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This year marks the 102nd anniversary of Ecolab’s founding and its 50th year in Greater China. As a vital link in the food supply chain, Ecolab continues optimizing its operations—adopting more environmentally friendly chemicals and packaging materials to reduce pollution. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Ecolab aims to halve its carbon emissions and source 60% of its energy from renewables by 2030, and achieve net-zero carbon emissions and 100% renewable energy usage by 2050. Its outstanding performance has earned broad recognition: it received the highest MSCI ESG rating—AAA—and has been listed consecutively for two years on Fortune China’s ESG Impact List. [4] Multi-dimensional Empowerment Beyond restaurant cleaning, food and beverage (F&B) enterprises—including tea drink chains—must proactively fortify their food safety defenses at high-risk points. Ecolab’s holistic solutions encompass safe, compliant, high-performance chemicals; digital intelligent equipment monitoring systems; professional pest control services; and comprehensive food safety training and audit闭环 (closed-loop) programs. At a major domestic resort theme park, Ecolab’s solutions cover rides, restaurants, hotels, and public areas: custom front- and back-of-house cleaning protocols for park restaurants ensure food safety throughout operational workflows; professional pest management includes round-the-clock monitoring and assessment—establishing outdoor barriers and targeting breeding hotspots at their source; and end-to-end food safety audits help strengthen management systems. In the hotel sector, its low-temperature linen washing solution protects fabrics, extends service life, and saves water, energy, and costs. These initiatives comprehensively safeguard environmental hygiene and visitor food safety across the entire resort. [6] Ecolab’s digital initiatives for the F&B industry span from front-of-house to kitchen operations. At the National Restaurant Association Show (NRA Show) held in Chicago, USA, from May 17–20 this year, Ecolab’s Ecolab KitchenIQ™ smart kitchen platform won the 2025 Kitchen Innovation Award—a cloud-based software platform that simplifies operations and boosts efficiency by digitizing tasks, capturing data, and delivering actionable insights. [7] Also showcased was DishIQ™, an AI-powered dishwashing machine developed by Ecolab’s Greater China R&D team. It optimizes wash cycles to guarantee cleaning and disinfection efficacy while monitoring machine status to enable predictive maintenance and real-time alerts. Additionally, Ecolab demonstrated other digital tools—including smart, interconnected pest control solutions, temperature management programs, and food waste monitoring systems. These tools empower intelligent kitchens by guiding staff operations, alleviating labor shortages, automatically collecting food safety records, and helping F&B brands manage stores, rectify issues, and prevent risks. Ecolab leverages technology to advance public health security, having protected 1.7 billion people globally from foodborne illness and infection threats in 2024 alone. As a practitioner committed to food safety and public health, Ecolab Greater China continues exploring multi-dimensional empowerment pathways. [8] On the industrial front, Ecolab has co-initiated the ‘China Food Health Seven-Star Covenant Alliance’ with Yicai (Yi Cai Global) for 14 years. Leveraging this authoritative domestic food industry award platform, Ecolab collaborates with upstream and downstream partners to build quality standards systems and drive full-chain upgrades across the food industry. This year also marks Ecolab’s 50th anniversary of formal entry into the Chinese market. Supported by seven manufacturing bases, one world-class R&D center, and offices nationwide, Ecolab continues empowering Chinese enterprises’ growth. Looking ahead, Ecolab will persistently enhance domestic F&B enterprises’ operational efficiency and scalability through digitalization, equipment automation, and continuous product innovation.

From a single resin grain to a commercial empire: stories of Purolite, Ecolab, and Nalco

• C100E: Arguably Purolite’s 'national-level' product, this classic strong-acid cation exchange resin is primarily used for water softening—found everywhere from household boilers to industrial pretreatment systems. It’s robust, reliable, and highly cost-effective. • MB400: A mixed-bed resin, this is a powerhouse for producing ultrapure water—indispensable in semiconductor manufacturing and pharmaceutical production, capable of purifying water to near-H₂O purity. • S930Plus: A high-performance chelating resin specifically engineered to remove heavy metals. It selectively adsorbs nickel, copper, mercury, and other contaminants from electroplating wastewater—functioning as an 'elite unit' in environmental protection. • Calibri™ Series: The true premium offering—designed for chromatographic separation in biopharmaceutical applications, such as mRNA vaccine purification and insulin isolation. This goes far beyond conventional water treatment; it directly participates in core drug manufacturing processes. As you can see, Purolite’s product portfolio spans from everyday water softening all the way to cutting-edge pharmaceuticals—laying deep foundations for its subsequent strategic evolution. II. Purolite the Company: From 'Small but Excellent' to 'A Target' Purolite didn’t emerge overnight. Founded in the U.S. in 1981, it later relocated its headquarters to the UK, gradually building a transatlantic operational footprint. Two pivotal moves truly propelled Purolite’s transformation: First, betting big on the Chinese market. In 1996, Purolite established a manufacturing facility in Deqing, Zhejiang Province. At the time, few realized this plant would later become Asia’s largest ion exchange resin production base—a strategic move that allowed Purolite to fully capitalize on China’s rapid industrialization and urbanization-driven demand surge in water treatment. Second, proactively pivoting toward high-end markets. Purolite’s leadership demonstrated remarkable foresight here: recognizing that commoditized water treatment resins would inevitably become a cutthroat 'red ocean', they deliberately scaled back from low-margin segments and doubled down on high-value sectors—pharmaceuticals, nuclear power, and semiconductors. For instance, Purolite developed advanced adsorption resins for pharmaceutical separation and purification long before domestic alternatives existed—filling critical technological gaps. This strategic shift transformed Purolite from a mere 'materials supplier' into a provider of 'core separation technologies', fundamentally elevating its market positioning and valuation. By around 2020, Purolite had evolved into a company possessing proprietary core technologies in niche domains, enjoying healthy profit margins, and holding strategic leverage over future-oriented industries like biopharmaceuticals. Such a company was inevitably destined to attract acquisition interest from larger industry giants. III. The $3.7 Billion Acquisition: Ecolab’s Calculated Move In 2021, a landmark event shook the industry: Ecolab acquired Purolite for $3.7 billion in cash. Many people’s first reaction was: Who *is* Ecolab—and why pay such a staggering sum? A brief introduction: Ecolab is no newcomer—it’s a global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies and services. The cleaning and disinfection solutions behind many five-star hotels, chain restaurants, and large hospitals you frequent are likely provided by Ecolab. It has also long been deeply entrenched in industrial water treatment, boasting formidable technical and market strength. So why did Ecolab acquire Purolite? The logic is straightforward: 1. Completing the Most Critical Technology Puzzle Piece. Ecolab’s traditional strengths lay in 'peripheral management of water systems'—e.g., preventing scale formation in cooling water, inhibiting corrosion in boilers, and controlling bacterial growth in piping systems.

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Ecolab Inc plans to invest $500 million in a new Global Innovation Center in Eagan from 2027 to 2030. The initiative aims to expand R&D facilities focused on advanced infection protection and water quality solutions.

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