Axiall

Axiall Corporation was a United States-based manufacturer and marketer of chemicals and building materials. Its business was organized around chlorovinyls, aromatics, and downstream construction products. The chlorovinyl portfolio included caustic soda, chlorine, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), ethylene dichloride (EDC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins, and rigid and flexible PVC compounds. Its aromatics activities included acetone, cumene, and phenol. These products serve as industrial inputs for applications such as plastics, construction materials, coatings, and other manufactured goods. The company expanded beyond commodity and intermediate chemicals through the acquisition of Royal Group Technologies, adding a substantial building-products platform. That portfolio included piping, siding, window profiles, decking, fencing, and related construction products. This combination gave Axiall exposure to both upstream chemical production and more downstream, application-oriented markets in the building and construction sector. Axiall was created through the transformation of Georgia Gulf Corporation following the completion of its approximately $2 billion acquisition of PPG Industries' chlor-alkali and derivatives business in 2013. The transaction strengthened the company's position in chlor-alkali and related chemical products and was followed by the adoption of the Axiall name. The company subsequently pursued international technical and commercial cooperation through a 2014 joint venture with Shriram Polytech India, known as Shriram Axiall. The stated purpose of the partnership was to apply technology and product-development capabilities to PVC offerings for different industries. The company operated a network of 47 locations in multiple United States states, including Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas. Reference material also identified Atlanta, Georgia, as its headquarters. A historical company description reported 6,214 full-time employees as of November 2007, although that figure predates the Axiall name and should not be treated as a current employment total. Axiall remained an independent corporate identity until Westlake Chemical Corporation acquired it on August 31, 2016. Following the acquisition, the businesses were combined under Westlake. The transaction was described as creating the third-largest chlor-alkali producer and the second-largest polyvinyl chloride producer in North America. Axiall therefore no longer operates as an independent company or standalone brand, but its chemical and building-materials activities became part of Westlake's broader materials platform.

Axiall's corporate history is rooted in Georgia Gulf Corporation, a United States chemicals company that expanded its presence in chlor-alkali and related derivatives through a major transaction with PPG Industries. In 2013, Georgia Gulf completed the acquisition of PPG's chlor-alkali and derivatives business for approximately $2 billion. The deal materially broadened the company's chemical platform and was accompanied by the change of corporate name to Axiall Corporation. Under the Axiall identity, the company manufactured and marketed a broad range of chlorovinyl products. These included caustic soda and chlorine, which are basic chlor-alkali chemicals, as well as VCM and EDC, important intermediates in the PVC value chain. Axiall also produced PVC resins and both rigid and flexible PVC compounds. Its aromatics portfolio included acetone, cumene, and phenol. The range positioned the company across several stages of industrial chemical production rather than in a single finished-product category. Axiall also had a substantial downstream building-materials business. Through the acquisition of Royal Group Technologies, the company became a significant producer of products such as piping, siding, window profiles, decking, and fencing. These activities connected its chemical and polymer capabilities with construction applications and gave the company a more diversified product mix. The company operated 47 locations across several United States states, including Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas, and was headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. A historical reference reported 6,214 full-time employees in November 2007. Because that employment figure predates both the Axiall name and the later expansion of the business, it is best understood as historical background rather than a measure of Axiall's workforce. In 2014, Axiall entered a joint venture with Shriram Polytech India. The resulting entity, Shriram Axiall, was intended to provide a technological thrust to PVC offerings for different industries. The partnership represented an effort to develop and support PVC applications through cooperation between Axiall and an Indian polymer company. Axiall's period as an independent company ended in 2016. Westlake Chemical Corporation acquired Axiall on August 31 of that year. The combined organization was described as the third-largest chlor-alkali producer and the second-largest PVC producer in North America. After the transaction, Axiall ceased to exist as an independent corporate entity, while its manufacturing operations, products, and capabilities became part of Westlake's integrated chemical and materials business.

1. 2016Axiall acquired by Westlake Chemical

   Westlake Chemical Corporation completed its acquisition of Axiall on August 31, ending Axiall's existence as an independent company.

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2. 2014Shriram Axiall joint venture established

   Axiall and Shriram Polytech India formed a joint venture intended to advance PVC offerings and related technology for multiple industries.

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3. 2013Georgia Gulf adopts the Axiall name after acquiring PPG's chlor-alkali business

   Georgia Gulf Corporation completed its approximately $2 billion acquisition of PPG Industries' chlor-alkali and derivatives business and became Axiall Corporation.

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An integrated industrial materials company combining chlor-alkali and chlorovinyl chemistry, aromatic chemicals, PVC compounds, and downstream building products.

• Chlor-alkali productsBasic chemicals

  Axiall's chlor-alkali portfolio included caustic soda and chlorine. These are foundational industrial chemicals used in a wide range of manufacturing and processing activities. They formed part of the company's upstream chemical platform after the PPG business acquisition.

• Chlorovinyl intermediatesIndustrial chemicals

  The company produced vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and ethylene dichloride (EDC), intermediates associated with the PVC production chain. These materials supported Axiall's vertically connected chlorovinyl operations and supplied industrial customers rather than being marketed primarily as consumer products.

• PVC resins and compoundsPolymers

  Axiall manufactured PVC resins as well as rigid and flexible PVC compounds. The materials were used as inputs for applications across construction and other industrial sectors. The Shriram Axiall partnership was established in part to strengthen technology and PVC offerings for different industries.

• Aromatic chemicalsAromatics

  Axiall's aromatics activities included acetone, cumene, and phenol. These chemicals are industrial inputs used in chemical manufacturing and downstream materials applications. They complemented the company's chlorovinyl and PVC businesses.

• Building materialsConstruction products

  Following the acquisition of Royal Group Technologies, Axiall produced a range of building materials, including piping, siding, window profiles, decking, and fencing. This downstream portfolio extended the company beyond chemical intermediates into finished and semi-finished products used in building and construction.

• 2016Sale of Axiall to Westlake ChemicalM&A

  Westlake Chemical pursued Axiall to expand its chlor-alkali, PVC, and related materials businesses.

  What changed. Westlake Chemical Corporation completed the acquisition of Axiall on August 31, 2016.

  Aftermath. Axiall ceased operating as an independent company. The combined business was described as the third-largest chlor-alkali producer and second-largest PVC producer in North America.

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• 2014Formation of Shriram AxiallStrategy

  Axiall sought additional technology and market-development capabilities for PVC products serving different industries.

  What changed. Axiall partnered with Shriram Polytech India to establish the Shriram Axiall joint venture.

  Aftermath. The partnership provided a formal platform for cooperation on PVC technology and offerings in connection with the Indian market.

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• 2013Acquisition of PPG Industries' chlor-alkali and derivatives businessM&A

  Georgia Gulf pursued the approximately $2 billion transaction to expand its chlor-alkali and derivatives platform.

  What changed. The acquisition was completed, and Georgia Gulf changed its corporate name to Axiall Corporation.

  Aftermath. Axiall became a broader chlorovinyl and industrial-chemicals company with a strengthened position in the PVC value chain.

  Acquisition value. Approximately $2 billion transaction completed (2013)

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• 2016Westlake Chemical completes acquisition of Axiall

  Westlake Chemical Corporation acquired Axiall on August 31, 2016, bringing Axiall's chlor-alkali, PVC, aromatics, and building-products operations into the Westlake organization.

  M&A
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• 2014Axiall forms Shriram Axiall joint venture with Shriram Polytech India

  Axiall entered a joint venture with Shriram Polytech India to provide technological and product-development support for PVC offerings serving different industries.

  M&A
  Source
• 2013Georgia Gulf completes acquisition of PPG's chlor-alkali and derivatives business and becomes Axiall

  Georgia Gulf Corporation completed the approximately $2 billion acquisition of PPG Industries' chlor-alkali and derivatives business and adopted the Axiall corporate identity.

  M&A
  Source

1. Axiall