Item 1. Business.

Albemarle Corporation was incorporated in Virginia in 1993. Our principal executive offices are located at 451 Florida Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70801. Unless the context otherwise indicates, the terms “Albemarle,” “we,” “us,” “our” or “the Company” mean Albemarle Corporation and our consolidated subsidiaries.

On January 12, 2015, we completed the previously announced acquisition (the “Merger”) of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. (“Rockwood”) pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”). The discussion in this report relates to a period prior to the acquisition of Rockwood and, except as otherwise noted, does not give effect to it. For additional information about the acquisition of Rockwood, see “Recent Acquisitions and Joint Ventures” beginning on page 9, and Note 23, “Acquisitions” to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

We are a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of highly-engineered specialty chemicals that meet customer needs across an exceptionally diverse range of end markets including the petroleum refining, consumer electronics, construction, automotive, lubricants, pharmaceuticals, crop protection, food safety and custom chemistry services markets. We are committed to global sustainability and are advancing responsible eco-practices and solutions in our two business segments. We believe that our commercial and geographic diversity, technical expertise, innovative capability, flexible, low-cost global manufacturing base, experienced management team and strategic focus on our core base technologies will enable us to maintain leading market positions in those areas of the specialty chemicals industry in which we operate.

We and our joint ventures currently operate 56 production and research and development (“R&D”) facilities, including facilities we acquired from Rockwood, as well as a number of administrative and sales offices, in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia. As of December 31, 2014, we served approximately 2,500 customers in approximately 100 countries. For information regarding our unconsolidated joint ventures see Note 9, “Investments” to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

Business Segments

During 2014, our operations were managed and reported under two operating segments: Performance Chemicals and Catalyst Solutions. The Performance Chemicals segment includes the Fire Safety Solutions, Specialty Chemicals and Fine Chemistry Services product categories. The Catalyst Solutions segment includes the Refinery Catalyst Solutions and Performance Catalyst Solutions product categories. Financial results and discussion about our operating segments included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are categorized according to these two operating segments except where noted.

On January 20, 2015, we announced that as a result of the completion of the Rockwood acquisition we will realign our organizational structure, to be effective by the end of the first quarter of 2015. At that time, the Company’s new reportable business segments will consist of three segments: Performance Chemicals, Refining Solutions and Chemetall Surface Treatment. Performance Chemicals will combine our lithium, aluminum alkyls and derivative catalysts businesses with Albemarle’s existing Performance Chemicals segment. Refining Solutions will consist of the Heavy Oil Upgrading and Clean Fuels Technologies businesses, delivering a robust portfolio of catalyst solutions that apply to the entire refinery process. Chemetall Surface Treatment will supply specialty chemicals with a focus on processes for the surface treatment of metals and plastics. Each segment will have a dedicated team of sales, R&D, process engineering, manufacturing and sourcing, and business strategy personnel and will have full accountability for improving execution through greater asset and market focus, agility and responsiveness. Additionally, in 2015 we intend to pursue strategic alternatives, including divestitures, related to certain product lines including flame retardants, specialty chemicals, fine chemistry services and metal sulfides. These businesses will not be included in the aforementioned segments.

For financial information regarding our operating segments, including revenues generated for each of the last three fiscal years from each of the product categories included in our operating segments, and geographic areas, see Note 24, “Operating Segments and Geographic Area Information” to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

Performance Chemicals Segment

As of December 31, 2014, our Performance Chemicals segment consisted of three product categories: Fire Safety Solutions, Specialty Chemicals and Fine Chemistry Services.

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Fire Safety Solutions. Our fire safety technology enables the use of plastics in high performance, high heat applications by enhancing the flame resistant properties of these materials. Some of the end market products that benefit from our fire safety technology include plastic enclosures for consumer electronics, printed circuit boards, wire and cable, electrical connectors, textiles and foam insulation. We compete in two major fire safety chemistries: brominated and mineral. Our brominated flame retardants include products sold under the Saytex® brand and our mineral-based flame retardants include products such as Martinal® and Magnifin®. Our strategy is to have a broad range of chemistries applicable to each major flame retardant application.

Specialty Chemicals. Specialty Chemicals includes products such as elemental bromine, alkyl bromides, inorganic bromides, brominated powdered activated carbon and a number of bromine fine chemicals. Our products are used in chemical synthesis, oil and gas well drilling and completion fluids, mercury control, paper manufacturing, water purification, beef and poultry processing and various other industrial applications. Other specialty chemicals that we produce include tertiary amines for surfactants, biocides, disinfectants and sanitizers and aluminum oxides used in a wide variety of refractory, ceramic and polishing applications.

We produce plastic additives as well as other additives, such as curatives, which are often specially developed and formulated for a customer’s specific manufacturing requirements. Our additives products include curatives for polyurethane, polyurea and epoxy system polymerization. Our Ethacure® curatives are used in cast elastomers, coatings, reaction injection molding and specialty adhesives that are incorporated into products such as wheels, tires and rollers.

Fine Chemistry Services. In addition to supplying the specific fine chemistry products and performance chemicals for the pharmaceutical and agricultural uses described below, our Fine Chemistry Services business offers custom manufacturing, research and chemical scale-up services for companies. These services position us to support customers in developing their new products, such as new drugs, specialty materials and agrichemicals.

Our agrichemicals are sold to agrichemical manufacturers and distributors that produce and distribute finished agricultural herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and soil fumigants. Our products include orthoalkylated anilines used in the acetanilide family of pre-emergent herbicides used with corn, soybeans and other crops and methyl bromide, which is used as a soil fumigant. We also manufacture and supply a variety of custom chemical intermediates for the agricultural industry.

Customers

Our Performance Chemicals segment offers more than 150 products to a variety of end markets. We sell our products mostly to chemical manufacturers and processors, such as polymer resin suppliers (including pharmaceutical and agricultural companies), drilling and oil service companies, beef and poultry processors, water treatment and photographic companies, energy producers and other specialty chemical companies.

Sales of Performance Chemicals in Asia are expected to grow long-term due to the underlying growth in consumer demand and the shift of the production of consumer electronics from the United States (“U.S.”) and Europe to Asia. In response to this development, we have established a sales and marketing network in China, Japan, Korea and Singapore with products sourced from the U.S., Europe, China and the Middle East.

Pricing for many of our Performance Chemicals products and services is based upon negotiation with customers. The critical factors that affect prices are the level of technology differentiation we provide, the maturity of the product and the level of assistance required to bring a new product through a customer’s developmental process.

A number of customers of our Performance Chemicals segment manufacture products for cyclical industries, including the consumer electronics, building and construction, and automotive industries. As a result, demand from our customers in such industries is also cyclical.

Competition

Our Performance Chemicals segment serves the following geographic markets: the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, each of which is highly competitive. Product performance and quality, price and contract terms are the primary factors in determining which qualified supplier is awarded a contract. Research and development, product and process improvements, specialized customer services, the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and maintenance of a good safety record have also been important factors to compete effectively in the Performance Chemicals marketplace.

We are a market leader in the bromine-based product groups (including flame retardants) and our most significant competitors are Chemtura Corporation and Israel Chemicals Ltd. We are also a market leader in the mineral-based flame

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retardants business. In our mineral-based flame retardants business, our most significant competitors include J.M. Huber Corporation, Kyowa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. and Nabaltec GmbH. We differentiate ourselves from our competitors by developing new, high quality innovative products, offering cost reductions and enhancing the services that we offer.

Raw Materials and Significant Supply Contracts

The major raw materials we use in our Performance Chemicals operations are bromine, bisphenol-A, potassium chloride, chlorine, ammonia, aluminum chloride, alpha-olefins, methyl amines, propylene, benzene, caustic soda, alumina trihydrate and polystyrene, most of which are readily available from numerous independent suppliers and are purchased under contracts at prices we believe are competitive. The cost of raw materials is generally based on market prices although we may use contracts with price caps or other tools, as appropriate, to mitigate price volatility. Many of our customers operate under long-term supply contracts that provide for either the pass-through of raw material and energy cost changes, or pricing based on short-term “tenders” in which changing market conditions are quickly reflected in the pricing of the finished product.

The bromine we use in our Performance Chemicals segment comes from two locations: Arkansas and the Dead Sea. Our brine reserves in Arkansas are supported by an active brine rights leasing program. We believe that we have in excess of 70 years of proven bromine reserves in Arkansas. In addition, through our 50% interest in Jordan Bromine Company Limited (“JBC”), a consolidated joint venture with operations in Safi, Jordan, we produce bromine from the Dead Sea, which has virtually inexhaustible reserves. In addition, we have a joint venture with Weifang Sinobrom Import and Export Company, Ltd. (“Sinobrom”), in China that allows us the option to source bromine directly from China’s Shandong Province brine fields.

Catalyst Solutions Segment

As of December 31, 2014, our Catalyst Solutions segment included the Refinery Catalyst Solutions and Performance Catalyst Solutions product categories.

Refinery Catalyst Solutions. Our two main refinery catalysts businesses are Clean Fuels Technologies, which is primarily composed of hydroprocessing catalysts (“HPC”), and Heavy Oil Upgrading, which is primarily composed of fluidized catalytic cracking (“FCC”) catalysts and additives. HPC products are widely applied throughout the refining industry. Their application enables the upgrading of oil fractions to clean fuels and other usable oil products by removing sulfur, nitrogen and other impurities from the feedstock. In addition, they improve product properties by adding hydrogen and in some cases improve the performance of downstream catalysts and processes. We continuously seek to add more value to refinery operations by offering HPC products that meet our customers’ requirements for profitability and performance in the very demanding refining market. FCC catalysts assist in the high yield cracking of less desired refinery petroleum streams into derivative, higher-value products such as transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstocks like propylene. Our FCC additives are used to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in FCC units and to increase liquefied petroleum gas olefins yield, such as propylene, and to boost octane in gasoline. Albemarle offers unique refinery catalysts to crack and treat the lightest to the heaviest feedstocks while meeting refinery yield and product needs. We offer a wide range of HPC products and approximately 60 different FCC catalysts and additives products to our customers.

Performance Catalyst Solutions (“PCS”). We have three business units in our PCS division: polymer catalysts, chemical catalysts, and electronic materials. We manufacture organometallic co-catalysts (e.g., aluminum, magnesium and zinc alkyls) as well as metallocene components and co-catalysts (e.g., methylaluminumoxane, organoborons, metallocene compounds, and finished polymerization catalysts comprising these products). We also offer finished single-site catalysts with or without our proprietary ActivCat® technology and a line of proprietary Ziegler-Natta catalysts under the Advantage™ brand. Our co-catalysts and finished catalysts are used in our customers’ production of polyolefin polymers. Such polymers are commodity (i.e., Ziegler-Natta polymerization technology-based) and specialty (i.e., Single Site polymerization technology-based) plastics serving a wide variety of end markets including packaging, non-packaging, films and injection molding. Some of our organometallic products are also used in the manufacture of alpha-olefins (i.e., hexene, octene, decene). In electronic materials, we manufacture and sell high purity metal organic products into electronic applications such as the production of light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) for displays and general lighting, as well as other products used in the production of solar cells. Our chemical catalysts include a variety of catalysts used in the broad chemical industry, for example, catalysts used in the production of ethylene dichloride and methylamines, among others.

Customers

Our Catalyst Solutions segment customers include multinational corporations such as ExxonMobil Corporation, Chevron Corporation, TOTAL S.A., Saudi Basic Industries Corporation and INEOS Group Holdings S.A.; independent petroleum

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refining companies such as Valero Energy Corporation and SK Holdings; lubricant manufacturers, and national petroleum refining companies such as Reliance, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. and Petróleos Mexicanos.

We estimate that there are currently approximately 500 FCC units being operated globally, each of which requires a constant supply of FCC catalysts. In addition, we estimate that there are approximately 3,200 HPC units being operated globally, each of which typically requires replacement HPC catalysts once every one to three years. There are approximately 1,200 polyolefin and elastomer units worldwide which require a constant supply of co-catalysts and finished catalysts.

Competition

Our Catalyst Solutions segment serves the global market including the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, each of which is highly competitive. Product performance and quality, price and contract terms are the primary factors in determining which qualified supplier is awarded a contract. Research and development, product and process improvements, specialized customer services, the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and the maintenance of a good safety record have also been important factors to compete effectively in the Catalysts marketplace. Through our research and development programs, we strive to differentiate our business by developing value-added products and products based on proprietary technologies.

We are a market leader in the HPC, FCC and polyolefin organometallic catalysts markets. Our major competitors in the HPC catalysts market include Criterion Catalysts and Technologies, Advanced Refining Technologies and Haldor Topsoe. Our major competitors in the FCC catalysts market include W.R. Grace & Co. and BASF Corporation. Our major competitors in the organometallics market include AkzoNobel and Chemtura Corporation, as well as W.R. Grace & Co. and BASF in the Ziegler-Natta catalysts area. Some of our major catalysts competitors have alliances with global major refiners to facilitate new product development and introduction.

Raw Materials

The major raw materials we use in our Catalysts operations include aluminum, ethylene, alpha-olefins, sodium silicate, sodium aluminate, kaolin, rare earths, molybdenum, nickel and cobalt, most of which are readily available from numerous independent suppliers and are purchased or provided under contracts at prices we believe are competitive. The cost of raw materials is generally based on market prices, although we may use contracts with price caps or other tools, as appropriate, to mitigate price volatility. These raw materials may nevertheless be subject to significant volatility despite our mitigating efforts. Our profitability may be affected if we are unable to recover significant raw material costs from our customers.

Sales, Marketing and Distribution

We have an international strategic account program that uses cross-functional teams to serve large global customers. This program emphasizes creative strategies to improve and strengthen strategic customer relationships with emphasis on creating value for customers and promoting post-sale service. Complementing this program are regional Albemarle sales personnel around the world who serve numerous additional customers within North America, Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia Pacific, Russia, Africa and Latin America. We also use approximately 75 commissioned sales representatives and specialists in specific market areas, some of which are affiliated with subsidiaries of large chemical companies.

Research and Development

We believe that in order to generate revenue growth, maintain our margins and remain competitive, we must continually invest in research and development, product and process improvements and specialized customer services. Through research and development, we continue to seek increased margins by introducing value-added products and proprietary processes and innovative green chemistry technologies. Our green chemistry efforts focus on the development of products that benefit society in a manner that minimizes waste and the use of raw materials and energy, avoids the use of toxic reagents and solvents and is produced in safe, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. Green chemistry is encouraged with our researchers through periodic focus group discussions and special rewards and recognition for outstanding new green developments.

Our research and development efforts support each of our business segments. As of December 31, 2014, the focus of research in Performance Chemicals is divided among new and improved flame retardants, new uses for bromine and bromine-based products, curing agents and the development of efficient processes for the manufacture of chemical intermediates and actives for the pharmaceutical and agrichemical industries. Fire safety solutions research is focused primarily on developing new flame retardants which not only meet the higher performance requirements required by today’s polymer producers, formulators and original equipment manufacturers but which also have superior toxicological and environmental profiles, such as our GreenArmor™ flame retardant product, that are greatly enhanced in both end product performance and environmental

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responsibility. Another area of research is the development of bromine-based products for use as biocides in industrial water treatment and food safety applications and as additives used to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. Curatives research is focused primarily on improving and extending our line of curing agents and formulations.

As of December 31, 2014, Catalyst Solutions research is focused on the needs of our refinery catalysts customers, our performance catalysts customers and developing metal organics for LED and other electronic applications. Refinery catalysts research is focused primarily on the development of more effective catalysts and related additives to produce clean fuels and to maximize the production of the highest value refined products. In the performance catalysts area, we are focused primarily on catalysts, co-catalysts and finished catalysts systems for polymer producers to meet the market’s demand for improved polyolefin polymers and elastomers as well as metal organics for electronic customers.

We have incurred research and development expenses of $88.3 million, $82.2 million and $78.9 million during 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Intellectual Property

Our intellectual property, including our patents, licenses and trade names, is an important component of our business. As of December 31, 2014, we owned approximately 1,800 active U.S. and foreign patents and approximately 800 pending U.S. and foreign patent applications. We also have acquired rights under patents and inventions of others through licenses, and we license certain patents and inventions to third parties.

Regulation

Our business is subject to a broad array of employee health and safety laws and regulations, including those under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. We also are subject to similar state laws and regulations as well as local laws and regulations for our non-U.S. operations. We devote significant resources and have developed and implemented comprehensive programs to promote the health and safety of our employees and we maintain an active health, safety and environmental program. We finished 2014 with an occupational injury and illness rate of 0.327 for Albemarle employees and nested contractors, down from 0.55 in 2013.

Our business and our customers also may be subject to significant requirements under the European Community Regulation for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (“REACH”). REACH imposes obligations on European Union manufacturers and importers of chemicals and other products into the European Union to compile and file comprehensive reports, including testing data, on each chemical substance, and perform chemical safety assessments. Additionally, substances of high concern—such as Carcinogenic, Mutagenic and Reprotoxic (“CMRs”); Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (“PBTs”); very Persistent, very Bioaccumulative (“vPvB”); and endocrine disruptors—will be subject to an authorization process. Authorization may result in restrictions in the use of products by application or even banning the product. In 2009, one of our products was designated by European regulators as a Substance of Very High Concern under authorization, Hexabromocyclododecane (“HBCD”). Our sales of HBCD approximated 0.7%, 1.3% and 1.9% of our total annual net sales in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. In 2012, another of our products, decabromodiphenyl ether (“decaBDE”) similarly was identified as a Substance of Very High Concern. Our sales of decaBDE were negligible in 2014, and approximated 0.3% of our total annual net sales in 2013 and 0.7% of our total annual net sales in 2012. Albemarle ceased production of decaBDE effective at the end of 2012. Albemarle actively conducts research and development activities to find more sustainable substitutes for products such as HBCD and decaBDE that may be subject to restrictions. For example, in August of 2014, Albemarle announced a joint venture with ICL Industrial Products (“ICL”) for the production of GreenCrestTM, a substitute chemical for HBCD with a superior environmental profile.

The REACH regulations impose significant additional burdens on chemical producers, importers, downstream users of chemical substances and preparations, and the entire supply chain. Our significant manufacturing presence and sales activities in the European Union will require us to incur significant additional compliance costs and may result in increases in the costs of raw materials we purchase and the products we sell. Increases in the costs of our products could result in a decrease in their overall demand; additionally, customers may seek products that are not regulated by REACH, which could also result in a decrease in the demand of certain of our products subject to the REACH regulations.

Recently, there has been increased scrutiny of certain brominated flame retardants by regulatory authorities, legislative bodies and environmental interest groups in various countries. We manufacture a broad range of brominated flame retardant products, which are used in a variety of applications. Concern about the impact of some of our products on human health or the environment may lead to regulation, or reaction in our markets independent of regulation.

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Environmental Regulation

We are subject to numerous foreign, federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, including those governing the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and the cleanup of contaminated properties. Ongoing compliance with such laws and regulations is an important consideration for us. Key aspects of our operations are subject to these laws and regulations. In addition, we incur substantial capital and operating costs in our efforts to comply with them.

Liabilities associated with the investigation and cleanup of hazardous substances, as well as personal injury, property damages or natural resource damages arising from the release of, or exposure to, such hazardous substances, may be imposed in many situations without regard to violations of laws or regulations or other fault, and may also be imposed jointly and severally (so that a responsible party may be held liable for more than its share of the losses involved, or even the entire loss). Such liabilities also may be imposed on many different entities with a relationship to the hazardous substances at issue, including, for example, entities that formerly owned or operated the property affected by the hazardous substances and entities that arranged for the disposal of the hazardous substances at the affected property, as well as entities that currently own or operate such property. We are subject to such laws, including the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as CERCLA or Superfund, in the U.S., and similar foreign and state laws. We may have liability as a potentially responsible party (“PRP”) with respect to active off-site locations under CERCLA or state equivalents. We have sought to resolve our liability as a PRP at these sites through indemnification by third parties and settlements, which would provide for payment of our allocable share of remediation costs. Because the cleanup costs are estimates and are subject to revision as more information becomes available about the extent of remediation required, and in some cases we have asserted a defense to any liability, our estimates could change. Moreover, liability under CERCLA and equivalent state statutes may be joint and several, meaning that we could be required to pay in excess of our pro rata share of remediation costs. Our understanding of the financial strength of other PRPs has been considered, where appropriate, in estimating our liabilities. Accruals for these matters are included in the environmental reserve discussed below. Our management is actively involved in evaluating environmental matters and, based on information currently available to us, we have concluded that our outstanding environmental liabilities for unresolved waste sites currently known to us should not have a material effect on our operations.

We use and generate hazardous substances and wastes in our operations and may become subject to claims for personal injury and/or property damage relating to the release of such substances into the environment. In addition, some of our current properties are, or have been, used for industrial purposes, which could contain currently unknown contamination that could expose us to governmental requirements or claims relating to environmental remediation, personal injury and/or property damage. While we conduct our operations so as to minimize the risk of incurring such losses, the nature of our business and the types of operations in which we engage create a potential for such losses to occur. These risks could expose us to substantial liability for personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, loss of production, pollution and other environmental damages. Depending on the frequency and severity of such incidents, it is possible that the Company’s operating costs, insurability and relationships with customers, employees and regulators could be impaired. In particular, our customers may elect not to purchase our product if they view our safety record as unacceptable. This could also cause us to lose customers and substantial revenues. However, we believe that the likelihood of an environmental-related catastrophic occurrence or a series of occurrences that could materially affect the Company’s financial position or competitiveness is low.

We record accruals for environmental matters when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. It is possible that new information or future developments could require us to reassess our potential exposure related to environmental matters. We may incur significant costs and liabilities in order to comply with existing environmental laws and regulations. It is also possible that other developments, such as increasingly strict environmental laws, regulations and orders of regulatory agencies, as well as claims for damages to property and the environment or injuries to employees and other persons resulting from our current or past operations, could result in substantial costs and liabilities in the future. As this information becomes available, or other relevant developments occur, we will adjust our accrual amounts accordingly. While there are still uncertainties related to the ultimate costs we may incur, based upon our evaluation and experience to date, we believe our reserves are adequate. We cannot assure you that, as a result of former, current or future operations, there will not be some future impact on us relating to new regulations or additional environmental remediation or restoration liabilities. See “Safety and Environmental Matters” in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations on page 55.

Climate Change

The growing concerns about climate change and the related imposition by governments of more stringent regulations may provide us with new or expanded business opportunities. The Company seeks to capitalize on the “green revolution” by providing solutions to companies pursuing alternative fuel products and technologies (such as renewable fuels, gas-to-liquids

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and others), emission control technologies (including mercury emissions) and other similar solutions. As demand for, and legislation mandating or incentivizing the use of alternative fuel technologies that limit or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions increase, we continue to monitor the market and offer solutions where we have appropriate technology and believe we are well positioned to take advantage of opportunities that may arise if new legislation is enacted.

Recent Acquisitions, Joint Ventures and Divestitures

Over the last three years, we have devoted resources to acquisitions and joint ventures, including the subsequent integration of acquired businesses. These acquisitions and joint ventures have expanded our base business, provided our customers with a wider array of products and presented new alternatives for discovery through additional chemistries. Following is a summary of our acquisitions and joint ventures during recent years.

On July 15, 2014, we entered into the Merger Agreement to acquire all the outstanding shares of Rockwood. On January 12, 2015, we completed the acquisition of Rockwood for a purchase price of approximately $5.6 billion, comprised of approximately $3.6 billion in cash consideration and approximately $2.0 billion in equity consideration, with Rockwood becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Albemarle. Rockwood is a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of technologically advanced and high value added specialty chemicals. It is a leading integrated and low cost global producer of lithium and lithium compounds used in lithium ion batteries for electronic devices, transportation vehicles and future energy storage technologies, meeting the significant growth in global demand for these products. Rockwood is also one of the largest global producers of surface treatments and coatings for metal processing, servicing the automotive, aerospace and general industrial markets. The acquisition of Rockwood reflects our commitment to drive sustainable growth, creating one of the world’s premier specialty chemicals companies, with market-leading positions across four high-margin businesses: lithium, catalysts, bromine and surface treatment. On a combined basis, the Company is expected to drive growth through:

•	Continuing to penetrate lithium-based energy storage products, including e-mobility batteries and batteries for the automotive industry;

•	Capitalizing on attractive global trends in refinery catalysts, including the increasing demand for transportation fuels particularly in developing regions, as well as the demand for solutions to convert a range of feedstocks into high-value finished products;

•	Expanding within existing bromine markets driven by the proliferation of digital technology, offshore deep water drilling and mercury control emission reduction, along with growth driven by new bromine applications; and

•	Leveraging our position as a market-leading provider of surface treatment products and services to grow through innovative technology coupled with superior technical and customer service, proximity to the customer, global market segment focus and regional expansion in developing economies.

On August 29, 2014, we announced an agreement with ICL to establish a manufacturing joint venture for the production of ICL’s FR-122P polymeric flame retardant and our GreenCrest™ polymeric flame retardant. These flame retardants are designed to replace HBCD. The joint venture and its partners will own and operate a 2,400 MT per year Netherlands plant and a 10,000 MT per year Israel plant. The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first half of 2015.

On September 1, 2014, we closed the sale of our antioxidant, ibuprofen and propofol businesses and assets to SI Group, Inc. and received net proceeds of $104.7 million. Included in the transaction were Albemarle’s manufacturing sites in Orangeburg, South Carolina and Jinshan, China, along with Albemarle’s antioxidant product lines manufactured in Ningbo, China.

On October 8, 2013, we announced the expansion of our presence in the electronic materials market with the acquisition of Cambridge Chemical Company, Ltd. for consideration of approximately $3.6 million, effective October 1, 2013. Based in Cambridge, UK, Cambridge Chemical is a key technology player for producing high purity metal organic chemicals used in the laser market. Cambridge Chemical’s technology and products will further strengthen Albemarle’s offerings in the electronic market including LED, semiconductor, organic light-emitting diode and now laser. Albemarle will also benefit from a number of R&D and distribution synergies resulting from the acquisition.

On September 13, 2010, we announced the purchase of certain property and equipment in Yeosu, South Korea in connection with our plans for building a metallocene polyolefin catalyst and trimethyl gallium (“TMG”) manufacturing site. The total purchase price of the initial property and equipment acquired was approximately $10.2 million. The site will effectively mirror Albemarle’s world scale metallocene polyolefin catalyst and TMG capabilities located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Commercial production of metallocene polyolefin catalysts and co-catalysts began in July 2013 and commercial production of TMG began in September 2014.

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Employees

As of December 31, 2014, we had 3,625 employees of whom 1,830, or 50%, are employed in the U.S. and Latin America; 1,106, or 31%, are employed in Europe; 351, or 10%, are employed in Asia and 338, or 9%, are employed in the Middle East. Approximately 11% of our U.S. employees are unionized. We have bargaining agreements at two of our U.S. locations:

•	Baton Rouge, Louisiana—United Steel Workers (“USW”); and

•	Pasadena, Texas—USW; Sheet Metal Workers International Association; United Association of Journeymen & Apprentices of Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry; and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

We believe that we have good working relationships with these unions, and we have operated without a labor work stoppage at each of these locations for more than 20 years. Bargaining agreements expire at our Pasadena, Texas location in 2017 and our Baton Rouge, Louisiana location in 2019.

As of December 31, 2014, we had two works councils representing the majority of our European sites—Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Bergheim, Germany—covering approximately 900 employees. We believe that we have a generally good relationship with these councils and bargaining representatives.

Available Information

Our internet website address is http://www.albemarle.com. We make available free of charge through our website our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), as well as reports on Forms 3, 4 and 5 filed pursuant to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after such documents are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The information on our website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this report or incorporated into any other filings we make with the SEC. These reports may also be obtained at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy statements and other information regarding SEC registrants, including Albemarle.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and the charters of the Audit and Finance, Health, Safety and Environment, Executive Compensation, and Nominating and Governance Committees are also available on our website and are available in print to any shareholder upon request by writing to Investor Relations, 451 Florida Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70801, or by calling (225) 388-8011.