Posts tagged: wildfire

Javier Castro, VP and General Manager of Fire Safety EMEA at Perimeter Solutions, reflects on Auxquimia’s 50-year journey from family business to global firefighting solution leader

Staying in business long-term is no small feat. In fact, data show that roughly 20% of new businesses in Spain fail within their first year.

This makes the success of Auxquimia, based in Mieres, Asturias, Spain, all the more impressive.

Founded as a family business by the Acuña family in 1974, Auxquimia celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, reflecting on its remarkable evolution into one of the global leaders in firefighting foam concentrates.

When the company first opened its doors, it started as an engineering firm and provided consulting services for its customers.

Later, it became one of the first companies in Spain to manufacture industrial consumer products primarily for the safety sector.

These early products brought Auxquimia into the fire safety industry.

Based on resin foams, these solutions were designed to prevent and combat fires in the mining industry, particularly in coal mines.

Expanding safety solutions for a changing industry

Building on its firefighting foam capabilities, Auxquimia expanded its fire safety portfolio by developing fire extinguisher additives, high-expansion foam concentrates, aqueous film-forming foams (like AUXQUIMIA® AQUAFILM™) and alcohol resistant-AFFF solutions, (such as AUXQUIMIA® Polyfoam.

As the company continued to grow, their portfolio of firefighting foam concentrate solutions advanced.

Responding to industry concerns surrounding polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the company began developing fluorine-free solutions that were used to battle fires involving flammable liquids, such as petroleum and kerosene.

The industry responded positively to Auxquimia’s advanced technology and the company began a concentrated effort to expand its business to international markets.

They started exporting from Spain to other European countries, including France, Finland, Italy and the United Kingdom, as well as countries in South America and Asia.

With a strong commitment to innovation and an experienced research and development team, Auxquimia was seen as a leader in the international fire safety industry.

The proven effectiveness of its products and its large production capacity led it to becoming the sole supplier of firefighting foam concentrates to major global companies in multiple industries including the petrochemical, chemical, naval, aerospace, energy, mining and automotive segments.

A new era: Strategic acquisitions and global expansion

Around this time, the fire safety division of Israel Chemicals Limited (now Perimeter Solutions, as of 2018) sought to expand its wildfire business into other segments of the fire safety industry, including industrial fire safety.

ICL owned the PHOS-CHEK® brand of fire retardant and firefighting foams and maintained production facilities in the United States, Canada and France.

On May 2, 2014, they completed the acquisition of Auxquimia, expanding its portfolio of Class B firefighting foams.

In a statement released at the time, ICL said the purchase completed the organisation’s goal to become the main supplier for firefighters around the world.

Following the acquisition, Auxquimia continued to work to reduce the environmental impact of its products and they made a commitment to further develop firefighting foam concentrates that were free of fluorine.

In 2015, Auxquimia was exporting nearly three-quarters of its manufactured products to locations throughout Europe, Asia and America, while securing partnerships with major customers.

In 2018, SK Capital acquired ICL’s oil additives and firefighting business units, which included Auxquimia and formed Perimeter Solutions.

The newly formed independent company now specialised in fire management chemicals, oil and lubricant additives and chemicals for pesticide and mining applications.

Bolstering global production

Later that year, Perimeter Solutions made a key acquisition to expand its firefighting foam business when it bought The Solberg Company, the firefighting foam products division of Amerex Corporation.

At the time of the acquisition, Solberg maintained production facilities in the United States, Australia and Norway and Perimeter Solutions made the decision to transfer Norway’s production to Asturias, Spain, to merge that location’s firefighting foam operations with Auxquimia into a single unit.

In 2021, Auxquimia’s focus on developing more environmentally responsible solutions led to the introduction of SOLBERG® VERSAGARD™ AS-100 Multi-Purpose 3×3 Fluorine-Free Foam Concentrate, an alcohol-resistant, state-of-the-art pseudoplastic foam technology that contains no intentionally added PFAS chemicals that can be used to secure Class B (hydrocarbon fuel and polar solvent fuel) fires and deep-seated Class A fires.

This biodegradable and non-persistent fluorine-free foam concentrate became an instantly viable alternative to traditional fluorinated AR-AFFF 3×3 products that were on the market.

SOLBERG VERSAGARD AS-100 delivers excellent firefighting performance, but one of its key advantages when compared to other fluorine-free solutions on the market, is the consistent viscosity it maintains when in contact with water, dramatically improving handling and use rates in firefighting operations.

Auxquimia expanded the SOLBERG VERSAGARD line a year later with SOLBERG® VERSAGARD™ 1×3.

Ideal for industrial emergency response, its low viscosity has made it the firefighting foam of choice for organisations in the petrochemical space.

Haitham Khouri, CEO of Perimeter Solutions, joined the Auxquimia team on September 16, 2024, to celebrate the company’s 50^th Anniversary.

One of the original founders of Auxquimia was in attendance and was honored with a plaque for his part in building the organisation.

Representatives from local and regional authorities, valued collaborators, employees and friends also joined to mark the milestone.

A legacy of leadership

Looking back over its 50 years of innovation, Auxquimia has developed a stellar line of proprietary firefighting solutions in addition to its SOLBERG VERSAGARD products, including:

• AUXQUIMIA^® AQUAFILM™: Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) for fighting hydrocarbon fires.
• AUXQUIMIA^® AUXIFOAM: Synthetic resin for fire extinguishing.
• AUXQUIMIA^® FLUOPOL™: Synthetic fluorine-free foams, free of fluorosurfactants, containing polysaccharides that give the foam a pseudoplastic behavior, providing slow drainage and fluoropolymers for good oleophobicity.
• AUXQUIMIA^® POLYFOAM 3/3: Versatile synthetic AFFF for fighting hydrocarbon and polar solvent fires (alcohols, ketones, ethers, esters, amines, etc.).
• AUXQUIMIA^® UNIPOL-FF™: Synthetic foam based on hydrocarbon surfactants. It does not contain fluorinated surfactants or polymers. It can be used in the extinguishing of both Class B (liquids) and Class A (solids) fires.

As Auxquimia celebrates its 50th anniversary, it stands at the forefront of innovation in firefighting technology.

The company’s commitment to developing high-performance, more environmentally responsible solutions has solidified its role as a global leader in fire safety.

Looking ahead, Auxquimia is poised to continue shaping the future of the industry by pushing the boundaries of foam concentrate technology, ensuring that its products not only meet the rigorous demands of modern firefighting but continue to be one of the leaders in innovation.

With its experienced team, cutting-edge research and continued investment in sustainability, Auxquimia is well-positioned to lead the charge in the next generation of firefighting solutions—ensuring that it remains a trusted partner in saving lives and protecting property for many decades to come.

This article was originally published in the November 2024 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.