KANKAKEE, Illinois (June 1, 2022)—Kensing, a leading manufacturer of a broad range of specialty chemicals, today celebrates its one-year anniversary as a standalone company—after nearly 75 years as a major Kankakee employer. One year ago, on June 1, 2021, One Rock Capital Partners acquired the Kankakee-based manufacturing plant from BASF and successfully supported its transition to become its own company. The impact on the employees, community, and business has far exceeded expectations.

Kensing will host a two-day celebration June 2-3 with its employees at the manufacturing plant with food, music, games, prizes, and gifts to honor its teams.

“The Kensing team is delighted to celebrate one full year in business. We’ve continued our long-standing passion for making our products, our customer’s products, and the world around us better during Year One—and we are excited for even more progress ahead,” said Serge Rogasik, CEO, Kensing. “It’s been a big year. We developed and implemented a new brand and strategy, strengthened customer relationships, gained new partnerships, and won important awards. We are happy with the momentum we’ve created for our business and the Kankakee community.”

As workplace safety and job security became prominent topics during the past two years of health and economic uncertainty, Kensing has continued to establish itself as a safe manufacturing facility and work environment, providing many job opportunities in the local community. Amidst other pandemic-related challenges such as supply chain constraints, Kensing, as a USA-based manufacturer, has also continued to supply the market with ultra-pure, plant-based products to a variety of global industries.

While this celebration marks one year as Kensing, the manufacturing plant has been operating since 1948, developing high-purity, plant-based vitamin E, phytosterols, anionic surfactants, and specialty esters, under large corporations like General Mills, Henkel, Cognis, and BASF. The company is named Kensing to honor the history and performance of its manufacturing facility located on Kensington Avenue in Kankakee, honoring the legacy of its team and culture.