DuPont

In 1802, French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours founded DuPont de Nemours, Inc., more commonly known as DuPont. The company's emergence as a significant provider of gunpowder was a pivotal moment in Delaware's development.

DuPont's scientists created various compounds, most notably Freon (chlorofluorocarbons), for the refrigerant business, and many polymers, including Vespel, neoprene, nylon, Corian, Teflon, Mylar, Kapton, Kevlar, Zemdrain, M5 fiber, Nomex, Tyvek, Sorona, Corfam, and Lycra, throughout the 20th century. Synthetic paints and pigments, such as ChromaFlair, were also created by the company.

In 2015, DuPont and the Dow Chemical Company agreed to a reorganization plan in which the two businesses would merge and split into three. On August 31, 2017, DuPont acquired Dow and changed its name to DowDuPont.

Eighteen months later, DowDuPont separated its material science and agribusiness divisions to form Dow Chemical and Corteva, respectively, and reverted to the DuPont name to focus on its specialty products. It was the largest chemical corporation in the world before the spinoffs.

The combined companies' estimated value is $130 billion. As was the case before the merger, DuPont's current headquarters are in Wilmington, Delaware, where the company was initially formed.

Founded: 1802

Headquarters: Wilmington, Delaware

Website: https://www.dupont.com/