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PETER GREVEN GROUP

Within the past 100 years, Peter Greven developed from a local soap factory to an international corporate group for oleochemicals. 
Today, this business unit employs more than 350 people. 

WELCOME AT Peter Greven

In 1923, Peter Greven founded a soap and glycerine factory in Bad Münstereifel. During the past decades we grew to an international chemical company. Today, we produce high-quality oleochemical additives at our production sites in Bad Münstereifel (DE), Venlo (NL), Penang (MY) and Helena, Arkansas (US) and sell our products all over the world. 

The continuous development of the past 100 years shows: The balance between the realistic assessment of our possibilities and our will to seize new opportunities in the market have succeeded for three generations. 
 

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Company Chronicle

Code of Conduct

Here you can find further 
information on our 
Code of Conduct.

Peter Greven Group

Here you can find an overview of 
all companies that belong to 
Peter Greven Group.

News & latest information on Peter Greven Group

Here you can find all news and the latest information from our oleochemicals business unit. 
Stay tuned on our activities!

 

1/55
New facility for new production lines

A new reaction department for the production of our LIGAMED product line was put into operation at our Venlo site in October.

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2/55

Palm oil is used in various industries and is one of the most important raw materials for oleochemicals. As the production of palm oil can be…

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3/55

We are well equipped when it comes to developing new products and carrying out application testing. Besides our lab we operate a state-of-the-art…

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4/55

Sustainable ester base oils also gain in importance for gear oils and high temperature chain oils. Check our article for information on the…

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5/55

What is the meaning of biogenic carbon and why is it important for a sustainable industry?

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6/55

Together with the staff and our managing directors Peter Greven and Carsten Rader the groundbreaking ceremony for the new esterification line at Norac…

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7/55

New Pharma Brochure

Our brochure for the pharmaceutical industry got a new design.

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8/55

The Hydrogen Round Table is a key networking event for companies in the district that are interested in the hydrogen economy and its entire value…

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9/55

Sustainability is gaining in importance. But what makes oleochemistry a sustainable industry?

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10/55

Metalworking fluids, often referred to as coolants or cutting fluids, play a crucial role in industrial manufacturing. Synthetic esters can be used as…

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11/55

Restoration plasters are specialized building materials that play a crucial role in the repair and preservation of historical and damaged buildings.…

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12/55

Bee Protection

Beehives on Peter Greven company premises

Bees are true wonders of nature. However, bee populations worldwide are facing challenges. As a company, we want to make a contribution to protect…

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13/55

Requests for Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) from the building industry increase.

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14/55

Dispersion Line US

Norac Additives built a new dispersion line.

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15/55

Which reqiurements does concrete have for hydrophobization and which oleochemical products are suitable?

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16/55

Sealing compatibility of synthetic base oils.

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17/55

In addition to considering the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) is also increasingly coming into focus.

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18/55

LCA stands for Life Cycle Assessment and it is commonly used in the context of sustainability.

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19/55

To set our goals for the climate protection strategy we became part of the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

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20/55
[Translate to English:]

Since March 1, 2024, we are a member of the German Construction Chemicals Association “Deutsche Bauchemie”.

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21/55
Test setup for outdoor weathering of LIGAPHOB hydrophobing agents

Why is outdoor weathering interesting for hydrophobing agents and what activities does Peter Greven do in terms of outdoor weathering?

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22/55

LIGALUB. Synthetic esters for marine applications.

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23/55

An effective climate protection strategy is essential for companies, as climate change is not only a global challenge but also has a significant…

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24/55

Sustainability Reporting

Along with the increasing importance of sustainability, sustainability reporting has also become more relevant. For many years now, our sustainability…

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25/55
[Translate to English:]

We are pleased to announce that, with the start of this year, our long-term employee Carsten Rader joined the management board.

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26/55

Member of VSI

Associations are an important tool to represent the interests of a particular industry and establish public communication.

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27/55
[Translate to English:]

From 26th to 28th September 2023 Lubricant Expo took place in Essen for the second time. We participated as an exhibitor again and can look back to…

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28/55

Website Relaunch

We have taken our 100th anniversary this year as an opportunity refresh the look of our website.

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29/55
Energie • Peter Greven Gruppe

By switching our power supply to "eco" contract, we can contribute by saving 3.605.300 kg CO2 compared to the German electricity mix every year!

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30/55
Jubiläumslogo

This year is a very special one to us as we celebrate a major jubilee: 100 years of Peter Greven! A lot has changed since we were founded in 1923. We…

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31/55
Logo RCI • Peter Greven Gruppe

Since November 2022 we are a member of Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI).

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32/55
Vortrag HU • Peter Greven Gruppe

At this year’s European Base Oils & Lubricants Summit, our Head of Development Oleochemicals, Dr. Wilhelm Huber, gave a presentation on “The Evolution…

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33/55
Peter Greven • Peter Greven Gruppe

Few weeks ago, we started commissioning a new production line at our site in Penang, MY.

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34/55
VE5 • Peter Greven Gruppe

In April 2022, we started up a new esterification line at our site in Bad Münstereifel (DE). It will increase our production capacity for esters by…

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35/55
Palmöl • Peter Greven Gruppe

We are a supporter of Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil (FONAP) and we have supported projects of the association in the past. Therefore, we are very…

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36/55
LUBE Artikel Dichtungsverträglichkeit • Peter Greven Gruppe

We likely announce that our technical article about sealing compatibility of ester base oils was released in the current issue of Lube magazine.

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37/55
Produktion volle Kapazität • Peter Greven Gruppe

Almost 3 months have passed since the flood hit our site in Bad Münstereifel. Thanks to the strong engagement of our employees we were able to get…

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38/55
Vergleichsbild Technikum • Peter Greven Gruppe

The devastating flood that hit our site in Bad Münstereifel hard is now about a month ago. A month that was dedicated to clearing up, cleaning and…

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39/55
[Translate to English:]

Last Friday, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Economics Pinkwart and Rhineland-Palatinate’s Minister of Economics Schmitt visited companies ion…

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40/55
Statusupdate • Peter Greven Gruppe

2 weeks have passed since the flooding situation at our headquarters in Bad Münstereifel. Especially during the first 7 - 10 days we were quite busy…

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41/55
Warnzeichen • Peter Greven Gruppe

Due to the flood situation caused by the extreme weather our we have to declare Force Majeure for our site in Bad Münstereifel.

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42/55
Peter Greven • Peter Greven Gruppe

Due to the flood situation caused by the extreme weather you can’t reach our headquarters in Bad Münstereifel by phone or email right now.

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43/55
FONAP Studie Wirkungsmonitoring • Peter Greven Gruppe

The recently published study “Impact monitoring of palm oil sustainability schemes”, commissioned by FONAP, states that certification schemes for…

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44/55

COSMOS certificate

COSMOS • Peter Greven Gruppe

Selected LIGAMED® and PALMSTAR® products are now COSMOS approved and may be used for organic and natural cosmetics.

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45/55
LUBE Artikel Estolide • Peter Greven Gruppe

We likely announce that our technical article about estolides was released in the current issue of Lube magazine.

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46/55
ESTOLUB Newsveröffentlichung • Peter Greven Gruppe

Our new ESTOLUB® product line for the lubricant industry offers a new generation of first-class biolubricants.

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47/55

APAG oleochemicals video

APAG Oleochemie • Peter Greven Gruppe

APAG (European Oleochemicals and Allied Products Group) published a new explanatory video regarding oleochemicals.

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48/55
Stearate • Peter Greven Gruppe

In addition to our internal, product related development, we always strive to support research beyond the boundaries of our own company with our…

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49/55
Peter Greven • Peter Greven Gruppe

Peter Greven GmbH & Co. KG, a leading manufacturer of oleochemical additives, signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Solenis Switzerland…

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50/55
News Location Ambler • Peter Greven Gruppe

The headquarters and the development lab of Norac Additives have, so far, been located in Pomona, CA (US). During the last year the idea of relocating…

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51/55
Peter Greven • Peter Greven Gruppe

As a leading manufacturer of oleochemical additives with four international sites we put a new, state-of-the-art production line for dust-free…

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52/55
FONAP Kleinbauernprojekt • Peter Greven Gruppe

To support the sustainable production of palm oil, Peter Greven Nederland is supporting member of FONAP (Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil) since 2017.…

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53/55
Artikel ZKG • Peter Greven Gruppe

ZKG magazine published the results of our long-term field study regarding the effects of oleochemical ...

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54/55
News Bio Innovation Park • Peter Greven Gruppe

We are glad to be accepted as a member of bio innovation park Rheinland e.V.

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55/55
Lube Artikel Ester • Peter Greven Gruppe

We likely announce that our technical article about “The iodine value as a measure of the stability of ester base oils” was released in the current…

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Take a look at our locations

We are your proficient partner all around the globe! With our production sites and sales offices on three continents we are internationally well positioned to offer you our high-quality, sustainable oleochemical additives

Peter Greven France S.A.R.L
Site Paris, FR

Our French customers are serviced from our local sales office.

Peter Greven GmbH & Co. KG
Site Bad Münstereifel, DE

Production of metallic soaps, alkaline soaps, esters and dispersions.

At our headquarters we produce a broad range of products for the technical applications like plastics, construction, lubricants, rubber and paper.

Our brands
LIGASTAR®, LIGALUB®, LIGAPHOB®, LIGACID®, LIGAFLUID®, LIGASTAB® & SERFAX®

Peter Greven Nederland C.V.
Site Venlo, NL

Production of metallic soaps, alkaline soaps and dispersions.

The whole site is dedicated to the needs of the Life Science sector. We only use vegetable based raw materials and our products are characterised by the highest quality standards and comprehensive certifications.

Our brands
LIGAMED®, LIGAFOOD®, LIGAFEED®, LIGAFLUID® & PALMSTAR®

Peter Greven Asia Sdn. Bhd.
Site Penang, MY

Production of metallic soaps, alkaline soaps and dispersions.

Our joint venture with IOI supplies technical and Life Science industries in the Asian market.

Check out the website of Peter Greven Asia!

Our brand
PALMSTAR®

Peter Greven Asia Sdn. Bhd.
Site Kuala Lumpur, MY

Our team at the sales office in Kuala Lumpur takes care of the customer service for all products of Peter Greven Asia.

Check out the website of Peter Greven Asia!

Reda Saudi Arabia
Site Al Khobar, SA

In cooperation with our distribution partner Reda Saudi Arabia we established a toll manufacturing on-site. This enables an easier and more efficient supply of the customers in the region.

Norac Additives LLC.
Site Ambler (PA), US

Headquarters and development lab.

Customer service as well as application technology are handled from our office in Ambler.

Check out the website of Norac Additives!

Norac Additives LLC.
Site Helena (AR), US

Production of metallic soaps, esters and dispersions.

The core competence with broad know-how is the plastics industry but application areas like construction and rubber are delivered with our products as well.

Check out the website of Norac Additives!

Our brands
COAD®, MATHE®, NORAC® & NORSTAB®

Headquarters

Production Site

Sales Office

Toll Manufacturing

Milestones of company history

We can proudly look back to 100 years of company history. Over the past decades we have succeeded in constantly developing and successfully overcoming difficulties. We will continue to invest in the sustainable development of our company – for the benefit of our customers!

Firmengeschichte 1923 • Peter Greven Gruppe

1923

The foundation

In 1923, Peter Greven established the "soap and glycerine factory". At first main emphasis was put on the soda, laundry soap and washing powder production. With only a few members of staff Peter Greven already then laid the foundations for the positive developement of the company to the current market position.

Firmengeschichte 1934 • Peter Greven Gruppe

1934

Independence of raw material markets

In 1934 a lipolysis equipment was put into operation in order to cover the increasing demand for fatty acids. From now on the company was more independent of raw material markets and, at the same time, the production programme could be extended by further products.

Firmengeschichte 1945 • Peter Greven Gruppe

1945

From soap to additives and derivats

In 1945, after the second World War, the sons Heinz and Günther Greven started to work within their father's business. Both already gained first experiences in their time as trainees before the war in different companies of industrial chemistry. During the following years they carried out the change from the soap factory to the manufacturer of fat chemical additives and derivates.

Firmengeschichte 1956 • Peter Greven Gruppe

1956

Diversification

In 1956 the production of metallic soaps was started, for which completely new technologies had to be developed. Due to the then starting market development, especially in the plastics industry, processing auxiliary products gained more and more in importance. On 2nd november 1956, the subsi­diary company "Chemische Fabrik Iversheim" was founded which specialized in the production of of dispenser dosable products for skin cleansing. Until today these products are offered on the market under the name "IVRAXO".

Firmengeschichte 1970er • Peter Greven Gruppe

70s

New production plants

The Seventies were characterized by basic changes. Apart from a modern administration building new efficient production plants were installed, in order to come up to the increasing demand for metallic soaps. The installation of a modern high-pressure lipolysis system was also carried out in this period.

Firmengeschichte 1980er • Peter Greven Gruppe

80s

Perfection of the logistics

In the Eightees the production sector of fatty acid derivates was extended by esters. 

 

The new building of a computer-aided high-bay warehouse and the use of a robot-controlled confectioning system led to an optimization of the total logistics.

Firmengeschichte 1990er • Peter Greven Gruppe

90s

Tradition and Innovation

The Ninetees were determined by innovative and directive changes. In order to reduce packing material a modern BigBag, container and silo trailer filing equipment was installed. As one of the first worldwide the company GREVEN carried out the step from conventional batch saponification to a fully automatic contisaponification.

Firmengeschichte 2000 • Peter Greven Gruppe

2000

The new millenium

In 2000 GREVEN took over a manufacturing plant in Venlo (Nether­lands), its business is led by the subsidiary PETER GREVEN NEDERLAND. This manufacturing plant, which is situated near the German-Dutch border, exclusively produces vegetable based metallic soaps.

Firmengeschichte 2005 • Peter Greven Gruppe

2005

Peter Greven takes over stearate business of company Ceca

While a lot of companies in the market reduce their business due to the difficult market situation Peter Greven expands its business and aquired the stearate business of company Ceca (a subsidiary of Total-Atofina). With this acquisition we enlarged our pro­duct portfolio with some specialities, extended our customer base and strengthened our market position as one of the leading producers of stearates in Europe.

Firmengeschichte 2007 • Peter Greven Gruppe

2007

Foundation of the Joint Venture Peter Greven Asia

Merging the strengths of this two market leaders, Peter Greven and IOI Oleochemiclas, the vision and aim of the Joint Venture Peter Greven Asia is to attain a leading position in metallic soaps in Asia. Those metallic soaps will be used as additives in many diversified applications, the biggest industry partners will be plastics, rubber, building protection and paper industry. The main markets for the Joint Venture will be the Asian markets China, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, but also Middle East and the U.S.

Firmengeschichte 2011 • Peter Greven Gruppe

2011

Foundation of the subsidiary Peter Greven US

To further increase the international presence the new sales office in New Jersey, which is the first site within the US, is opened. After the acquisition of Norac Additives in 2017, the tasks of our sales office have been taken over by our subsidiary. 

Firmengeschichte 2014 • Peter Greven Gruppe

2014

Finishing of the new administration and laboratory building

As Peter Greven strives to continuously improve and modernise its sites, a new office building as well as a new laboratory were built at the headquarters in Bad Münstereifel.

Firmengeschichte 2017 • Peter Greven Gruppe

2017

Foundation of Norac Additives in the US

Peter Greven forms Norac Additives LLC after the assets of the additives division of US company Norac Inc. were aquired. The new production site in Helena, Arkansas, as well as the office and development laboratory in Ambler, Pennsylvania, lead to another increase in international presence, especially throughout the US.

Jubiläumslogo

2023

100th anniversary

The company looks back on 100 years of company history. During all this time, a lot has changed. “We are proud that we have been able to sucessfully balance the growth and internationalization of our company with our established values and principles. In the past we have shown that we can continue to develop the company in a future-oriented way - even in difficult times. Our purpose is to continue this path in the future.” comments managing director Peter Greven on the jubilee. 

Ethical business conduct

We want to fulfil our social responsibility. Therefore, we established a Code of Conduct for the whole Peter Greven Group in 2014. Within this document we determine the essential principles of our entrepreneurial behaviour. In order to secure the compliance along the whole supply chain, our contractors agree to follow the principles described in the Code of Conduct by signature. 

Complaint management is important to us as well. In case you want to report a violation of our Code of Conduct, please use our anonymous contact form or get in touch with our sustainability manager directly. We will follow up your complaint conscientiously! So far, no violations have been reported.