Despite the gathering pace of consolidation within the European chemicals sector, its two largest players remain Bayer and BASF. Two earlier trips along the Rhine, separated by only a few years, illustrated how the chemical industry, especially that centred in Germany, had changed, with mergers, joint ventures and international expansion to the fore. (See World Leather October 1995, and October 1999.) As Dr. Bernhard Wehling (right), recently appointed head of Bayer's Leather Business Unit, stated this November at a special presentation during TanningTech in Bologna: "Pressure from international competition has increased significantly in the last few years. Mergers, acquisitions and divestments have become everyday occurrences. The list of large and medium-sized chemical companies has shrunk considerably over the last 10 years."
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