Superior

What Superior does

Superior Industrial Solutions, Inc. (operating as "Superior" / "Rely on Superior") is a privately held, employee-owned (ESOP since 2008) chemical and composite products distributor and services provider headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, founded in 1932. The company operates 8 full-service facilities across Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri, South Carolina, Ohio, and Kentucky, supported by a company-owned transportation fleet and a non-commissioned consultative sales force backed by degreed chemists and environmental compliance specialists.

The company's core offering spans three product lines — Chemicals & Solvents (a catalog of 2,700+ products including aromatics, aliphatics, ketones, esters, alcohols, glycol ethers, glycols, amines, rust preventives, surfactants, plasticizers, chlorinated solvents, heat transfer fluids, printing blends, and aqueous cleaners), Composites & Fiberglass Materials (rovings, thermoset and thermoplastic resins, gelcoats, catalysts, fillers, pigments), and Recycling & Waste Management — together with value-added services: custom manufacturing with full distillation capability, toll blending using customer formulas with packaging and labeling, R&D, inventory management with tank telemetry, solvent recycling (90% recovery rate, 4.5 million gallons of hazardous waste processed annually at a Part B-permitted TSDF), and haz/non-haz waste disposal. Proprietary brands include SUPERCOOL, SUPERCHILL, and SUPERTHERM heat transfer fluids and an acetone-replacement portfolio of 10+ formulations with higher flash points and non-hazardous waste profiles.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sale of chemical and composite products (quote-based, with bulk/volume discounts, no minimum orders), recurring solvent recycling contracts, and professional services (custom manufacturing, toll blending, R&D, waste disposal). Pricing is non-public; lead times range from same-day to two weeks. Certification footprint includes ISO 9001:2015, products certified to ISO 14001, and ACD Responsible Distribution verification valid through May 2027. Primary end markets are paints and coatings, automotive, printing, plastics, composites/marine, and infrastructure, with supporting demand from pharmaceuticals and industrial maintenance, served via direct enterprise field sales — no third-party channel partners or ecommerce.

Name

Superior

Legal name

Superior Industrial Solutions, Inc.

Website

https://relyonsuperior.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Superior is a private, employee-owned (ESOP) chemical and composite products distributor and services provider founded in 1932, operating 8 US facilities to supply 2,700+ chemical products, composites materials, custom manufacturing, toll blending, solvent recycling, and hazardous waste disposal to industrial customers in coatings, automotive, printing, plastics, and composites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical & Solvent Product Sales: Sale of chemical raw materials, high-performance solvent formulations, cleaners, and specialty blends from catalog of 2,700+ products
2. Composite Materials Sales: Sale of fiberglass reinforcements, resins, gel coats, catalysts, fillers, pigments for composites industry
3. Custom Manufacturing & Toll Blending: Production flexibility with full distillation capabilities for flammable solvents, water-based products, liquid resins; toll blending using customer formulas with packaging and labeling
4. Waste Disposal Services: Processing of hazardous and non-hazardous waste at Part B-permitted treatment storage and disposal facility
5. Solvent Recycling: Recovery and recycling of spent solvents; 90% recovery rate with 45% returned to market as recycled product; eco-friendly waste reuse solutions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Superior distributes industrial chemicals and solvents (over 2,700 products), composite and fiberglass materials, and provides value-added services including custom manufacturing, toll blending, R&D, solvent recycling, and hazardous waste disposal. The company serves industrial customers with non-commissioned consultative sales, degreed chemist support, and company-owned delivery fleet for same-day delivery.

Product overview

Superior is a chemical and composite products distributor offering three distinct product lines—Chemicals & Solvents, Composites & Fiberglass Materials, and Recycling & Waste Management—along with value-added services. The Chemicals & Solvents line includes over 2,700 products spanning aromatics, aliphatics, ketones, esters, alcohols, glycol ethers, glycols, amines, rust preventives, surfactants, plasticizers, chlorinated solvents, heat transfer blends (SUPERCOOL, SUPERCHILL, SUPERTHERM), printing blends, and aqueous cleaners. The Composites line encompasses fiberglass reinforcements (rovings, chopped strands, roll goods), thermoset resins (closed mold, corrosion, fire retardant, marine, pultrusion grades), gelcoats (GP, NPG, NPG Marble, NPG Marine, VE Tooling), thermoplastic resins, and acetone replacements. Services include Custom Manufacturing with full distillation capabilities, Toll Blending, Research & Development, Inventory Management, Solvent Recycling (90% recovery rate), and Haz/Non-Haz Waste Disposal (managing 4.5 million gallons annually). A digital Glycol Dilution Calculator tool supports heat transfer fluid calculations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chemicals & Solvents Chemical raw materials and high-performance solvent formulations sold to industrial manufacturers, including aromatics, aliphatics, ketones, esters, alcohols, glycol ethers, glycols, amines, rust preventives, surfactants, plasticizers, and chlorinated solvents.
• Composites & Fiberglass Materials Fiberglass reinforcements, thermoset and thermoplastic resins, gel coats, catalysts, fillers, and pigments sold to composites manufacturers serving marine, cast polymer, and general composites applications.
• Heat Transfer Fluids (SUPERCOOL, SUPERCHILL, SUPERTHERM) Proprietary inhibited glycol and ethanol-based heat transfer fluids including SUPERCOOL (inhibited ethylene glycol), SUPERCHILL (inhibited NSF Food Grade propylene glycol), SUPERTHERM (inhibited propylene glycol), Super Geotherm, and fire suppression antifreezes for chiller and HVAC systems.
• Acetone Replacement Products Non-hazardous acetone replacement solvents including S-280 Super Flush, B-2000, B-2001, Liquid Green LF, Super Blue, Uni-strip, and DBE formulations offering higher flash points, non-hazardous waste profiles, and a documented 6:1 usage ratio advantage over acetone for composites and industrial cleaning.
• Superclean Industrial Cleaners Water-based aqueous cleaners including citrus, metal, anilox, and phosphate-based products such as Superclean 105-130 series, EC-502/EC-510 citrus cleaners, and Superclean 3000 series for industrial maintenance cleaning.
• Custom Manufacturing Custom chemical manufacturing service for industrial customers using full distillation capabilities for flammable solvents, water-based products, liquid resins, and temperature-controlled products.
• Toll Blending Contract manufacturing service where Superior's degreed chemists blend products using customer formulas, with full-service packaging and labeling included.
• Research & Development Research and development services managed by expert staff through every phase of the technical process, developing chemical solutions that add value to customer operations.
• Solvent Recycling Environmentally safe recovery of 90% of customers' spent solvents with the ability to return 45% of recycled solvent back to the market as reusable product.
• Haz & Non-Haz Waste Disposal Processing of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in compliance with government and environmental regulations at a Part B-permitted treatment storage and disposal facility, managing 4.5 million gallons of hazardous waste annually.
• Inventory Management Supply chain efficiency services including tank telemetry, on-site visits, and delivery from dedicated fleet and local stock for industrial chemical customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recycles 90% of customers' spent solvents, with 45% returned to use
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD)coreOthersCommitted to NACD Responsible Distribution Management System; verified through May 2027; demonstrates commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability practices
• ACD Responsible DistributioncoreOthersACD Responsible Distribution verification demonstrating environmental, health, safety and security practices; certificate valid through May 2027
• IACMI - The Composites InstituteminorOthersListed as partner/logo on About page indicating membership in composites industry institute
• ICPAminorOthersListed as partner/logo on About page indicating membership in industry association
• ACMEminorOthersListed as partner/logo on About page
• EcovadisminorOthersEcovadis sustainability recognition badge displayed on About page

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NewMarket Corporation: Petroleum additives leader serving lubricant and fuel customers. Adjacent comparison to Superior's automotive chemicals, rust preventives, and industrial cleaners in similar heavy-industrial channels.
• Univar Solutions: One of the largest North American chemical distributors, offering specialty and industrial chemicals, ingredients, and waste services. Directly comparable as a broad-line competitor in the same distribution channels, though vastly larger and more geographically diversified than Superior.
• Brenntag: Global market leader in chemical distribution with deep specialty chemicals and value-added services portfolio. Overlaps with Superior in industrial solvents, composites inputs, and custom blending, but operates at a global rather than regional scale.
• IMCD N.V. Leading global specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor with strong formulation and technical sales capabilities. Comparable to Superior's specialty additives and composites/chemical distribution but with a global rather than US footprint.
• Quaker Houghton: Global supplier of industrial process fluids, metalworking fluids, and specialty chemistries. Overlaps with Superior's heat transfer fluids, rust preventives, and industrial cleaners, with comparable technical sales coverage of metalworking customers.
• Stepan Company: Manufacturer of specialty surfactants, polymers, and performance chemicals for cleaning, personal care, and industrial markets. Comparable to Superior's specialty surfactants and formulated cleaners, though Stepan is a primary manufacturer rather than a distributor.
• PolyOne / Avient Corporation: Major specialty polymer formulator and distributor with composite materials, colorants, and additives. Directly comparable to Superior's composites line (fiberglass, gelcoats, resins) at far greater scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Ecolab: Global leader in water, hygiene, and infection-prevention chemicals serving industrial and institutional customers. Comparable to Superior's industrial cleaning line and aqueous cleaners, though Ecolab operates at vastly larger scale with a direct field-sales model.

Direct peers

• Hawkins, Inc. US-based chemical distributor and custom blender serving water treatment, industrial, and food/pharma end markets. Closely comparable to Superior in blending services, specialty formulation, and a regional-warehouse distribution model.
• Riverbend Industries (HB Chemical / Tiarco Chemical): US-focused specialty chemical distributor and formulator with custom blending and toll manufacturing services. Closely comparable in size, scope, and service model to Superior's Midwest-anchored specialty distribution business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/relyonsuperior
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/superior-oil-company-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Superior