About us
The last 60 flourishing years result in our main ambition:
Being your partner of first choice.
"In order to make your success our business, we are continuously growing our portfolio of high quality products and value-adding services - all from one hand, with one responsibility. In combination with our strong technical expertise, customer support that goes the extra mile and absolutely reliable logistics and legal services we aim to create value for you. We are committed to understanding your business, anticipating your needs and help meeting your chemical and plastics distribution, formulation and contract packing challenges!
Let’s grow further together!"
Thorsten Harke
President HARKE GROUP
History
The roots of a powerful group –
Eberhard Harke founds Syntana GmbH
1965
SYNTANA Handelsgesellschaft E. Harke GmbH & Co. KG is founded
1966
First to import Spanish and Italian industrial chemicals to Germany
1968
The office in Tokyo, Japan, is founded
1970
Start of business with pharmaceutical excipients from Japan
1973
Start of business with special plastics
1976
Move and expansion to the offices Delle, Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany
1978
Takeover of the distribution of industrial chlorine-alkali products from France
1978
The sales office in Munich, Germany, is founded
1982
Spin-off of the constantly growing pharmaceutical business into SYNTAPHARM Gesellschaft fuer Pharmachemie mbH, Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany
1984
Expansion of the chlorine-alkali activities by coorporation with additional French and Italian partner companies
1986
Start of distributing pure and electronic chemicals
1990
Business with health-food functional ingredients and food additives begins
Acceleration of growth, diversification and internationalization –
Thorsten Harke takes over the management of the Group
1992
Thorsten Harke joins the board of directors of HARKE GROUP
1992
The sales office in Hamburg, Germany, is founded
1994
Eberhard Harke retires, Thorsten Harke takes over presidency of HARKE GROUP
1995
Start of distributing machines and equipment technology for nanomaterials
1997
SYNTANA Eco-Services is founded
1998
The sales offices in Warsaw, Poland, and Istanbul, Turkey, are founded
1999
Introduction of SAP/R3
1999
Set-up of further departments (plastics, electronics, detergents etc.)
2000
SYNTANA Japan AG, Kyoto, is founded
2000
Start-up of SYNTANA's e-business concepts on basis of mySAP.com
2001
Move to the newly erected company building at Xantener Strasse, Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany
2001
SYNTANA first Responsible Care Certification, SYNTANA and SYNTAPHARM first Quality Management System Certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000
2001
CAREFIT GmbH is founded
2002
Takeover of AICELLO Chemical Europe GmbH
2004
SYNTAPACK GmbH is founded
2005
AICELLO Chemical Europe first Quality Management System Certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000
2009
Launch of the new corporate identity and change of name:
SYNTANA GmbH to HARKE Chemicals GmbH
SYNTAPHARM GmbH to HARKE Pharma GmbH
SYNTAPACK GmbH to HARKE PackServ GmbH
2010
HARKE PackServ first Quality Management System Certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008
2012
HARKE Italia S.R.L. is founded
2012
Acquisition of SEPULCHRE Chemical Distribution S.A. – together with its subsidiaries Sepulchre Hungary Kft. and Sepulchre Romania S.R.L. as well as a sales office in Poland (Warsaw)
2013
HARKE Türkiye ltd. is founded
2014
OOO HARKE RUS is founded
2014
HARKE Polska Sp. z o.o. is founded in Warsaw
The success story continues –
over 50 years of HARKE Group, ready for the future
2015
HARKE Polska Sp. z o.o. is brought into the joint venture between HARKE and Gamma Chimica, Italy, named Gamma-HARKE-Polska – GHP Sp. z o.o. Sp. k. – in Prusice, near Wrocław
2017
Sale of PoolCare division to BAYROL Deutschland GmbH
2017
Reorganization and change of name:
Sepulchre Hungary Kft. to HARKE Hungary Bt.
SEPULCHRE Romania S.R.L. to HARKE Romania SCS
2018
Change of name:
AICELLO Chemical Europe GmbH to AICELLO-HARKE GmbH
2018
Reorganization and change of name:
SEPULCHRE Chemical Distribution S.A. to HARKE Benelux SCS
2019
Acquisition of Chemlink Specialities Ltd (United Kingdom)
2019
Acquisition of Addi-Tec Ltd (United Kingdom)
2019
HARKE’s business is separated from the GHP joint venture again and founded anew as independent HARKE Polska Sp. z o.o. Sp. k. in Warsaw
2022
HARKE France SCS is founded
2022
HARKE International India Private Limited is founded
2022
Branch establishment HARKE Schweiz is registered
2024
Merger & restructuring of Chemlink Specialities Ltd and Addi-Tec Ltd to form HARKE UK Limited Partnership