poster, dating from 1902, is reproduced here.
In 1901 production of hydrogen peroxide started in the Barcelona factory. In 1927 the name of the company changed to Foret, S.A., a name it kept until it became fully integrated into the FMC Corporation (USA) in 1992, when it became FMC Foret S.A.
Another interesting fact is that in 1919 Foret produced “Forestina”, the first acetylsalicylic acid based analgesic manufactured in Spain. The following year, the company came to an agreement with Bayer to cease production.
In 1927, Foret became a public corporation and the company went through a major period of expansion. That year saw the opening of the Vinaròs (Castellón) factory. The factory initially produced carbon sulfide, introducing other products such as sodium hydrosulfite, sodium hyposulfite, sodium sulfite and potassium metabisulfite two years later.
Also in 1929, Foret began manufacturing glycerin and glucose in its Barcelona factory, in addition to already manufactured products such as hydrogen peroxide, sodium sulfide, sodium bisulfite, sodium sulfite and sodium hyposulfite.
Shortly before, the company had registered the trademark, labeling and packaging for the pharmaceutical specialty, “Foret Neutral Hydrogen Peroxide”, as shown in the photograph.
In 1939, the company acquired the factory in Puente Genil (Córdoba), producing carbon sulfide and olive pit oils.
In 1945, the company “Glucosa y Derivados, SA” was founded with Cros and Corn Products. Initial production included liquid glucose, cornstarch, dextrin, glucose caramel, etc. In the same year, production of sodium perborate started in the Barcelona factory and in 1947, a contract was drawn up between Safa and Foret to found “Derivados del Azufre SA” (Dasa), with the factories in Vinaròs and Puente Genil going to the new company.
In 1952, Foret, a major innovator, launched the first synthetic detergent, “TEX”, on the Spanish market. Foret handled both production and marketing of the new product, which was very well received on its introduction.
By the late 50s, sodium tripolyphosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate production was started at the Barcelona plant, with Foret manufacturing the high-quality detergent known as "OMO" in conjunction with Unilever.
During the 1950s, Foret started producing a range of new products in several of its factories: sulfuric acid, sodium hydrosulfite, anhydrous sodium sulfite, zinc sulfate, thionyl chloride, colloidal sulfur, micronized sulfurs, thiourea, potassium metabisulfite, potassium amyl xanthate, sodium tripolyphosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
In the 1960s, the factory in Vinaròs started production of zineb, ziram, metham-Na, maneb, thiuram, forban and carbon sulfide.
In 1963-64, Foret went through a period of great change. In 1963 we launched our La Zaida (Saragossa) plant. We were able to enlarge it in 1965, thanks to our Joint Venture with Laporte Chemicals Ltd, when we included an organic peroxide production plant (Perorsa). Moreover, contacts with FMC Corporation, a highly diversified North American company, began during these years. It was in 1965, when Foret, together with the Belgian and German group Sibelco-Quarzwerke, creates Sibelco Española, for industrial silica sand production.
Celebrating our 75th birthday in 1965, Foret reached an agreement with FMC Group for an initial 20% stake and a commitment to acquire up to 50% of Foret within 5 years. This acquisition reached 90% in 1977 and was finalised in 1992 when Foret became definitively part of FMC Corporation.
In 1968 our phosphoric acid and sodium tripolyphosphate plants were opened at our Huelva factory.
FMC Foret’s move into Barcelona’s Zona Franca occurred in 1971 when we built a carbon sulphate, silicate and sodium metasilicate production plant. Later, in 1974, FMC Foret bought DASA “Derivados del Azufre, s.a., a company that manufactured sulphur derivatives, enlarging our facilities in the Catalan capital by adding ammonium thiosulphate and sodium hydrogen sulphate plants.
Also, in 1974 the Corporation began producing persulphates in its La Zaida factory, which lasted up until 1977. After that period, the plant began to produce sodium perborate tetrahydrate and in 1984 started producing sodium perborate monohydrate. The enlargement of its La Zaida production capacity continued over subsequent years. In 1989 we set up a peracetic acid plant and two years later our first pilot plant dedicated to sodium percarbonate was launched.
In 1986, FMC Foret bought a sodium sulphate business in Villarrubia de Santiago from Unión Salinera de España S.A. Minas El Castellar, a company specialised in producing sodium sulphate with its headquarters in Villarrubia de Santiago (Toledo).
During the 1990s, FMC Foret installed electrical cogeneration plants in its La Zaida, Zona Franca, Huelva and Villarrubia de Santiago centres. Additionally, it began producing dicalcium phosphate in its Huelva factory.
In 1994, its Barcelona, Zona Franca plant increased its activity by starting to produce metam sodium and perthiocarbonate. A year later, in 1995, we launched our hydrogen peroxide plant in Delfzijl (the Netherlands) which underwent several expansions.
FMC Foret continued expanding in Spain with the purchase of its zeolites plant in Zubillaga-Lantarón (Álava) in 2001. That same year, our production of solid dithiocarbamates, which until that point had been carried out at our Vinarós plant (Castellón), was transferred to our Zona Franca (Barcelona) plant and a monocalcium phosphate plant was started up in Huelva.
In 2004, FMC Foret sold its share of Sibelco Española to SIbelco Minerales s.a.
In 2008, we sold our share of the company Minas El Castellar to Minera Santa Marta s.a.
Since our founding in 1890, the main trait of FMC Foret has been our constant development, continually adapting to the market’s changing currents.
