Firmenich is not just the name of a fragrance and taste company. It is also the name of a Family that has been personally committed to its colleagues, customers, communities and creativity for 125 years.
Firmenich was founded in 1895 in Geneva, Switzerland, by Philippe Chuit, a talented Swiss chemist, in association with Martin Naef, a shrewd businessman.
They rented premises from a certain Charles Firmenich and it was there that they started creating groundbreaking molecules such as Dianthine® and Iralia® (still present on the market today) and attracted their first customer, François Coty.
The daughter of Charles Firmenich, Thérèse, later married Philippe Chuit. Her older brother, Frédéric, soon joined the company as the salesman of Chuit, Naef & Co. After Chuit, and later Naef, retired, the Firmenich family became the majority partner and in 1934 the company changed its name to Firmenich & Co.
Since then, Firmenich has remained independent, building on that original entrepreneurial vigor and pioneering spirit.
Today we are the world’s largest private company in the fragrance and flavor industry.
