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DDW, The Color House (D.D. Williamson) was a global, privately held corporation providing caramel color, burnt sugar and natural colorings for the food and beverage industry, before being acquired in 2021 by Givaudan. In 1865, Dutch immigrant Douw Ditmars Williamson founded D.D. Williamson in New York to manufacture burnt sugars for the brewing industry. The caramel industry moved into coloring cola and many other foods following Prohibition and the Great Depression.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, DDW had nine manufacturing sites for naturally derived coloring on five continents with customers in 100 countries. DDW's first international manufacturing facility was founded in Little Island, Cork.

In 2013, DD Williamson acquired Dupont's Danisco line of natural coloring in yellow, orange and brown hues.

In April 2003, an explosion at the Louisville plant exploded killing one operator and releasing 26,000 pounds of aqua ammonia. In November 2024, the Givaudan Sense Color (formerly D.D. Williamson) factory in Louisville exploded, killing two people.

References

1. Jacobs, Megan (8 December 2021). "Acquisition Complete: DDW Joins Givaudan - Givaudan Sense Colour". Retrieved 12 November 2024.
2. Wolfe, Bill (3 April 2008). "Williamson shares recipe for success". The Courier-Journal. Louisville: Gannett.
3. Kamuf, William; Nixon, Alexander; Parker, Owen (2000), "Caramel Color", in Lauro, Gabriel J.; Francis, F. Jack (eds.), Natural Food Colorants, IFT Basic Symposium Series, vol. 5, New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., pp. 253–272, ISBN 0-8247-0421-5
4. "Locations". D.D. Williamson. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
5. Cadogan, Stephen (2003-11-27). "D D Williamson serve up 25 years of ingredients". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
6. "DDW Acquires DUPONT™ DANISCO® Food Colorings" (Press release). DD Williamson. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
7. "D.D. Williamson & Co. Catastrophic Vessel Failure". www.csb.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
8. "2 dead in plant explosion in Louisville's Clifton area that damaged homes, businesses". WDRB. 2024-11-13. Retrieved 2024-11-13.

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