Olin Corporation kicked off back in the late 1800s as a blasting powder outfit founded by Franklin W. Olin in East Alton, Illinois, quickly expanding through smart mergers and buys to become a big player in chemicals and ammo. Today, they crank out essentials like chlorine, caustic soda, epoxies, vinyls, and Winchester ammunition for everything from water treatment to hunting and defense, operating worldwide with a focus on innovation and reliability. What's intriguing is how they've morphed from explosives for mining to a diversified giant snapping up Dow's chemical biz and even clay target makers.

These chemical champs mix in wokeness with hefty ESG reports preaching sustainability and green goals, because apparently even chlorine needs a eco-friendly glow-up. They've got DEI vibes through unconscious bias training and "people networks" for inclusion, a board sprinkled with diversity for that equity flavor, and policies banning discrimination on race and more—throw in community handouts and human rights pledges, and you've got a company that's all about blending progress with their powders.