ASH

Ashland Inc.

A maker of specialty chemicals and additives whose ingredients quietly show up in everyday things like shampoo, skincare, medicines, and processed foods. It began in 1924 as the Ashland Refining Company, an oil refiner in Kentucky named for the nearby city of Ashland, where its founder set up his office. The company once made Valvoline motor oil before spinning that brand off in 2016, turning its focus to the chemistry behind consumer and industrial products.