A chemical company is a company that produces chemicals for various purposes ranging from industry and manufacturing to health and science. Some chemical companies focus specifically on the production of chemicals, while others are highly involved in the research and testing of new chemicals, as well. The chemical industry is comprised of chemical companies that produce industrial chemicals. It is a multi-billion dollar industry; chemical companies are an integral part of the global economy.
There are many important aspects of any chemical company. Typically, production is considered the most important, as a chemical company will usually make the most money by efficiently producing certain valuable and useful chemicals in the right proportions. Most chemical companies produce their products through a series of chemical reactions. As such, it is important for them to use the optimal amount of reactants in these reactions to ensure that they make full use of all that they have available and avoid wasting any.
Research is another important aspect of a chemical company. The chemical industry is quite competitive, so companies struggle to keep as far ahead of other companies as they possibly can. Chemical companies pour at minimum millions of US Dollars each year into research in an attempt to improve the quality of anything from drugs to cosmetics. Chemists and chemical engineers tend to dominate the ranks of researchers who work at chemical companies. Sometimes, they also work to simply improve the processes used to make existing chemicals, as greater efficiency usually results in more money.
Though raw efficiency and productive ability are very important, they can all crumble to dust if a chemical company neglects the legal aspect of the chemical industry. There are countless laws and regulations relating to the safety of a company's workers and of the consumers who make use of the company's products. Many chemicals are flammable, toxic, corrosive, or poisonous and must be controlled very carefully. Sometimes, a less efficient production method must be used to ensure the safety of all involved. A major lawsuit relating to safety can be a crippling blow to a chemical company.
Chemical companies employ a wide variety of people to handle all of the different aspects of the company. Lawyers handle the legal aspects of the company, chemical engineers work to keep production running smoothly and effectively, and managers work to tie it all together. As in any company, there are many other roles to fill as there are many other jobs, from research to accounting, that need to be done in any chemical company.
