What ETS Group does

ETS Group (ГК ЕТС, also operating as UTS Group) is the largest chemical raw material and food ingredient distributor in Russia and the CIS, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Saint Petersburg. The company operates as a two-sided chemical distribution platform, sourcing from over 500 global and domestic manufacturers and supplying more than 8,000 industrial customers across roughly 18 product categories spanning construction chemicals, food ingredients, polyurethanes, coatings, composites, plastics and additives, solvents, oilfield chemicals, specialty and base chemicals, cosmetics and home care, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, and rubber chemistry. Revenue is generated primarily through transactional chemical distribution (purchase-and-resell with margin), supplemented by professional technical services delivered through a Scientific and Technical Center comprising 7 specialized laboratories (formulation development, testing, quality control), owned-brand products, and small-volume mixing and compounding production.

The business model is sales-led and asset-heavy in distribution infrastructure: ETS owns 15 branches across Russia and CIS countries plus 5 overseas sourcing offices in Shanghai, Vadodara, and Istanbul, supported by 12 modern warehouses totaling 45,000 sq.m. that enable same-day delivery to reliable partners. The company handles its own logistics, customs clearance, and transportation, and holds official/exclusive distribution rights for many foreign chemical suppliers across Russia and CIS — a structural advantage given current geopolitical constraints on Western chemical trade flows. Go-to-market combines direct field sales through branch networks, technical seminars, industry exhibitions (including CPHI Shanghai), and an internal "Expert System" knowledge base serving as customer-facing technical reference.

ETS reported FY2024 revenue of $559.4M USD, employs 825 people, and is ranked 18th in Europe and 42nd worldwide among chemical distributors by ICIS. The firm is privately held with no disclosed parent or institutional investor, and is ISO 9001:2015 certified (IMQ, Milan) and a participant in the international Responsible Care program. The privately-held status, founder-controlled ownership, and concentration of operations in Russia/CIS markets are the defining structural features of the company from an investor perspective.

Name

ETS Group

Legal name

ГК ЕТС (Группа Компаний ЕТС)

Website

https://utsrus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ETS Group (ГК ЕТС) is the largest chemical raw material and food ingredient distributor in Russia and the CIS, sourcing from over 500 manufacturers and serving more than 8,000 industrial customers across 18 product categories through 15 branches and a 12-warehouse logistics network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246), Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (42469)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Food-Grade Chemicals & Processing Aids Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ingredients, Spices & Culinary Supplies Distribution (CRAOABAK), Contract Warehousing, Blending & Distribution for Agrochemicals (bulk handling, IBC/drum management) (AFABAIAL), Compounding Ingredient & API Distributors (Pharma Supply) (HLAIAJAO)

Keywords

• Chemical distribution services
• Specialty chemicals supply
• Food ingredients distribution
• Industrial raw materials
• Chemical logistics solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Petersburg

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Chemical Distribution: Distribution of chemical products and food ingredients from over 500 global and Russian manufacturers to more than 8,000 customers across Russia and CIS countries. Operations include own logistics, customs clearance, warehousing, and production operations for mixing and compounding.
2. Technical Services: Laboratory services, formulation development, product testing, and technical consulting provided to customers through the Scientific and Technical Center
3. Own Brand Products: Products with optimal price-quality ratio sold under own trademark, manufactured at best facilities in Russia, Europe and Asia

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ETS Group is the largest chemical distributor in Russia and CIS, distributing chemical raw materials and food ingredients from over 500 global and domestic manufacturers to more than 8,000 customers. The company operates 15 branches across Russia and CIS plus 5 overseas offices in China, India, and Turkey, and provides integrated services including own logistics, customs clearance, 12 warehouses (45,000 sq.m.), 4 mixing and compounding facilities, and technical support through a Scientific and Technical Center with 7 laboratories.

Product overview

ETS Group (ГК ЕТС / UTS Group) operates as the market leader in chemical distribution across Russia and CIS countries, offering comprehensive supply of chemical raw materials and food ingredients from over 500 global and domestic manufacturers. The company provides a unified platform approach combining product distribution across 18+ categories including Composites, Coatings, Polyurethanes, Food Ingredients, Plastics, Construction Chemicals, and specialty chemicals, complemented by technical services including an R&D center with 7 laboratories, Expert System knowledge base, and formulation support. The company operates through 15 branches in Russia and CIS plus 5 overseas offices in China, Turkey, and India, serving over 8,000 customers with same-day delivery capabilities from 12 modern warehouses totaling 45,000 sq.m.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fibers and Textiles
• Composites
• Feed Additives
• Cosmetics and Home Care
• Oil and Gas Chemicals
• Food Ingredients
• Plastics and Additives
• Coatings
• Polyurethanes
• Solvents
• Rubber Chemistry
• Specialty and Base Chemicals
• Construction Chemicals
• Pharmaceuticals
• Pulp and Paper Chemistry
• Mining Chemistry
• Building Systems
• Export of Chemical Materials
• Scientific and Technical Center (R&D Labs)
• Expert System
• Wekcelo EK06 and EK07 Cellulose Ethers
• Enzymes
• Spices and Dried Vegetables

Quantifiable outcome

• ICIS ranking: 18th in Europe, 42nd globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Over 500 Global Chemical ManufacturerscoreTechnology or IntegrationETS Group serves as official distributor for most of its 500+ foreign suppliers, with exclusive rights for many chemical products in Russia and CIS countries. Suppliers include leading global chemical manufacturers from Europe, Asia, and other regions.
• HaishengminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerETS Group participated together with Haisheng in International Food Ingredients Show 2025 in Shanghai, indicating co-marketing and partnership relationship for food ingredients distribution.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Univar Solutions: Major North American and European chemical and ingredient distributor serving industrial, pharmaceutical, and food customers. Comparable in scale, product breadth, and value-added services model including formulation laboratories.
• IMCD: Global specialty chemical and food ingredients distributor with a strong technical-salesforce model. Closely comparable to ETS in providing formulation support and specialty distribution across food, personal care, pharma, and industrial end markets.
• Barentz: European specialty chemical and food ingredient distributor with operations across 60+ countries. Closely comparable to ETS in food ingredients, personal care, and pharma end markets, with strong emphasis on technical sales support.
• Azelis: Specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor with strong EMEA and APAC presence. Comparable to ETS in providing technical sales support, formulation development, and serving life sciences, personal care, and food end markets.
• Helm AG: Hamburg-based global chemical distributor with strong specialty products portfolio and own production/compounding capabilities. Comparable model of distributing industrial chemicals and specialty intermediates with integrated technical services.
• Biesterfeld: European specialty chemical distributor serving plastics, rubber, coatings, and life sciences markets. Comparable product portfolio, customer mix, and pan-European/CIS distribution model.
• Nordmann, Rassmann & Co. Hamburg-headquartered European chemical distributor with broad specialty product portfolio. Comparable mid-size European chemical distribution model with similar end-market breadth and exclusive supplier relationships.
• Safic-Alcan: French-headquartered specialty chemical distributor serving rubber, plastics, coatings, personal care, and pharma. Comparable in providing formulation support and serving industrial customers across multiple specialty end markets.

Regional players

• DKSH: Asia-Pacific focused market expansion services company for chemicals, food ingredients, and consumer goods. Comparable distribution model but geographically focused on Southeast Asia rather than Russia/CIS.

Broad incumbents

• Brenntag: Global #1 chemical distributor with full-line distribution of specialty and industrial chemicals across 70+ countries. Comparable to ETS in core chemical distribution business model, though operates at much greater scale and outside the Russia/CIS focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uts-group

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ETS Group