Hexion
Hexion Inc. is a Columbus, Ohio-based specialty chemicals manufacturer producing thermoset resins, adhesives, coatings, and formaldehyde-based chemistries for industrial customers across construction, automotive, agriculture, oil and gas, coatings, and wood-panel industries, augmented by an AI-driven autonomous manufacturing technology portfolio (Smartech) and sold via direct enterprise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1855
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hexion does
Hexion Inc. is a Columbus, Ohio-based global specialty chemicals manufacturer focused on thermoset resins, formaldehyde-based chemistries, adhesives, coatings, and performance materials that serve industrial customers across construction, automotive, agriculture, oil and gas, coatings, wood panels, and adjacent heavy-industry sectors. The company operates 13+ manufacturing plants across the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Israel, and Australia, with research and development concentrated in Ohio and Oregon and direct technical-sales coverage of enterprise customers globally. Core product categories span Adhesives, Agriculture Solutions, Building Material Solutions, Chemical Intermediates, Coatings and Paints, Fire Protection Solutions, Formalin, Oilfield Solutions, and Wood Panel Solutions; the company also maintains a dedicated AI-driven manufacturing technology portfolio (branded Smartech, including SmartPress, SmartQuality, SmartWax, SmartMDI, and SmartPF).
Hexion commercializes its offering under a 'Chemistry-as-a-Service' platform that combines proprietary resin chemistry with AI-Powered Process Optimization, Dynamic Material Intelligence, and an Adaptive Resin Platform to deliver custom formulations and process gains (such as the claimed 15%+ cost savings per mill via SmartMDI). Revenue is generated predominantly through direct enterprise sales of specialty chemicals and resins on contractual terms negotiated by technical sales staff, with a horizontal segmentation approach spanning multiple unrelated industries. The company has pursued an active portfolio transformation since being taken private by American Securities in 2022: it acquired Smartech in December 2024 (its first acquisition in a decade), divested its global epoxy business to Westlake Chemical for approximately $1.2 billion in December 2025, divested its US Gulf Coast pipeline infrastructure to Ancala in December 2025, announced a corporate separation into two independent companies in August 2024, and formed the HexiTech LLC joint venture with CitroTech in April 2026 to commercialize fire-retardant wood products. Partnerships with Bloom (renewable adhesives), Kadant Carmanah Design (integrated equipment solutions), and CitroTech (fire-retardant chemistry) further shape the current strategic posture. Headcount is 10,000+ employees and ownership remains with American Securities through ASP Resins Holding LP.
Hexion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hexion
- Legal name
- Hexion Inc.
- Website
- https://hexion.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1855
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Hexion Inc. is a Columbus, Ohio-based specialty chemicals manufacturer producing thermoset resins, adhesives, coatings, and formaldehyde-based chemistries for industrial customers across construction, automotive, agriculture, oil and gas, coatings, and wood-panel industries, augmented by an AI-driven autonomous manufacturing technology portfolio (Smartech) and sold via direct enterprise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hexion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Chemicals and Resins
- NAICS
- Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing (325211), Adhesive Manufacturing (32552), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Resin and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (32521)
- SIC
- Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Thermoset & Reactive Resin Manufacturing (Epoxy, Polyester, Phenolic, Urethane systems) (IMANAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Thermoset Resins (Epoxy, Phenolic, Unsaturated Polyester, PU resins) (IMAEANAE)
Keywords
Where Hexion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
Hexion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Specialty Chemicals and Resins: Hexion generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of specialty thermoset resins, adhesives, and performance materials to industrial customers across multiple sectors including construction, automotive, agriculture, oil & gas, and wood products processing
- Formalin and Chemical Intermediates: Production and sale of formalin and related chemical intermediates for various industrial applications
- Fire Protection Solutions: Specialized fire-retardant chemical solutions including the HexiTech joint venture for treated wood products
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hexion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hexion manufactures and sells specialty thermoset resins, adhesives, and performance materials—including formaldehyde-based chemistries, epoxy resins, phenolic resins, and polyurethane systems—for industrial customers across construction, automotive, agriculture, oil & gas, coatings, and wood panels. Through its Smartech subsidiary acquired in December 2024, the company offers AI-driven autonomous manufacturing optimization tools for wood panel producers.
Product overview
Hexion is a specialty chemicals company offering a comprehensive portfolio of adhesive, coating, and resin solutions across nine core product categories: Adhesives, Agriculture Solutions, Building Material Solutions, Chemical Intermediates, Coatings and Paints, Fire Protection Solutions, Formalin, Oilfield Solutions, and Wood Panel Solutions. The company has recently expanded into AI-powered manufacturing technology through its Smartech subsidiary, offering five AI products (SmartMDI, SmartQuality, SmartWax, SmartPF, SmartPress) that integrate with Hexion's chemical products to provide autonomous manufacturing optimization for the wood panel industry. The Chemistry-as-a-Service platform represents Hexion's unified offering combining AI-driven material intelligence, process optimization, and adaptive resin formulation. In 2026, Hexion also launched the HexiTech joint venture with CitroTech for fire-retardant treated wood technologies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smartech: AI-driven autonomous manufacturing technology platform including SmartPress, SmartQuality, SmartWax, SmartMDI, and SmartPF products for wood panel manufacturing optimization.
Products and services
- Adhesives Industrial adhesive products for construction, packaging, and manufacturing customers requiring bonding solutions for engineered wood, laminates, and assembly applications.
- Agriculture Solutions
- Building Material Solutions
- Chemical Intermediates
- Coatings and Paints
- Fire Protection Solutions
- Formalin
- Oilfield Solutions
- Wood Panel Solutions
- SmartPress
- SmartQuality AI-powered quality assurance platform for wood panel production that automates board inspection and improves consistency.
- SmartWax
- SmartMDI
- SmartPF
Quantifiable outcome
- 15%+ cost savings per mill using SmartMDI technology
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hexion
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hexion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature9 records
Hexion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- CitroTech Inc.coreHexion and CitroTech formed HexiTech LLC, a 50/50 joint venture to develop, manufacture, and commercialize fire-retardant products for the lumber and manufactured wood products industry. Hexion contributes specified assets and has agreed to provide advances of up to $6 million through December 2027. Distribution terms initially favor Hexion at 85% until certain commercialization targets are achieved. The jointly-owned Delaware JV combines CitroTech's EPA Safer Choice-recognized fire-retardant chemistry with Hexion's manufacturing expertise.
- BloomstrategicHexion and Bloom pioneered an industry-first renewable adhesive technology, combining their respective expertise in sustainable materials and chemical innovation.
- Kadant Carmanah DesignstrategicHexion and Kadant Carmanah Design announced a collaborative partnership to deliver integrated solutions for the wood processing industry.
- SmartechcoreHexion completed the acquisition of Smartech, a cutting-edge technology company specializing in AI-driven autonomous manufacturing solutions. Smartech's award-winning AI technologies include SmartWAX, SmartPF, SmartMDI, SmartPress, and SmartQuality. The acquisition marks Hexion's first acquisition in a decade and supports its strategy to revolutionize manufacturing through AI and machine learning technology for wood processing and beyond.
- Smartech (Product Portfolio)coreSmartech's integrated suite of AI-powered manufacturing technologies including SmartWAX, SmartPF, SmartMDI, and SmartQuality optimize wood panel manufacturing through artificial intelligence, advanced control systems, and process optimization algorithms.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hexion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Huntsman Corporation: Global specialty chemical manufacturer with overlapping thermoset resin exposure in epoxy, polyurethane, and performance products for construction, automotive, and industrial customers. Huntsman's portfolio most closely mirrors Hexion's remaining epoxy-adjacent and PU chemistries.
- Olin Corporation: Major North American producer of epoxy resins (via its Epoxy business and Winmark joint venture) and chlor-alkali, competing head-to-head with Hexion's former epoxy franchise and serving similar downstream coatings, composites, and electronics customers.
- Ashland Inc. Specialty chemicals company with strong adhesives, coatings, and performance adhesives overlap. Competes with Hexion in industrial adhesives and specialty additives across similar enterprise customer bases.
- Momentive Performance Materials: Specialty thermoset and silicone materials manufacturer for industrial and electronics applications. Historically Hexion's parent company and shares deep expertise in specialty resins and formulated chemistries for similar end markets.
Broad incumbents
- Celanese Corporation: Large specialty chemicals producer with engineered polymers and acetyl chain products that overlap with Hexion's performance resin applications. Operates a broader portfolio across automotive, electronics, and industrial end markets.
- BASF SE: World's largest chemicals company with broad portfolio overlap including epoxy, PU, formaldehyde-based resins, adhesives, and coatings raw materials serving the same industrial verticals as Hexion.
- Eastman Chemical Company: Diversified specialty materials producer with adhesives, coatings, and performance chemicals serving construction, automotive, and consumer durables — overlapping with Hexion's resin and intermediates portfolio at the customer-application level.
- Dow Inc. Global chemicals and plastics major with epoxy systems, PU, and industrial intermediates that compete with Hexion in construction, automotive, and industrial applications at a much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- Westlake Corporation: Petrochemicals and building products company that just acquired Hexion's global epoxy business for ~$1.2B. Now the most direct competitor to Hexion's former epoxy franchise and a large-scale chemicals platform across vinyls, epoxy, and intermediates.
- Covestro AG: Major polyurethane systems, coatings, and adhesives producer (now part of ADNOC's XRG). Competes with Hexion in PU resins, coatings raw materials, and adhesives for construction, automotive, and industrial customers globally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hexion social profiles
Digital presenceHexion compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Hexion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hexion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Hexion subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Hexion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hexion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hexion
What does Hexion do?
Hexion manufactures and sells specialty thermoset resins, adhesives, and performance materials—including formaldehyde-based chemistries, epoxy resins, phenolic resins, and polyurethane systems—for industrial customers across construction, automotive, agriculture, oil & gas, coatings, and wood panels. Through its Smartech subsidiary acquired in December 2024, the company offers AI-driven autonomous manufacturing optimization tools for wood panel producers.
Is Hexion a public or private company?
Hexion is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Hexion founded?
Hexion was founded in 1855. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Hexion based?
Hexion is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hexion make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Specialty Chemicals and Resins are the primary driver. The others are formalin and Chemical Intermediates and fire Protection Solutions.
Who are Hexion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Huntsman Corporation, Olin Corporation, Ashland Inc. and Momentive Performance Materials. Broad incumbents are Celanese Corporation, BASF SE, Eastman Chemical Company, Dow Inc., Westlake Corporation and Covestro AG.
Does Hexion have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hexion.
What industry is Hexion in?
Hexion's product category is Specialty Chemicals and Resins. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAAAC, Thermoset & Reactive Resin Manufacturing (Epoxy, Polyester, Phenolic, Urethane systems), with a secondary code of IMAEANAE, Thermoset Resins (Epoxy, Phenolic, Unsaturated Polyester, PU resins). Its NAICS code is 325211 and its SIC code is 2821.