UK Flame Retardants Manufacturer Combines with US Chemicals Conglomerate

A UK manufacturer of specialty flame retardants and inorganic chemicals, has agreed to combine with the Polymer Additives Group under the MAC (Metals and Additives LLC) umbrella, a US-based specialty chemicals company.

William Blythe, based in Accrington, Lancashire expects the combination transaction to create a unique, international platform focused on regulated and mission-critical applications. It already has leading positions in flame retardants and smoke suppressants for roofing membranes and coatings.

Investment firm, H2 Equity Partners carved out William Blythe in May 2025.

Now, the merger deal has created a business of $160 million annual revenue. The combination has global reach with revenues derived approximately 50% from North America, 30% from Europe and 20% from APAC.

Chemicals Conglomerate

The founders of MAC, Gregg Bennett and Mark McCaughey, will continue in their leadership roles and work alongside the management team of William Blythe: David Crossley, Kevin Hudson, Michael Butler and Stephen Ormerod.

A William Blythe spokesperson commented: “The Group brings together two highly regarded businesses with deep technical expertise and strong manufacturing capabilities. The Group holds leading positions across flame retardants, smoke suppressants, catalysts, absorbents, foam technologies, polymer additives and other high-performance inorganic chemical solutions. It will benefit from a complementary product portfolio and global customer reach, cementing its market position as a leading global supplier.”

MAC’s North American specialty chemicals business is focused on the development, manufacture and distribution of high-performance additives and inorganic chemical solutions.

Operating through four divisions: Polymer Additives Group, Addenda, OMNI Oxide and Reedy Chemical Foam, MAC serves a range of end markets with demanding regulatory and technical requirements.

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