Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
RhĂ´ne-Poulenc SA, former French chemical manufacturer and leading producer of organic chemicals, synthetic fibres, and pharmaceuticals. It merged with Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft in 1999 to create the French-German pharmaceutical firm Aventis.
The company originated as a dyestuffs manufacturer in 1801 under the name Maison Debai-Extraits Tintoriaux and in 1895 was established as SociĂŠtĂŠ Chimique des Usines du RhĂ´ne (âChemical Factories of RhĂ´neâ). In 1928 it merged with Ătablissements Poulenc Frères (âPoulenc Brothersâ), the pharmaceutical house established by Camille Poulenc (1864â1942), the founder of the French pharmaceutical industry and a collaborator of Pierre and Marie Curie. The new SociĂŠtĂŠ des Usines Chimiques RhĂ´ne-Poulenc immediately founded subsidiaries to develop pharmaceutical specialties and new techniques for the manufacture of synthetic textiles.
When France entered the European Economic Community in 1957, RhĂ´ne-Poulenc became active in the reorganization of the French chemical industry. In 1961 it absorbed Celtex, a major synthetic-fibre producer, and went on to become a leader in that field in France. It was nationalized by the French government in 1982 but returned to private ownership in 1993. Although synthetic fibres accounted for a larger share of company production, the French public still identified RhĂ´ne-Poulenc with its drug products. In 1995, one of its main subsidiaries, RhĂ´ne-Poulenc Rorer, Inc., acquired Fisons, a major British drug manufacturer.
The company also expanded into the production of plastics, fine specialty chemicals, films for packaging, electromagnetic tapes, and communications and copying systems, as well as textiles, glues, paints, varnishes, and agricultural chemicals. While the bulk of the firmâs sales were in France, it developed important markets in other western European countries, the Americas, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, and the Far East, many of which later contributed to Aventisâs global reach.
