DuPont facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Traded as |
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| ISIN | US26614N1028 |
| Industry | Chemicals |
| Predecessors | |
| Founded |
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| Headquarters | Wilmington, Delaware, US |
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Area served
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Global |
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Key people
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Edward D. Breen (executive chairman & CEO) |
| Revenue |  US$12.1 billion (2023) |
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Operating income
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US$747 million (2023) |
| US$462 million (2023) |
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| Total assets | US$38.6 billion (2023) |
| Total equity | US$24.3 billion (2023) |
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Number of employees
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c. 24,000 (2023) |
DuPont de Nemours, Inc., often called DuPont, is a large American company that makes chemicals and other special materials. It was started in 1802 by a French-American chemist named Éleuthère Irénée du Pont. The company helped develop the state of Delaware.
DuPont first became known for making gunpowder. Over time, it created many important materials like neoprene (a type of rubber), nylon (used in clothes and many products), Teflon (for non-stick pans), and Kevlar (used in bulletproof vests). DuPont also developed chemicals like Freon for refrigerators and special paints.
In 2017, DuPont joined with another big company, Dow Chemical Company, to form a huge company called DowDuPont. Later, in 2019, DowDuPont split into three separate companies. The current DuPont company focuses on special products and is still based in Wilmington, Delaware.
History of DuPont
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| Public | |
| Traded as | NYSE: DD |
| Industry | Chemicals |
| Fate | Merged with Dow Chemical to form DowDuPont, which later split into three companies |
| Successor | Dow Chemical (Materials) DuPont (Specialty products) Corteva (Agricultural products) |
| Founded | July 1802 |
| Founder | Éleuthère Irénée du Pont |
| Defunct | August 31, 2017 |
| Headquarters | Wilmington, , |
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Area served
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90 countries |
| Products | |
| Subsidiaries |
Subsidiaries list
DuPont Chemical & Energy Operations DuPont Pioneer Danisco Solae DuPont Danisco |
How DuPont Started (1802-1902)
DuPont was founded in 1802 by Éleuthère Irénée du Pont. He used money from France and brought gunpowder-making machines with him. He started the company at Eleutherian Mills, near Wilmington, Delaware. Du Pont and his family had left France to escape the French Revolution.
The company began by making gunpowder. Du Pont noticed that North America needed better gunpowder. DuPont quickly grew and became the biggest supplier of gunpowder to the U.S. military. It supplied a lot of the gunpowder used by the Union Army during the American Civil War. Today, the Eleutherian Mills site is a museum and a historic landmark.
Growing Bigger (1902-1912)
DuPont kept growing and started making dynamite and smokeless powder. In 1902, the company's president, Eugene du Pont, passed away. The remaining partners sold the company to three of the founder's great-grandsons.
DuPont bought several smaller chemical companies. By 1912, the government looked into these actions because DuPont was becoming very powerful. A court decided that DuPont had too much control over the explosives business. The court ordered the company to sell off some parts of its business. This led to the creation of two new companies: Hercules Powder Company and Atlas Powder Company.
DuPont also set up two of the first industrial research labs in the United States. Here, they began working on new products that were not explosives, like cellulose chemicals and paints.
Investing in Cars (1913-1919)
In 1914, Pierre S. du Pont invested in the new car industry. He bought shares in General Motors (GM). The next year, he joined GM's board of directors and later became the company's chairman. DuPont helped GM even more by buying $25 million worth of its stock.
Under Pierre S. du Pont's leadership, GM became the top car company in the world. However, in 1957, a law called the Clayton Antitrust Act made DuPont sell its shares in General Motors. This was because DuPont had too much influence over GM.
New Discoveries (1920-1940)
In the 1920s, DuPont focused on creating new materials. They hired a scientist named Wallace Carothers to work on polymers in 1928. Carothers invented neoprene, which is a type of fake rubber. He also created the first polyester and, in 1935, nylon.
A few years later, Teflon was invented. DuPont also introduced phenothiazine as an insecticide in 1935.
DuPont During World War II (1941-1945)
DuPont was a major contributor to the United States' efforts during World War II. As the inventor of nylon, DuPont helped make materials for parachutes, powder bags, and tires.
DuPont also played a big part in the Manhattan Project in 1943. They designed, built, and ran the Hanford plant in Hanford, Washington, which produced plutonium. In 1950, DuPont also agreed to build the Savannah River Plant in South Carolina to help create the hydrogen bomb.
Space Age Materials (1950-1970)
After the war, DuPont continued to focus on new materials. In the 1950s, they developed Mylar, Dacron, Orlon, and Lycra. In the 1960s, they created Tyvek, Nomex, and Corian.
DuPont has been very important in developing modern body armor. During World War II, DuPont's special nylon was used by Britain's Royal Air Force for flak jackets. Later, with the invention of Kevlar in the 1960s, DuPont tested if it could stop a bullet. This research led to the bullet-resistant vests used by police and military today.
Changes and Growth (1981-1999)
In 1981, DuPont bought Conoco Inc., a large American oil and gas company. This gave DuPont a steady supply of petroleum, which is needed to make many of its products like fibers and plastics. This purchase made DuPont one of the top oil and natural gas companies in the U.S.
In 1999, DuPont sold off Conoco. Conoco later joined with another company, Phillips Petroleum Company. Also in 1999, DuPont bought the Pioneer Hi-Bred agricultural seed company.
Modern DuPont (2000-2015)
DuPont describes itself as a global science company. It has over 60,000 employees worldwide and offers many different products. The company is organized into five main areas:
- Electronic and Communication Technologies
- Performance Materials
- Coatings and Color Technologies
- Safety and Protection
- Agriculture and Nutrition
The agriculture part of DuPont, called DuPont Pioneer, makes and sells hybrid seed and genetically modified seeds. Some of these seeds produce genetically modified food. For example, they have seeds that are resistant to certain herbicides or insects.
In 2010, DuPont Pioneer got approval to sell Plenish soybeans. These soybeans have a high amount of oleic acid, which makes an oil with no trans fat and less saturated fat. This oil is more stable and can be used in many food and industrial products.
DuPont has many research and development centers around the world. They invest a lot of money each year in new technologies for many markets, including agriculture, biofuels, cars, construction, and electronics. Over 10,000 scientists and engineers work for DuPont globally.
In 2011, DuPont bought a Danish company called Danisco. In 2012, DuPont took full ownership of Solae, a company that makes soy-based ingredients. In 2013, DuPont sold its Performance Coatings business, which was renamed Axalta Coating Systems.
In 2013, DuPont announced it would create a new company from its Performance Chemicals business. This new company, called The Chemours Company, was officially spun off in 2015. DuPont then focused on making GMO seeds, materials for solar panels, and alternatives to fossil fuels. Chemours became responsible for cleaning up many former DuPont sites.
Joining and Splitting (2015-Present)
On December 11, 2015, DuPont announced it would merge with Dow Chemical Company. The combined company, DowDuPont, was worth an estimated $130 billion. The merger was completed on August 31, 2017.
After the merger, the leaders of DowDuPont decided to split the company into three separate, independent companies:
- Corteva Agriscience: This company combines Dow and DuPont's seed and crop protection businesses.
- Dow Chemical Company: This company focuses on materials science, including plastics and chemicals.
- DuPont: This company focuses on specialty products like nutrition, health, safety, and electronics.
These splits were completed in 2019. In February 2020, Edward D. Breen returned as DuPont's CEO.
In November 2021, DuPont planned to buy Rogers Corporation, but the deal was canceled in November 2022 due to delays from Chinese regulators.
Where DuPont Works
| 2010 | 949 |
| 2009 | 171 |
| 2008 | 992 |
| 2007 | 1,652 |
| 2006 | 1,947 |
| 2005 | 2,795 |
| 2004 | −714 |
| 2003 | −428 |
| 2002 | 1,227 |
| 2001 | 6,131 |
DuPont's main offices and research centers are in Wilmington, Delaware. The company has factories, processing plants, and research facilities all over the world. Some of its major manufacturing sites include:
- The Spruance plant near Richmond, Virginia (which is the company's largest plant).
- The Washington Works site in Washington, West Virginia.
- The Mobile Manufacturing Center (MMC) in Axis, Alabama.
- The Bayport plant near Houston, Texas.
- The Mechelen site in Belgium.
- The Changshu site in China.
Other locations include plants in Tonawanda, New York, Orange, Texas, and Sayreville, New Jersey. In India, DuPont has centers in Vadodara, Gujarat and Hyderabad, Telangana.
Rules and Regulations
When DuPont and Dow Chemical wanted to merge, the European Commission (a group that oversees rules in Europe) looked into the deal. They wanted to make sure the merger would not stop fair competition in areas like crop protection, seeds, and chemicals. This review caused the merger to be delayed several times.
To get approval, the companies agreed to sell off some parts of their businesses. For example, DuPont sold some of its crop protection business. Dow also sold some of its chemical manufacturing facilities.
The European Commission finally approved the merger in April 2017. China also approved the merger in May 2017.
Some people, like former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, believed that creating a single, independent U.S. agriculture company would help it compete globally. The merger was generally not opposed by competition authorities worldwide because they felt it did not significantly impact the global seed markets.
However, some worried that if other big companies also merged, a few very large companies would control most of the global seed and agriculture chemical markets.
See also
In Spanish: DuPont Corporation para niños
Images for kids
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Dupont logo.svg
DuPont logo
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E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company logo
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The logo of DowDuPont
