What Kolmar does

Kolmar Group is a privately held Swiss-headquartered (Zug) industrial company operating across chemical distribution and renewable fuels, founded in 1997 with 251–500 employees. It is ranked among the top five chemical distributors in North America, alongside Univar Solutions, Brenntag, Tricon Energy, and Azelis — a peer set collectively capturing approximately 54% of the regional market in 2023, within a market projected to grow from $315.7B (2024) to $472.4B (2029). Distribution is conducted through a horizontal B2B model targeting industrial chemical buyers, with demand drivers cited as infrastructure development and nearshoring trends.

Through its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary Kolmar Americas, the group owns American GreenFuels — acquired in 2016 — which operates the East Coast's largest biodiesel plant in New Haven, Connecticut. Capacity at the New Haven facility was quadrupled from 15 million to nearly 60 million gallons per year between 2016 and 2025, exposing the group to state blending mandates and federal renewable fuel incentives. Kolmar Americas settled a Clean Air Act matter for $143,000 covering 2020–2022 violations, the only disclosed regulatory action.

A separate wholly owned subsidiary, Kolmar Holdings, operates in K-beauty R&D and contract manufacturing and launched an AI platform on January 26, 2026, designed to accelerate beauty product development cycles. No revenue figures, pricing models, or customer concentration data are publicly disclosed across any segment.

Name

Kolmar

Website

https://kolmargroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Distribution & Renewable Fuels

NAICS

Petroleum Refineries (32411), Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (324), Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (424710)

SIC

Petroleum Refining (2911), Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172), Fats & Oils (2070)

akta.pro primary industry

Biofuel Plant EPC, O&M & Process Technology Providers (EUAAAHAK)

Keywords

• Chemical distribution
• Biodiesel production
• Renewable fuels
• Petrochemicals trading
• Petroleum products

Headquarters

HQ city

Zug

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Kolmar Group is an oil, energy and chemical company that distributes chemicals, petrochemicals and petroleum products across North America and produces renewable fuels. Through Kolmar Americas it owns American GreenFuels, the East Coast's largest biodiesel producer at nearly 60 million gallons per year, and through Kolmar Holdings it operates in K-beauty R&D.

Product overview

Kolmar Group is a major chemical distribution company and one of the top five distributors in the North American market. The company operates across two primary segments: chemical distribution services (through Kolmar Group) and biofuels production (through Kolmar Americas with American GreenFuels). Additionally, Kolmar Holdings has launched an AI platform for beauty R&D. These products operate as distinct business units under the broader Kolmar corporate umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chemical Distribution Services Distribution of chemicals, petrochemicals and petroleum products to industrial manufacturers and businesses across North America; positioned among the top five chemical distributors in the region.
• American GreenFuels Biodiesel Biodiesel and renewable fuel produced at the New Haven, Connecticut plant, the East Coast's largest biodiesel facility producing nearly 60 million gallons per year, serving state blending mandates and federal tax-incentive markets.
• AI Platform for Beauty R&D An AI-powered platform launched by Kolmar Holdings (K-beauty subsidiary) that accelerates the beauty research and development process, enabling faster product development cycles for cosmetics.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Tricon Energy: Named alongside Kolmar as one of the top five chemical distributors in North America. Direct competitor in petrochemical and bulk commodity distribution to industrial buyers.
• ICC Chemical Corporation: Mid-sized chemical distributor serving North American industrial customers with a comparable horizontal distribution model. Direct overlap with Kolmar's chemical distribution segment in customer base and product categories.
• Azelis: Specialty chemicals distributor and named Kolmar peer within the top-five North American cohort. Both compete for industrial chemical distribution share and operate via horizontal segmentation with regional service hubs.
• Univar Solutions: One of the largest chemical distributors in North America and a named peer to Kolmar in the top-five cohort (alongside Brenntag, Tricon Energy, and Azelis). Both companies serve industrial chemical buyers across NA with a similar horizontal distribution model and product breadth.
• Brenntag: Global market leader in chemical distribution and explicitly named alongside Kolmar as one of the top five North American distributors. Comparable horizontal model, multi-product portfolio, and end-market exposure across industrial chemicals.
• World Energy: North American biodiesel and renewable fuels producer operating large-scale facilities. Direct competitor to American GreenFuels in the renewable diesel/biodiesel blending market, particularly relevant for East Coast and Northeast supply.

Broad incumbents

• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Diversified agricultural processor with biodiesel production capacity. Comparable in the renewable fuels segment while also being a potential feedstock supplier and customer overlap in the broader agricultural chemicals and biofuel value chain.
• Neste: Global leader in renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel with megascale production. Competes in the broader renewable fuels market that Kolmar's American GreenFuels serves, though at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Emerging players

• Darling Ingredients: Rendering and specialty ingredients company that supplies fats/oils feedstocks for biodiesel and renewable diesel production. Tangentially comparable as an upstream input provider into the same renewable fuels value chain in which American GreenFuels operates.

Regional players

• Maroon Group (now part of Barentz): Specialty chemical distributor in North America, acquired by Barentz. Overlaps with Kolmar's chemical distribution business in serving industrial customers with specialty and commodity chemicals, particularly across North American markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 Kolmar