Stepan Company is a  major manufacturer  of specialty and intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of industries. Stepan is a leading merchant producer of surfactants, which are the key ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning compounds. Manufacturers of detergents, shampoos, lotions, toothpastes, and cosmetics depend on surfactants to achieve the foaming and cleaning qualities of their products. Stepan also produces germicidal quaternary compounds. Stepan produces other specialty products which are often custom-made to meet individual needs. These include emulsifiers which facilitate spreading of agriculture products, and lubricant and cutting-oil ingredients. The company is also a principal supplier of phthalic anhydride, a commodity chemical intermediate which is used in polyester resins, alkyd resins and plasticizers. Polyurethane polyols and foam systems sold by the company are used in the expanding thermal insulation market primarily by the construction and refrigeration industries. Headquartered in Northfield, Illinois, Stepan utilizes a network of modern production facilities located in North and South America, Europe, and the Philippines.