Since Röhm was founded by Dr. Otto Röhm and Otto Haas in 1907, the company has been characterized by pioneering inventions and the courage to break new ground. Röhm is traditionally innovative.
Otto Karl Julius Röhm was born in Öhringen, Württemberg, on March 14, 1876. After finishing school, he began an apprenticeship as a pharmacist’s assistant in 1891.
Otto Haas, born in Stuttgart on March 15, 1872, completed an apprenticeship as a bank clerk before joining the Stuttgart-based company Siegle & Co. He met Otto Röhm there in 1903.
On September 6, 1907, Dr. Otto Röhm and businessman Otto Haas founded the company Röhm & Haas OHG in Esslingen, Germany. Since then, the company has stood for competence, experience and innovation in methacrylate chemistry.
Let's embark on a journey together, revisiting and appreciating the times gone by.
Around 1918, Otto Röhm's office was situated in the new administration building of the factory on Weiterstädter Straße in Darmstadt. This building was constructed between 1916 and 1918 during the expansion of the Röhm & Haas factory facilities. Otto Röhm frequently visited the factories and laboratories, likely spending most of his evenings in his office. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
1937, Röhm hires his 1000th employee. The picture shows Otto Röhm with his first employee, Konrad Lindemayer (left), who was hired on 1 October 1907 and whom Röhm knew from his time in the army, and with the 1000th employee, Valentin Schlander. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
1938, the American Rohm & Haas Co. Inc., Philadelphia, showcased their booth at the "International Air Show" in Chicago, featuring PMMA products for aviation. Led by Otto Haas, the U.S. company achieved significant commercial success with the leather stain OROPON®. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
1937: The plastics laboratory on Kirschenallee in Darmstadt, where research on acrylic acid was conducted by Otto Röhm and his employees. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
1940: The newly constructed office building on Weiterstädter Straße features a connecting bridge to the "old building" located across the street. This older structure was heavily damaged by bombings during World War II but was reconstructed after the war. It then served as an office building, accommodating the management offices of Röhm & Haas, the company archives, and the in-house print shop. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
Booth of Röhm & Haas GmbH at the German Industrial Fair in Hanover, 1963. With 5,500 exhibiting companies from 26 countries, the trade fair was already one of the largest in its field, showcasing an extensive range of capital and consumer goods. The highlight of the fair was a modern mail distribution system from Siemens. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
Osceola (AR), 1978: Office building of CYRO Industries, a joint venture with the American Cyanamid Company. The company produced monomers, polymers, molding compounds, and semi-finished products. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
1978: Control room at the Worms site, the predecessor of today's sulfuric acid recycling plant. On the picture you can see, how process parameter were recorded on paper rolls. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
In 1982, food and drink were well catered for in Weiterstadt, and the canteen was very busy at lunchtime. Röhm & Haas had started constructing at the new acquired site for the production of PLEXIGLAS® semi-finished products in 1967. By 1969, the first production hall with 18 extrusion machines was put into operation. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
1978, Vehicle fleet of the Worms plant fire department. There had been a fire station at the Worms plant since 1955. The company team and vehicle fleet grew continuously. In 1975, the fire brigade had 30 members and was recognized as a plant fire department. Today, the fleet consists of twelve vehicles and 44 men and women work 24 hours a day.
1980, Worms: Management office in the molding compound plant. The administrative assistents were responsible for tasks such as accounting of production and raw materials orders. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
Shanghai, 2009: In 2007, the groundbreaking took place for a new plant dedicated to the production of methyl methacrylates (MMA), methacrylate specialties and PLEXIGLAS® molding compounds. In November 2009, the new integrated facility was fully inaugurated. Copyright: Evonik Industries AG, Konzernarchiv Hanau
The founder Dr. Otto Röhm (1876-1939) was succeeded in the post-war period by his son Otto Röhm (1912-2004), who was instrumental in rebuilding the company.
