Our Story

Tradition. Experience. Values. People. Passion. This is RadiciGroup, since the 70s a leader in the polyamide yarn sector.

BChemicals - la storiaack in the 1970s, RadiciGroup - already a leader in the polyamide yarn sector - decided to diversify its business through vertical integration.
This was achieved by adding polyamide 6 production to the “front end” of its polyamide yarn production chain, which already included the manufacture of fabric, wall-to-wall carpet, rugs and car mats. 

Born out of necessity, the integration of polyamide 6 into the production chain was just the first step of RadiciGroup’s entry into the chemical world.

1986 - The story of RadiciGroup in the chemicals sector began in the spring of 1986, when Gianni Radici, the founder of RadiciGroup, decided to buy a former Montedison factory and put it back into production. The site, located in Via Fauser in Novara, Italy, had been inactive for about three years, and some production departments were in a complete state of neglect.

Before closing down, the Montedison site had three production lines: the first produced nitric acid; the second, adipic acid; and the third was salification, the last stage of the production process.
 
Through the determination of Gianni Radici and the dedication of a team of engineers and technicians, the abandoned factory was restored and revamped in a relatively short time. The adipic acid and nitric acid production plants were technologically upgraded and put back into operation. 
The investment of considerable economic resources and a great planning effort by management led to the success of the project. Thus, Radici Chimica SpA was founded in the city of Novara, where RadiciGroup was able to find a great wealth of tradition, experience and expertise in the chemical sector.
 
Chemicals - la storia
1992 – At the Radici Chimica site in Novara, a new upstream plant was built to produce hexamethylenediamine, needed to complete the polyamide 66 production chain. Thus polyamide 66 production was launched.
 
1998 – The branch office sales unit Radici Chimica SpA was created in Mendrisio, Switzerland.                

2001Radici Chimica Deutschland GmbH, a new plant for the production of adipic acid, was set up. This new German site was designed and built in the late 1990s at the Zeitz (Tröglitz) industrial centre, located in the heart of the former East Germany, and was put into operation in August 2001.

Today, Radici Chimica Deutschland GmbH is among Europe’s most technologically advanced producers of adipic acid (80,000 tons/year), nitric acid and cyclohexanol.

With over 200 employees and close collaboration with local schools and institutes of higher education, Radici Chimica Deutschland GmbH can rightfully be considered one of the driving forces in the development of the Zeitz industrial park.
2003 – The trading company RadiciChem Shanghai Co. Ltd was created to market PA6 and PA66 polymers, adipic acid, AGS dicarboxylic acid mixture, dicarboxylic acid esters, and PA6 and PA66 fibres.
 
2004 – In a joint venture with ATEL, the Novel combined-cycle cogeneration (turbogas) power plant was erected in the province of Novara. The plant has an output of 100 MW of electric power and can supply the steam required by Radici Chimica SpA for its operation.          
Chemicals - la storia
 
 Over the years RadiciGroup has expanded its chemicals business and become a world leader in the production of polyamide 6 and 66, and related intermediates, confirming its staus in the polyamide yarn sector.

With production sites in Novara (specializing in PA 66), Villa D’Ogna and Casnigo (specializing in PA 6) and Zeitz (specializing in adipic acid and cyclohexanol), as well as two trading companies in Switzerland and Shanghai, RadiciGroup can reach consumers in chemicals markets all over the world: Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, North and South America.
 
In the chemicals area, RadiciGroup manufactures PA 6 and PA 66 polymers, adipic acid, nitric acid, hexamethylenediamine, 66 salt, AGS dicarboxylic acid mixture and dicarboxylic acid esters. In addition RadiciGroup sells other chemical products: glass fibre and ammonia.