Business Description

Information Ascent Industries Co. (“Ascent” or the “Company”) is a specialty chemicals platform delivering differentiated, performance-driven chemical solutions to a diverse set of end markets. The Company develops, manufactures, and supplies tailored formulations and intermediates that enhance product performance and optimize industrial processes. Ascent operates three production facilities located in Cleveland, Tennessee; Fountain Inn, South Carolina; and Danville, Virginia. These facilities support customers across energy, household, industrial and institutional (“HII”), personal care, coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (“CASE”), agriculture, water treatment, pulp and paper, construction, automotive, and other industrial markets. The Company’s core product portfolio includes surfactants, defoamers, lubricating agents, flame retardants, and specialty intermediates, offered in both petroleum-based and bio-based formulations. Ascent’s products are used as critical ingredients and process aids in applications such as cleaning formulations, coatings systems, oilfield production chemicals, agrochemical formulations, metalworking fluids, water treatment solutions, and industrial textiles. Beyond its product portfolio, Ascent provides comprehensive custom manufacturing services spanning product development, process optimization, scale-up, and commercial production. The Company operates both customer-dedicated assets and flexible multi-purpose manufacturing systems capable of blending, complex reaction chemistry, and multi-step processing. This flexible operating model enables customers to accelerate commercialization while avoiding the capital investment and operational complexity of building and maintaining their own manufacturing infrastructure. The Company has one reportable segment: Specialty Chemicals. The Company was incorporated in 1958 as the successor to a chemical manufacturing business founded in 1945 known as Blackman Uhler Industries, Inc. The Company's common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market - ticker symbol "ACNT". For additional information about the Company’s performance and financial condition, see Item 7 , “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, of this Annual Report. Our Strategy In 2025, the Company introduced its Chemicals-as-a-Service (“CaaS”) strategy, focused on building a differentiated specialty chemicals platform that solves customer problems across the value chain. Rather than competing solely on products or manufacturing capacity, the Company offers an integrated suite of services that includes formulation development, reaction capabilities, blending and packaging, logistics, regulatory support, and delivery. The CaaS strategy is designed to create value at critical points in the customer relationship—where performance, reliability, and execution matter most. Management believes these “moments that matter” are where long-term customer relationships are established through consistent delivery and problem-solving rather than price or availability alone. The Company’s strategy is organized around four core pillars: • Discovery & Development : Accelerating speed to solution through collaborative formulation, application, and process development • Commercial & Contracting: Simplifying how customers engage with the Company through responsive and flexible commercial structures • Manufacturing and Fulfillment: Delivering consistent, reliable, and efficient production and supply • Service & Lifecycle Support: Providing technical, regulatory, and operational support throughout the product lifecycle The Company operates an agile business model designed to serve customers in the manner they require, including when, where, and how products and services are developed, manufactured, and delivered. Management believes this flexibility enhances customer satisfaction, supports long-term relationships, and enables sustainable growth. 3 Table of Contents Sales. Marketing and Supply Chain The Company markets and sells its products primarily through a combination of inside and outside sales representatives supported by technical, operational, and commercial resources. Sales and marketing efforts are organized around markets and applications to align customer opportunities with the Company’s specialized asset base and drive synergistic, capital-efficient growth.…