1904 - Camille and Henri Dreyfus
began chemical research in a shed behind their father's house in Basle, Switzerland.
They developed a synthetic indigo dye, but decided to concentrate on cellulose acetate
products because they seemed to have an unlimited future.
1905 - Swiss brothers Camille and Henri Dreyfus develop the first commercial process to manufacture cellulose acetate.
1910 -Cellulose acetate begins to be used commercially to make films, toilet articles, and molded articles.
The Dreyfus brothers opened a factory in Basle. They sold their products to the celluloid industry in France and Germany and to motion picture companies. They also manufactured a substance known as acetate dope and sold it to the aircraft industry to coat and stretch the fabric on aircraft fuselages.
1913 - Camille and Henri Dreyfus start producing acetate fibers in their laboratories and establish Cellonit Gesellschaft Dreyfus & Company.
World War I postponed the brothers' fiber manufacturing plans, so they turned instead to manufacturing acetate dope. The war created such a high demand for acetate dope that they expanded their Basle factory.
1914 - The British government invited Dr. Camille Dreyfus to manufacture acetate dope in England. He went to England and formed the British Cellulose and Chemical Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
1917 - Camille Dreyfus founds The American Cellulose & Chemical Manufacturing Company (Amcelle) in New York.
1918 - American Cellulose and Chemical Manufacturing Company was incorporated in the state of Delaware and the Cumberland plant is named Amcelle, after the company name. This marks the beginning of Celanese in America.
The 1920's
The new company found it hard to penetrate the American marketplace, but Camille was persistent. He had to advertise aggressively to overcome the negative publicity from the silk industry.
1921 - The Dreyfus Brothers develop a dry spinning technique that allows fiber to be knit and woven for apparel.
1922 - The British company offered a prize of five pounds for a trademark. Dr. Camille suggested the name Celanese, which was his combination of cellulose and the easy feeling of wearing acetate apparel.
1923 - The textile depression hit and yarns couldn't be sold. The company chopped up the yarns and wove them into underwear. This made it the first acetate staple fiber, but it wasn't economical until advances made it possible in 1935.
1924 - Celanese opens the first commercial acetate filament operation in Cumberland, Maryland. On Christmas Day, Amcelle spun the first acetate yarn in the United States.
1925 - The word "Celanese" is introduced as a trade name. It is a combination of the words "cellulose" and "ease".Celanese acetate is introduced as "Artificial Silk."
1926 - A weaving mill was established at Amcelle to develop acetate-containing fabrics on a commercial scale. This mill included equipment that could dye and weave the new fibers successfully.
1927 - American Cellulose and Chemical Manufacturing Company changed its name to Celanese Corporation of America.
1930's - Acetate is introduced for apparel linings.
1939 - The Celco Plant in Narrows, Virginia begins operations on Christmas Day.
1947 - Celanese opens a manufacturing facility in Ocotlan, Jalisco, Mexico, with the production of acetate filament.
1948 - A manufacturing facility opens in Rock Hill, SC and begins production. It is the first manufactured fibers plant in the Carolinas.
1953 - Celanese opens a manufacturing facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
1956 - Celanese breaks ground for the Development Laboratories in Charlotte, NC.
1956 - Celanese begins to supply Acetate Tow.
1958 - Celanese scientists invent the dual threaded-roll tow opening process. This technology was licensed to Hauni and became the basis for Hauni's AF2 and AF3 tow processing equipment.
1965 - Celanese opens a manufacturing facility in Lanaken, Belgium.
1981 - Celanese extends high-speed tow capabilities and promotes item consolidation by introducing C100 range extension technology for filters makers.
1986 - Celanese announces its first joint venture with China National Tobacco Company.
1987 - Hoechst AG acquires Celanese Corporation. Hoechst AG merges Celanese Corporation with the American Hoechst Corporation to form Hoechst Celanese Corporation in the U.S.
1990 - Nantong Cellulose Fibers Company starts production
1995 - Zhuhai Cellulose Fibers Company and Kunming Cellulose Fibers Company start production.
1997 - The cellulose acetate business of Hoechst is named Celanese Acetate.
1998 - Hoechst announces plan to demerge most of its chemical activities to a new company to be named Celanese AG.
1997 - 1999 - Celanese patents and commercially introduces CelaWrap®, an innovative reusable bale wrap, in Europe and the U.S.
1999 - Hoechst shareholders agree to spin off Celanese AG into an independent company.
1999 - Celanese AG becomes a publicly traded German stock corporation listed on both the Frankfurt and New York stock exchanges.
2004 - Celanese Acetate anounces plans to consolidate manufacturing and exit filament business.
2004 - New Research and Development center opens at Celco plant.
