In 1897, two friends graduated in chemistry from the Polytechnic School of Delft. In 1900, their first laboratory was set up in Amsterdam and Schiedam was chosen as the place of business. In 1901, De Fabriek van Chemische Produkten N.V. officially started producing its first product; Amyl alcohol.
In 1910 a new location was sought and a piece of land called Vondelingenplaat on the left bank of the Nieuwe Maas appeared to be a suitable location. Construction was completed in 1911 and the name of the factory was changed to: Fabriek van de Chemische Producten Vondelingenplaat N.V. Also known in chemical circles as Vondelingenplaat.
In February 1945, the factory was severely damaged during a bombing raid. After the reconstruction at the end of November 1945, the first products were put back on the market, including the still well-known Entosorbine and Sinaspril.
At the 50th anniversary of the N.V., a donation by the Ter Horst family established a fund that would provide assistance to workers in need. The Ter Horst Fund still exists today.
Pennsalt Chemical Corporation U.S.A. made contact with Vondelingenplaat in 1959. This company opened up new opportunities for the N.V. in the chemical field. In 1973, Vondelingenplaat became a wholly owned subsidiary of Pennwalt U.S.A. Since then, the company name has changed several times and finally, as of October 2024, the company name is Arkema B.V.
In 2006, the IPO of the Arkema Group took place.