Chemical distributor Brenntag, Essen, Germany, said on Feb. 1 it has completed the process of changing from German Aktiengesellschaft (stock corporation) to a European company (Societas Europaea, SE), and is now doing business as Brenntag SE. The conversion, which was announced by the management and supervisory boards in the autumn of 2019 and approved by shareholders at the ordinary general meeting on June 10, 2020, came into force when entered into the commercial register on Feb. 1, 2021.
Brenntag SE will keep its headquarters in Essen and continue under the dual management of the management and supervisory boards as before. The conversion will not affect the responsibilities or composition of either board. The company said the SE is an internationally recognized legal form that is viewed positively on the capital market.
“Almost 17,500 people from more than 100 countries work for Brenntag, around 90 percent of them outside Germany,” said Christian Kohlpaintner, Brenntag SE Chairman. He said the change of form underlines Brenntag’s global orientation and identity as an international concern.