110 years of pioneering spirit
110 years is a long time. Back when Hermann ter Hell founded his trading company in 1908, Austria was ruled by Emperor Franz Joseph II. whose realm extended all the way to Galizia. Hermann ter Hell utilized his connections to the South Americans and exported wax for the candle industry.
In 1938 Herman ter Hell sold his company to Walter Westphal, an expert in the paraffin wax business. With the onset of the Second World War, Walter Westphals vision of building the business to much greater dimensions seemed to evaporate. The offices of the company where destroyed completely by the bombing. But Walter Westphal could not be discouraged. When the war was over he already had a plan to rebuild the company. Even back then it was clear on what the continious upswing was based on. It is the spirit that has driven the company onward and upward through the years to where it stands today. While grandfather, father, and son have all been able to build upon the achievements of their predecessors, each generation has developed its own ideas and explored new territory. For example, when Klaus C. Westphal took over the firm of his decreased father and began to investigate new markets to enter, or when Christian Westphal initiated realignment and expansion of the product portfolio after joining the firm in 2002.
International growth and development
Throughout the last decade TER Chemicals realized international strategic projects. For example the expansion of our headquarters in Hamburg, the founding of TER Ingredients to strengthen the food branch, or the buildup of subsidiaries in Spain, Italy, England and Denmark to expand our European market position. In 2017 special attention was put to the acquisition of the majoritiy shares of Paramelt B.V. back to the TER Group.
Click here for a complete overview of our milestones.
Hard work pays off. Today TER Chemicals is one of the world’s leading distributors for speciality chemicals. With optimism, drive, with fantastic customers and employees, values that are put into practice and a clear objective. This is how TER Chemicals grew to be what it is today. And we’re grateful to everyone who helped make it that way!