K+S


K+S AG is a German chemical company headquartered in Kassel. The company is Europe’s largest supplier of potash for use in fertilizer and, after the acquisition of Morton Salt, the world's largest salt producer. The firm also produces and distributes other mineral fertilizers, such as those from magnesium and sulphur. K+S is mainly active in Europe, North and South America with almost 15,000 employees worldwide.

History

K+S was founded in 1889 as Aktiengesellschaft für Bergbau und Tiefbohrung, was renamed to Kaliwerke Salzdetfurth AG in 1899 and was again renamed to Salzdetfurth AG in 1937. After merging with the potash division of BASF subsidiary Wintershall in 1973 the company was renamed to Kali und Salz. In 1999 the company was renamed K+S. From September 22, 2008 to March 21, 2016 the stock was part of German stock index DAX, consisting of the 30 major German companies trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It was excluded from the DAX because of inadequate market capitalization. K+S has expanded internationally and is represented in 22 different countries: Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland in Europe, The Bahamas, Canada and the US in North America, Brazil, Chile and Peru in South America, China, India and Singapore in Asia, and South Africa in Africa.

Subsidiaries