American Cyanamid
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| Fate | Defunct |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 22, 1907 |
| Headquarters | One Cyanamid Plaza, Wayne, NJ, U.S. |
American Cyanamid Company was a leading American conglomerate which became one of the nation's top 100 manufacturing companies during the 1970s and 1980s, according to the Fortune 500 listings at the time. Founded by Frank Washburn in 1907, the company grew to over 100,000 employees worldwide, and had over 200,000 shareholders by the mid-1970s. Its stock was traded on the under the symbol ACY. It was repeatedly reorganized after the mid-1990s, merged with other firms, and saw brands and divisions sold or spun off. The bulk of the former company is now part of Pfizer, with smaller portions belonging to BASF, Procter & Gamble and other firms.
Although originally a manufacturer of agricultural chemicals the product line was soon broadened into many different types of industrial chemicals and specialty chemicals. The company then diversified into synthetic fibers, pharmaceuticals, surgical products, plastics, and inorganic pigments prior to World War II; and later added, by acquisitions, cosmetic and toiletry products, perfumes, building products, home building, and several smaller product categories following World War II.
Cyanamid —as the company was commonly called— produced an immense range and variety of products. Its activities were organized into 10 operating divisions, whose names are suggestive of the products manufactured. They were:
⋅ Additionally, the company had several joint ventures, such as
There were also a number of smaller companies acquired over the years, such as an industrial safety products distributor and Bloomingdale Aerospace, which produced lightweight aircraft panels built on hexagonal core material.
In 1972, Cyanamid acquired a home building company, Ervin Industries, and invested heavily to expand that business over the next eight years. The company's thrust was Planned Unit Developments, or PUDs, which were housing developments built around private golf courses. Hence, Cyanamid became at one point the largest operator of golf courses in the U.S. After sustaining losses in excess of $100 million, Cyanamid discontinued the business and sold the real estate and other assets.
The operating divisions had their own research activities, manufacturing facilities, and sales forces. Functions common to all divisions were organized and administered at the corporate level, by nine service divisions:
Additionally, the office of the Corporate Secretary handled such matters as maintaining registration of the various subsidiary companies, fulfilling reporting requirements in various jurisdictions, stockholder notifications, and similar administrative tasks.
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