Reagent Chemical & Research

What Reagent Chemical & Research does

Reagent Chemical & Research is a privately held, infrastructure-enabled specialty logistics platform specializing in hydrochloric acid (HCl), founded in 1959 and headquartered in Ringoes, New Jersey. The company is the #1 distributor of HCl in North America and operates more than 3,000 rubber-lined railcars — the largest HCl rail fleet on the continent — supported by hundreds of tractors and trailers and over 45 strategically located terminal and storage facilities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It functions as a critical intermediary between by-product HCl producers (chemical manufacturers for whom HCl is a non-core output) and industrial end-users in water treatment, food production, steel processing, energy production, and chemical manufacturing.

The company's product portfolio is anchored on HCl and expanded into sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) in both diaphragm and membrane grades. Supporting services include strategically located quality assurance laboratories, a proprietary Tank Telemetry System that monitors inventory at producer and customer sites in real time, and a 24/7/365 centralized dispatch and emergency response operation. Reagent also operates in-house railcar repair and rubber-lining facilities, internalizing critical maintenance for its specialized fleet.

Reagent generates revenue primarily through transaction-fee-based chemical distribution under multi-year contracts, with quote-based pricing negotiated through a direct, geographically dispersed B2B sales team. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct-to-customer, with customers placing orders via a dedicated phone line (1-800-231-1807) or by contacting local sales representatives. The company is privately held, appears to have been organically grown since founding without disclosed institutional investment, and currently employs between 501 and 1,000 people across the United States.

Name

Reagent Chemical & Research

Legal name

Reagent Chemical & Research, Inc.

Website

https://reagentchemical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Reagent Chemical & Research is the #1 hydrochloric acid distributor in North America, operating a purpose-built logistics platform of 3,000+ railcars and 45+ terminals to supply HCl and caustic soda to water treatment, food, steel, energy, and chemical manufacturing customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemical Distribution

NAICS

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

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical Tank Farms & Bulk Liquid Chemical Storage (TLALAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chemical Drum, IBC & Packaged Chemical Warehousing (TLALAHAI), Liquid Bulk Chemical & Petrochemical Terminals (Base Chemicals, Solvents) (TLAHABAI), Chlor-Alkali & Derivatives (IMAEAAAC)

Keywords

• Hydrochloric acid distribution
• Specialty chemical logistics
• Sodium hydroxide supply
• Industrial chemical marketing
• Bulk chemical transportation

Headquarters

HQ city

Ringoes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HCl Distribution and Marketing: Reagent markets hydrochloric acid produced from by-product and burner producers to industrial customers. The company serves as a critical intermediary between suppliers who produce HCl as a byproduct and customers who use it as a critical input in water treatment and industrial applications. Revenue is generated through long-term contracts and ongoing supply relationships.
2. NaOH (Caustic Soda) Distribution: Reagent also markets sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) in both diaphragm and membrane grades to customers in soaps, detergents, pulp and paper, water treatment, and textiles industries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Reagent Chemical & Research markets and distributes hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH, caustic soda) to industrial end-users across North America. The company functions as a critical intermediary that purchases HCl produced as a byproduct from chemical manufacturers and delivers it via its owned fleet of railcars, tractors, trailers, and pipeline/terminal network to customers in water treatment, food processing, steel processing, energy, and chemical manufacturing.

Product overview

Reagent Chemical & Research operates as an infrastructure-enabled specialty logistics platform for hydrochloric acid (HCl) and related products. The company's core offerings consist of two primary chemical products: Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), which are marketed through an extensive logistics network. These products are supported by a suite of support services including Quality Assurance Laboratories, Tank Telemetry Systems, and 24/7 Emergency Response & Dispatch services. The company differentiates itself through owned infrastructure including over 3,000 HCl rubber-lined railcars (the largest HCl fleet in North America), hundreds of tractors and trailers, and over 45 strategically located facilities nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
• Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH / Caustic Soda) Inorganic compound (lye/caustic soda) used in manufacturing of soaps and detergents, pulp and paper, water treatment, and textiles. Reagent markets both diaphragm and membrane grades of caustic soda.
• Quality Assurance Laboratory Services Multiple QA laboratories strategically located across the United States that utilize industry standard procedures to routinely test product, with results shared with customers and suppliers.
• Tank Telemetry Monitoring Service Automated monitoring service for producers' and customers' nationwide HCl inventory that alerts Reagent's Dispatch Center of inventory levels and refill needs.
• 24/7 Emergency Response and Dispatch Centralized team of customer service and dispatch professionals that coordinate product deliveries and emergency response needs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10 million safe miles logged by drivers each year
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ICC Chemical Corporation: Global chemical distributor with strong acids and specialty chemicals portfolio serving industrial and specialty customers. Comparable B2B chemical distribution focus.
• Hawkins, Inc. US chemical distributor specializing in bulk industrial chemicals including acids and caustics, with water treatment as a key end market. Closely comparable customer overlap and product mix to Reagent.
• Univar Solutions: Large North American chemical distributor with broad inorganic and specialty chemical portfolio, including HCl and NaOH, serving industrial customers. Comparable as a B2B chemical distribution platform though Reagent is HCl-specialized.
• Brenntag: Global chemical distribution leader with significant North American operations handling industrial acids, bases, and specialty chemicals. Comparable business model and customer base to Reagent, though much broader in scope.
• Tricon Energy: Specialty chemical distribution and trading company handling bulk and packaged industrial chemicals including acids and solvents across multiple geographies. Comparable distribution and trading model.
• Hydrite Chemical: US-based specialty chemical manufacturer and distributor serving food, water treatment, and industrial customers with acids, caustics, and formulated products. Comparable vertical-focused chemical distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Westlake Corporation: Major chlor-alkali and vinyls producer in North America with significant HCl output. Compares as upstream incumbent and large integrated chemical producer with potential direct distribution capability.
• Occidental Petroleum (OxyChem): Through OxyChem, one of the largest North American chlor-alkali and HCl producers. Comparable as an upstream incumbent whose byproduct HCl supply strategy directly affects Reagent.
• Dow Chemical: Integrated chemical major producing chlor-alkali derivatives and HCl as a byproduct. Comparable as a large-scale incumbent with internal logistics that could compete with or supply Reagent.
• Olin Corporation: Largest North American chlor-alkali producer and a major merchant HCl producer. Compares as the upstream incumbent whose byproduct HCl Reagent markets; also a potential competitor if it expands direct distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Reagent Chemical & Research