Ashland Inc.

Covington, KY United States  (NYSE: ASH)

Company Description

Ashland's four business units are built on chemicals and cars.  Ashland Performance Materials makes specialty resins, polymers, and adhesives. Ashland's Water Technologies unit provides chemical and non-chemical products for commercial, industrial, and municipal water treatment facilities. Consumer Markets, led by subsidiary Valvoline, runs an oil-change chain and sells Valvoline oil and Zerex antifreeze. Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients makes additives for the coatings, food, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries. In 2010 Ashland sold its Ashland Distribution segment, which represents more than one-third of its overall business, to private equity giant TPG Capital for $979 million.