Two young merchants from Hamburg, Theodor August Behn and Valentin Lorenz Meyer, established the trading company Behn, Meyer & Co. in Singapore on 1st November 1840.
The company initially traded tropical products such as coconut oil, copra, pepper, camphor and rattan before later expanding into shipping and insurance.
Arnold Otto Meyer was founded in Hamburg.
The Singaporean office established a branch in Penang, which was the company’s first representation in Malaya (today Malaysia).
Arnold Otto Meyer assumed its role as the holding company of the Behn Meyer Group. The company bought an office building in Hamburg, where it still stands today.
Behn Meyer & Co. was founded in Bangkok.
Behn Meyer was the largest German trading and shipping house in South East Asia with offices and agencies in Singapore, Malaya, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma and the Philippines before war broke out.
After the war, Behn Meyer re-established operations in Malaya, Singapore, the Netherlands-Indies (today Indonesia), China and the Philippines.
The company lost all its assets and offices in South East Asia during the Second World War. However, the office in Hamburg remained and traditional trading relations were resumed once again after 1945.
The company restarted trading in Jakarta.
Behn Meyer restarted its activities in Singapore, and branches were once again opened in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.
Behn Meyer regained its former status as the leading German trading house in the South East Asian region.
Market structures changed, but Behn Meyer quickly adapted to meet new needs and began expanding its marketing activities to include a wide range of products such as fertilizers, agrochemicals, polymers, industrial chemicals, paper, sophisticated plants and machinery.
The expansion of the Behn Meyer Group’s business resulted in the opening of branches and sales offices throughout South East Asia.
Meyer, Beck Ltd. was established in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Bangkok office was re-established.
The group further expanded its network by establishing a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Behn Meyer AgriCare acquired industrial land in Sandakan, Sabah and built its first fully-owned storage and processing facility in East Malaysia.
Behn Meyer Europe GmbH (Arnold Otto Meyer until 2003) was established to separate the trading business from the holding company.
Performance Additives Sdn. Bhd., a producer and distributor of specialty additives for the rubber and plastic industry, was launched.
The holding company Arnold Otto Meyer was renamed to Behn Meyer Deutschland Holding AG & Co. KG.
Behn Meyer Europe GmbH set up a branch in Amsterdam, Netherlands to support its business in the European rubber industry.
Behn Meyer AgriCare acquired a second storage and processing facility in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia. In the meantime, Behn Meyer Chemicals built its own chemical manufacturing plant in Malaysia to produce specialty plastic masterbatches and specialty dispersion for latex and dry rubber applications. At the same time, Behn Meyer Indonesia set up its new office and warehouse facilities in Jakarta.
Behn Meyer Vietnam built its new premises in the Binh Duong province in Ho Chi Minh City.
Behn Meyer R&D Services was set up in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. Further application laboratories are located in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. On 8th November 2010, Behn Meyer Philippines Inc. was established.
Over in the United States, Performance Additives opened its new plant in New Philadelphia, Ohio to manufacture specialty chemicals predominantly for export to the ASPAC and European markets.
On 1st February 2011, Performance Additives acquired a plant from Solutia Inc. in Termoli, Italy to manufacture specialty accelerators for the rubber industry and specialty chemicals for industries such as leather and water treatment.
Behn Meyer AgriCare entered into a long-term lease for industrial land in Bintulu, Malaysia. In India, an office was set up in Chennai.
A new corporate identity was implemented.
A global SAP platform was implemented. In Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, warehouse capacity was doubled, and in China and Taiwan, acquisition of companies opened up new offices in Qingdao, Shanghai and Taipei.
Behn Meyer AgriCare built a storage and processing facility in Port Klang and installed its first fertilizer compaction plant in Lahad Datu, Sabah. Meanwhile, office and warehouse facilities began construction in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The Behn Meyer Group celebrated its landmark 175th Anniversary at all its locations: in Hamburg, Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Behn Meyer AgriCare’s warehouses in Bintulu, Sarawak and Pulau Indah, Port Klang was completed in July. The construction of new office in Hanoi, Vietnam was completed.
BMM Venture (a joint venture between Behn Meyer AgriCare and Mitsui) and the Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPCO) signed an agreement on 7th April in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar to establish a new joint venture named Agri First Co., Ltd.
Meanwhile, Behn Meyer AgriCare held a groundbreaking ceremony for its fertilizer plant on a 5-hectare site at Phu My, Vietnam on 5th April. The total capital investment is estimated to reach USD 25 million.
In the Netherlands, Behn Meyer bought an equity stake in Intracare, which produces alternatives to antibiotics and liquid supplements for animal nutrition as well as hygiene and biosecurity concepts.
AgriCare 
Ingredients 
Performance Chemicals 
Polymers 