Cassella
| Company type | Aktiengesellschaft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics |
| Founded | 1798 |
| Founder | Leopold Cassella |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Fate | Absorbed into Hoechst |
| Headquarters | Frankfurt am Main , Germany |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Richard von Szilvinyi, Werner Zerweck, Leo Gans, Arthur von Weinberg |
| Products | Dyes, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Chemical products |
Number of employees | 2800 (1993) |
Cassella AG, originally known as Leopold Cassella & Co. and later as Cassella Farbwerke Mainkur AG, was a German enterprise specializing in chemicals and pharmaceuticals, based in Frankfurt am Main. Established in 1798 by Leopold Cassella, it operated as an independent entity until 1995 and serves as a forerunner of the current Sanofi. Its product portfolio encompassed dyes, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and various chemical products. Beginning in 1949, Cassella transitioned its primary focus from dyes to pharmaceuticals and cosmetic products. The company’s legacy is closely linked to the notable industrial Gans family, who were former proprietors of Cassella.
History
The company was founded in 1798 as a spice trading business located in the Frankfurter Judengasse by Leopold Cassella and Isaac Elias Reiss under the name Cassel & Reiss. Initially, it specialized in importing luxury items from India, China, and South America. In 1812, the firm expanded by establishing a sugar refinery.
Since Leopold Cassella had no heirs, he formed a partnership with Ludwig Aaron Gans in 1828, leading to the renaming of the enterprise as Leopold Cassella & Co.. The Gans family grew into prominent industrialists and benefactors within Frankfurt. By the late nineteenth century, they had converted to Protestantism and received noble status. In 1870, Friedrich and Leo Gans, alongside Bernhard Weinberg and chemist August Leonhardt, founded a dye manufacturing plant at Mainkur in Fechenheim named Frankfurter Anilinfarbenfabrik von Gans und Leonhardt. This operation merged with Cassella’s dye wholesale business in 1894.
By 1914, this dye factory had become Fechenheim’s largest employer with approximately 3,000 workers and was recognized as the world leader in synthetic dye production at the turn of the century. In 1900, Arthur von Weinberg initiated a pharmaceutical division that collaborated with Paul Ehrlich, a pioneer of chemotherapy. In 1925, Cassella became part of the IG Farben conglomerate; co-owners Leo Gans and Arthur von Weinberg joined its supervisory board.
After World War II, the company was reestablished as Cassella Farbwerke Mainkur AG under the leadership of Richard von Szilvinyi and Werner Zerweck. It prospered during the 1950s and became a favored stock market entity. By 1951, production levels exceeded those recorded before the war. Pharmaceutical research recommenced in 1949 with new laboratory facilities constructed. From that point forward, pharmaceuticals increasingly overshadowed dyes within the company’s product range. By the early 1950s, Cassella employed roughly 2,000 individuals and initially shared ownership with BASF, Bayer, and Hoechst. By the mid-1950s, these three firms each held controlling stakes of 25.1%; Hoechst acquired BASF’s and Bayer’s shares by 1970. The company adopted the name Cassella AG in 1978.
Cassella maintained its independence until 1995 when it was fully absorbed into Hoechst; minority shareholders were bought out at that time. The cosmetics division was discontinued while its subsidiary Jade was sold to L'Oréal. In 1999, Hoechst merged with Rhône-Poulenc to create Aventis with headquarters in Strasbourg and principal facilities located in Frankfurt. Aventis later merged with Sanofi-Synthélabo in 2004 to form Sanofi-Aventis (renamed Sanofi in 2011). Sanofi’s Frankfurt branch employs around 7,000 staff members including its largest research and development center.
By 1993, Cassella along with its subsidiaries had approximately 2,800 employees.
In 2012, AllessaChemie acquired the trademark rights for Cassella and revived its historic logo as a neon sign on the building in Frankfurt-Fechenheim. Since October 2012, AllessaChemie GmbH has operated under the name Allessa GmbH and has been part of the WeylChem group since 2013.