VISIONS Magazine (May 2025 Edition)
STRONGER TOGETHER: UNIFYING UNDER THE INTERACID GROUP BRAND
When two legacy sulfuric acid industry players, Saconix and SATCO, officially merged in April 2025, the decision marked more than a legal and operational alignment. It was the culmination of decades of shared values, mutual respect, and parallel expertise coming together to form something even stronger: Interacid North America, Inc., now operating under the global Interacid Group brand.
This rebranding not only integrates North American synergies with Interacid Trading S.A. and Interacid Chile, but also crystallizes a unified identity across continents. For Brent Shonka, General Manager of Interacid North America, the rebranding was a logical next step. “The timing was perfect. Interacid has deservedly enjoyed a very strong brand recognition globally for over 40 years. SATCO and Saconix did as well in the United States. With the merger completed between the companies, it provided and excellent opportunity integrate into our global brand.
Still, Interacid is a name that means something. “When people out there that have been in the trade for a long time hear Interacid, it’s a brand that—it would be kind of like the Coca-Cola brand for soft drinks in some respects. It just automatically clicks to a lot of people.”
Previously, SATCO and Saconix operated with different names but had equally strong legacies. Both organizations have withstood the test of time with combined history dating back over 60 years. “It wasn’t really, call it kind of like an acquisition of SATCO acquiring Saconix. It was more: SCOA owned SATCO, SCOA acquired Saconix, and do we roll them under one or the other brand, or we just go with a new brand? And that’s really what made the most sense,” said Shonka.
A Global Brand, A Local Connection
Customers can expect continuity. “What doesn’t change is how we do business together. We still offer and operate under very high principles—for business conduct, integrity, execution, how we interact, respect, transparency,” said Shonka. “Those key values of ours don’t change”
The Interacid Group Summit, held in St. Petersburg, Florida in May served as a landmark gathering for representatives from the newly unified companies. The multi-day event included key sessions covering the company’s strategic outlook, safety operations, political and economic context, HR policy, and future planning for sales and supply. Attendees participated in sessions led by leaders from North America, Europe, and Asia, and also took time for leisure, team building, and informal networking.
pictured above: attendees get information at a presentation at the Interacid Summit
“It was all about making sure everyone walked out of that room really understanding—not only what our brand is, what we believe our brand is, what we want our brand to be—but also how we fit into the bigger picture of the Interacid Group,” said Shonka.
The summit also created opportunities for employees from formerly separate companies to meet face-to-face, some for the first time, to discuss common goals, and build stronger ties. The branding and marketing session that opened the summit underscored the shared identity and values now operating under the Interacid banner.
pictured above: more information for attendees at Interacid Summit
"The leadership team had the good foresight to determine how we could really leverage the joining of these two companies in a way that augments the brand capital they already have and rally the team under one brand – one mission – one future,” commented Amy Smith, General Manager of SCOA Corporate Communications. “After some initial conversations it became clear to use this moment as a springboard to not only rebrand the North American business but look at the business on the global stage and how a global brand could bolster the group's overall position in the marketplace.”
One System, One Vision
For nearly two years, employees from SATCO and Saconix continued operating as separate companies. “Actually, we initially changed very little… people still operated as separate companies. They still had their same responsibilities. We really focused on the synergy side,” said Shonka.
The integration recently took a big leap forward. “We’re now under one ERP. We’re one P&L. We’re one set of customers. So, it’s really in the height of our change management era today and rebranding in some respects has made that easier.”
Anchored by Sumitomo Values
Of course, Sumitomo’s heritage continues to guide the culture. “Being under SCOA and Sumitomo Corporation, with 400 years and the guiding principles of Sumitomo—that’s always been a little bit ingrained,” said Shonka. “And the company we acquired, Saconix, is a very value-driven type of organization as well. It was almost like looking in the mirror.”
“The merger reflects our shared commitments rooted in safety, exceptional service, and access to SCOA’s global marketplace,” concluded Masaya Sato, General Manager of SCOA Basic Chemicals and Electronics Group. “By combining local insight with international scale, Interacid Group is poised to lead the industry into a new era.”
He added, “This rebranding under Interacid Group creates a platform that aligns with SCOA’s strategy of building businesses with global competitiveness. It enables stronger collaboration and consistent value delivery to customers and partners across all regions.”
