[4] Chaim Weizmann joined the company in 1905 as a part-time research consultant, leaving in 1908 to pursue an academic career.
On 1 May 1911, the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle (later known as CIBA), took control of the company and in 1913 Charles Dreyfus resigned.
[3] The outbreak of war with Germany in 1914 led to lucrative contracts for the company including the production of 1,500 tons of TNT.
The sites facilities were expanded considerably during the war including the construction of a new azo dyes plant (building 183) in 1918.
TNT manufacture at the plant ceased following a series of accidents at other explosives factories such as those at Silvertown and Ashton-under-Lyne.
In 1940, a new Ministry of Supply factory (building 300) was constructed adjacent to the site for the manufacture of explosives additive Centralite I.
The company also gained an important contract to manufacture monomethylaniline used as an antiknock agent in high octane aviation fuel.
On 5 October 1942, a near catastrophe befell the site when an ethylation autoclave caught fire, which threatened the adjacent phosgenation unit.
Department manager Eric Shaw risked his life to disconnect and remove to safety gas cylinders filled with phosgene, that were in danger of exploding.
The company also began the removal of a chemical spoil heap nicknamed the “mucky mountain”, which was left behind by a soda ash manufacturer that previously occupied the site.
The combined group retained a majority shareholding in the Clayton Aniline Company with Sandoz holding the remaining 25% of the equity.
CAC was allowed to continue as a separate subsidiary under the chairmanship of Sir Arthur Vere Harvey.