ICC Industries Inc. serves as a holding company active in trading, distribution, marketing and manufacturing in a variety of industries, primarily specialty chemicals, plastics and related products.
As a one-person trading activity in New York City, ICC’s origins date back to Central Europe during the early part of the twentieth century, when, shortly after World War I, Eugene Farber founded The United Factory for Varnishes and Paints, in his home town of Timisoara, Romania. The company was nationalized after the Second World War, and Eugene and his family left Romania.
Eugene’s son, John Farber, who was at the time a young chemist, made his way first to the newly formed State of Israel, and then to New York City, to pursue his doctorate in polymer chemistry. There, he joined his father-in-law, Leslie Kleyman, at his textiles export-import business, and began sourcing chemicals and selling into the European market.
Ultimately, the family’s former factory in Romania, now known as Azur, was privatized and a controlling interest was sold to ICC in the 1990s.