What Albert Kemperle does

Albert Kemperle, Inc., operating under the trade name Kemperle, is a privately held, third-generation family-owned distributor of automotive paint, body, and equipment products headquartered in Amityville, NY and founded in Brooklyn, NY in 1940 by Austrian immigrants Albert and Mary Kemperle. The company operates a network of more than 50 storefronts, training centers, and warehouses across the eastern United States, carrying thousands of name-brand items from major manufacturers including BASF, PPG Refinish, Axalta (and its brands Standox, Metalux, Cromax, Spies-Hecker, Nason), 3M, 3D Products, Norton Abrasives, SEM, SATA, Lord Corporation, House of Kolor, and RTI, alongside private-label products.

Kemperle serves six core end markets: automotive collision repair and refinishing (primary), commercial transportation and fleet coatings, industrial coatings, marine and protective coatings, architectural coatings, and aviation coatings. Customers access the company through walk-in retail storefronts, inside customer service representatives, a field force of territory sales and account managers serving collision centers and commercial accounts, and mobile training and demonstration vehicles that deliver on-site technical training. The company supplements product distribution with technical support, color-matching assistance, OEM certification and OSHA compliance support, customized shop audits, and waterborne-ready training programs delivered at dedicated facilities.

The business model is one-time product distribution: Kemperle generates revenue by reselling paints, coatings, body supplies, tools, and equipment at competitive prices through its physical network and direct sales force. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by product category, brand, and customer type. The company employs 501-1,000 people, has no parent company, has no external equity investors, and has remained under continuous family control across three generations. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, no public funding history, and no mergers or acquisitions on record.

Name

Albert Kemperle

Legal name

Albert Kemperle, Inc.

Website

https://kemperle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Albert Kemperle, Inc. (Kemperle) is a third-generation, family-owned distributor of automotive paint, body, and equipment products, operating 50+ storefronts, training centers, and warehouses across the eastern United States to serve collision repair shops, commercial fleets, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amityville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution: Kemperle generates revenue through the distribution of automotive paints, body equipment, and related supplies. The company sells thousands of name-brand items and private label products through its storefront network, serving both DIY consumers and professional/commercial customers. Revenue is generated through one-time product transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Albert Kemperle, Inc. is a professional distributor of automotive paint, body, and equipment products, operating through more than 50 storefronts and warehouses across the eastern United States. The company distributes thousands of name-brand items from manufacturers such as BASF, PPG, Axalta, and 3M alongside its own private label products, and supplements distribution with technical support, training, OEM certification, and OSHA compliance services.

Product overview

Albert Kemperle is a paint, body, and equipment distribution company operating as a single unified distribution platform rather than a modular software product. The core offering centers on automotive Paint, Body & Equipment distribution through over 50 storefronts and warehouses, supplemented by dedicated divisions for Commercial/Fleet Coatings, Industrial Paints & Coatings, Marine & Protective Coatings, Architectural Coatings, and Aviation Coatings. The company distinguishes itself through an integrated suite of services including Technical Support, Sales Support, Training Programs (both at training centers and via Mobile Training Vehicles), and OEM Certification & OSHA Compliance assistance. Kemperle distributes name-brand products from manufacturers such as Axalta, PPG, BASF, and 3M alongside its own private label products, positioning itself as a one-stop distributor offering both products and professional services to the collision repair and coatings industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Automotive Paint, Body & Equipment Distribution
• Commercial & Fleet Coatings
• Industrial Paints & Coatings
• Marine & Protective Coatings
• Architectural Coatings
• Aviation Coatings
• Technical Support Service
• Sales Support Service
• Training Programs
• Mobile Training & Demonstration Vehicles
• OEM Certification & OSHA Compliance Assistance

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BASFcoreOthersBASF is listed as a manufacturer support partner. Kemperle provides contact support and access to Safety & Technical Data Sheets for BASF automotive refinish products.
• PPG RefinishcoreOthersPPG Refinish is listed as a manufacturer support partner. Kemperle provides access to PaintManager Platform color support and Technical Data Sheets.
• Axalta (Standox, Metalux, Cromax, Spies-Hecker, Nason)coreOthersMultiple Axalta brands (Standox, Metalux, Cromax, Spies-Hecker, Nason) are listed as manufacturer support partners. Kemperle provides access to technical data sheets, safety data sheets, and contact support.
• 3McoreOthers3M is listed as a manufacturer support partner providing collision repair products. Kemperle provides access to technical and safety data sheets.
• 3D ProductsminorOthers3D Products is listed as a manufacturer support partner with contact support and technical data sheet access.
• Norton AbrasivesminorOthersNorton Abrasives is listed as a manufacturer support partner with contact support and safety data sheet access.
• SEM ProductsminorOthersSEM Products is listed as a manufacturer support partner with contact support and safety data sheet access.
• SATAminorOthersSATA is listed as a manufacturer support partner providing spray equipment. Kemperle provides access to operating instructions and safety data sheets.
• Lord CorporationminorOthersLord Corporation is listed as a manufacturer support partner with contact support and safety data sheet access.
• House of KolorminorOthersHouse of Kolor is featured as a manufacturer partner, likely providing custom paint and finishing products.
• RTIminorOthersRTI is featured as a manufacturer partner.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• FinishMaster (PPG): FinishMaster was the largest North American PBE distributor before being acquired by PPG. It directly competes with Kemperle in the same product category (automotive paints, body, equipment) serving collision repair shops, with a national footprint versus Kemperle's eastern-US focus. The most relevant direct peer for product overlap, customer base, and business model.
• Pacific Automotive Paint & Equipment: Pacific Automotive Paint is a regional PBE distributor serving collision repair shops. Comparable to Kemperle as another mid-sized regional player with a storefront-plus-warehouse operating model and brand-name manufacturer partnerships covering the same automotive coatings and equipment categories.
• Painters Supply & Equipment Co. Painters Supply & Equipment is a long-standing PBE distributor serving collision repair and refinish shops. Operates on the same 'physical storefronts + delivery + technical support' model as Kemperle, making it a closely comparable direct peer in the auto refinish distribution channel.

Broad incumbents

• LKQ Corporation: LKQ is a large diversified automotive parts distributor. Not a direct PBE peer but a relevant broad incumbent for how regional parts/accessories distributors evolve, scale, and pursue tuck-in M&A — a comparable reference point for Kemperle's roll-up trajectory.
• PPG Industries: PPG is both a Kemperle partner (PPG Refinish brand) and a PBE distributor via its FinishMaster subsidiary. Comparable as a broad incumbent that operates across paint manufacturing and distribution, partially overlapping Kemperle's channel and product portfolio.
• Axalta Coating Systems: Axalta is one of Kemperle's core manufacturer partners (Standox, Cromax, Spies-Hecker, Nason) and a global refinish coatings leader. Comparable because it competes with Kemperle in the broader coatings ecosystem and could at any time push direct distribution to large collision chains, bypassing independent distributors like Kemperle.
• BASF Coatings: BASF's automotive coatings division supplies refinish brands through Kemperle's network. Comparable as a global manufacturer/integrated supplier that competes for the same shop relationships and could shift to a more direct distribution approach.
• Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes: Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes is the collision-refinish arm of Sherwin-Williams, a top-tier paint manufacturer. It directly overlaps with Kemperle's product portfolio (refinish coatings, color tools, training) but operates from a manufacturer's vantage — making Kemperle both a customer and a competitor in the channels it serves.

Emerging players

• Genuine Parts Company (NAPA): NAPA Auto Parts (Genuine Parts Company) is a diversified auto parts distributor with growing presence in paint and refinish categories. Comparable in distribution operating mechanics and shop-account breadth, though PBE is only one of many product lines for NAPA.

Regional players

• Automotive Paints & Supply (regional independents): Independent regional PBE distributors like Automotive Paints & Supply operate the same storefront-plus-delivery model as Kemperle in discrete geographies. Comparable in size and channel mechanics, making them the closest direct peers for store-level economics and competitive overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Albert Kemperle