What Groupe Somavrac does

Groupe Somavrac is a privately held Quebec-based industrial logistics and chemical distribution company headquartered in Trois-Rivières, operating since 1963 across 12 divisions and 17 specialized sites with more than 500 specialists. The company delivers an integrated multi-modal logistics stack spanning maritime, rail, and road access points, with service lines covering stevedoring (arrimage), warehousing (entreposage), handling and transformation (manutention et transformation), transportation (Transport Somavrac, Transport Servitank, Transport O.S.I.), and chemical distribution (UBA, Somavrac C.C., Chloretec, Kencro, JBF). Its commercial model is predominantly B2B sales-led, targeting mining, agricultural, pulp and paper, aluminum, cement, chemical, water treatment, automotive, agri-food, textile, and pool/spa sector clients across Quebec, Ontario, the Maritimes, and the Northeastern US, with a direct-to-customer Somavrac C.C. fleet serving 1,100+ Quebec municipalities for dust suppression and de-icing.

The underlying technology is largely physical infrastructure (terminals, bulk tanks, specialized transport fleet, the Beauharnois Chloretec manufacturing plant) augmented by ISAAC telematics and E-Log compliance across transport subsidiaries, RD-21 certified chemical delivery with motor-driven pumps, UBA on-site bulk storage tank design and installation tied to customer manufacturing processes, and proprietary branded specialty chemicals (Xtra85, Peladow, Xtragrip, Liquidow, Bleu-Fuzion, Mistral, PM-65, Iron Dust & Melt, Javelo sodium hypochlorite, UBAse, Magri-1000, Briners Choice, Bioguard). Revenue is generated through a mix of professional services fees (stevedoring, warehousing, handling, turnkey spreading application) and transactional product sales plus freight fees for dangerous-goods transport; UBA also offers private labeling, toll manufacturing, and custom packaging for national distributors. The company holds RD-21 (founding RDC member), C-TPAT, BNQ (Xtra85), Green Marine, and TMD classes 2-3-4-5-8-9 certifications.

In January 2026, the Paquin family sold Groupe Somavrac to a consortium led by Instar Asset Management Inc. with Investissement Québec and Fonds de solidarité FTQ, ending six decades of family ownership while preserving all 500+ jobs; Marc Paquin remained as President and CEO during a transition period.

Name

Groupe Somavrac

Legal name

Groupe Somavrac inc.

Website

https://groupesomavrac.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Groupe Somavrac is a Quebec-based industrial logistics and chemical distribution company operating 12 divisions across 17 specialized sites, providing multi-modal stevedoring, warehousing, handling, transport, and chemical distribution to mining, pulp and paper, aluminum, water treatment, and municipal clients across Canada and the Northeastern US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Logistics Services

NAICS

General Warehousing and Storage (493110), Warehousing and Storage (4931), Waste Collection (5621), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Refuse Systems (4953), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical Drum, IBC & Packaged Chemical Warehousing (TLALAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Toxic & Poisonous Substances Storage (Class 6) (TLALAHAD), Hazardous Waste Storage & Consolidation Facilities (RCRA/TSDF Staging) (TLALAHAK)

Keywords

• Bulk logistics services
• Multi-modal transport
• Chemical distribution
• Industrial warehousing
• Stevedoring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Trois-rivières

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices7 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. Logistics and Handling Services: Groupe Somavrac generates revenue through comprehensive logistics services including stevedoring (arrimage), warehousing (entreposage), handling and transformation (manutention et transformation), and transport. These services are delivered across maritime, rail, and road modes through 12 divisions to industrial clients in mining, agricultural, pulp and paper, aluminum, cement, chemical, and water treatment sectors.
2. Chemical Distribution: UBA and Somavrac C.C. subsidiaries distribute a wide range of industrial chemicals (acids, bases, chlorides, peroxides, glycols) in bulk, partial bulk, and packaged formats. Revenue is generated through product sales, private labeling, toll manufacturing, custom packaging, and tank installation services. Subsidiaries include UBA (Ontario-based chemical distributor), Chloretec (Javelo sodium hypochlorite), Somavrac C.C. (calcium chloride de-icers and dust suppressants), and Kencro Chemicals.
3. Specialized Transportation: Transport Somavrac, Transport Servitank, and Transport O.S.I. provide bulk liquid and solid tank transport of hazardous and non-regulated materials across Quebec, Ontario, Eastern Canada, and the Northeastern US. Revenue is generated through freight fees for dangerous goods transport with 24/7 dispatch coordination.
4. Turnkey Application Services: Somavrac C.C. provides turnkey dust suppressant spreading and liquid de-icing treatment services using its fleet of specialized spreader trucks across Quebec municipalities, mining sites, and construction worksites, generating service fees in addition to product revenue.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Groupe Somavrac is a Quebec-based multi-modal logistics and chemical distribution company that operates 12 divisions across 17 specialized sites. It provides end-to-end bulk goods handling including stevedoring, warehousing, handling/transformation, transportation, and chemical distribution, supported by maritime, rail, and road access. It manufactures and distributes calcium chloride-based dust suppressants and de-icers (Xtra85, Peladow, Liquidow, Xtragrip), sodium hypochlorite (Javelo), and a wide range of industrial chemicals to industrial clients and municipalities.

Product overview

Groupe Somavrac is a Quebec-based infrastructure company founded in 1963 operating as a strategic partner in logistics and supply chain management. The company operates through 12 divisions and 17 specialized sites offering five core services: Stevedoring (Arrimage), Warehousing (Entreposage), Handling and Transformation (Manutention et transformation), Transportation (Transport), and Chemical Distribution. The chemical distribution business is primarily delivered through two subsidiaries: UBA handles general chemical distribution including acids, bases, peroxides, and chlorides for industrial applications; while Somavrac C.C. specializes in calcium chloride-based products (Xtra85, Peladow, Liquidow, Xtragrip, Bleu-Fuzion, Mistral, Iron Dust & Melt, PM-65) for dust suppression, de-icing, and specialized industrial applications. Transportation services are delivered through Transport Somavrac, Transport Servitank, and Transport O.S.I. (Kencro Chemicals) subsidiaries, handling dangerous goods across Quebec, Ontario, and northeastern United States. The company was acquired by a consortium led by Instar Asset Management in January 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Somavrac: Core stevedoring and bulk goods handling subsidiary
• Servichem
• Servitank
• Fonbrai
• UBA
• Chloretec
• Porlier Express
• Somavrac C.C.
• Transport Somavrac
• Transport Servitank
• Kencro Chemicals

Products and services

• Stevedoring (Arrimage) Stevedoring services for handling bulk goods through maritime, railway, and road access points across the company's terminals, delivered by subsidiaries including Somavrac, Servichem, and Porlier Express for industrial clients.
• Warehousing (Entreposage)
• Handling and Transformation (Manutention et transformation)
• Transportation (Transport)
• Chemical Distribution (Distribution de produits chimiques)
• Xtra85 Calcium Chloride 85%
• Peladow Calcium Chloride Pellets
• Liquidow Liquid Calcium Chloride
• Xtragrip Abrasive Pile Treatment
• Javelo Sodium Hypochlorite
• Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda)
• Sulfuric Acid
• Turnkey Dust Suppressant and De-icing Application Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Xtragrip reduces aggregate losses by 20% compared to untreated abrasives
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, minor and core.

• Green MarinemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSome of Groupe Somavrac's port terminals are members of Green Marine, a voluntary environmental initiative aimed at improving the environmental performance of key players in the North American shipping industry. The collaborative approach enables sharing of best practices among maritime industry participants.
• Fondation 3R DurableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fondation 3R Durable provided support to Groupe Somavrac's Sustainable Development Committee in 2022 to equip the committee properly and adopt appropriate measures toward ECOCERT certification.
• ECOCERT (via GROUPÉ initiative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroupe Somavrac's Sustainable Development Committee is currently in the process of obtaining ECOCERT certification through the GROUPÉ initiative, which promotes sustainable practices among businesses.
• Responsible Distribution Canada (RDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBA is a founding member of Responsible Distribution Canada (formerly CACD), which was created in 1988. The RDC program is based on various ISO standards and ensures members conduct rigorous and independent third-party verification audits for safe chemical distribution.
• ISAAC (telematics provider)moderateTechnology or IntegrationTransport Somavrac and Transport Servitank use ISAAC telematics including electronic logging (E-Log) for real-time delivery tracking, 24/7 dispatch center coordination, and telemetry-based delivery planning across their fleet operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TFI International: One of Canada's largest transportation and logistics companies, operating truckload, LTL, logistics, and dedicated carriage across North America. Comparable to Groupe Somavrac in multi-modal freight services and dangerous goods transport, though far broader in scale and geographic reach.
• Mullen Group: Canadian diversified logistics and industrial services company with trucking, warehousing, and specialized oilfield/industrial services. Similar in offering multi-segment industrial services to Western Canadian resource and industrial customers, providing a comparable platform model.
• Brenntag: World's largest chemical distribution company, operating across more than 70 countries. Comparable to UBA's chemical distribution arm in product range (acids, bases, chlorides, peroxides) and B2B industrial customer base, though at vastly greater scale and with broader geographic footprint.
• Univar Solutions: Major North American chemical and ingredient distributor with strong presence in industrial chemicals, water treatment, and food ingredients. Directly comparable to UBA in product categories and customer verticals, including water/wastewater treatment and mining.
• Cargill (Canada): Global agribusiness and bulk commodity handler with significant Canadian operations in grain handling, logistics, and agricultural chemicals. Comparable to Somavrac's bulk goods handling capabilities for agricultural and industrial customers, though with very different scale and product focus.

Direct peers

• Hawkins, Inc. U.S.-based specialty chemical distributor focused on water treatment, food, and industrial chemicals. Comparable to UBA in distribution of bulk and packaged industrial chemicals with strong regional warehousing and blending capabilities.
• Manitoulin Transport: Canada's largest national LTL and transportation provider with warehousing and logistics services. Comparable to Somavrac's warehousing and transport operations serving industrial customers across Canada.
• Day & Ross Transportation: Canadian transportation and logistics company (subsidiary of McCain Foods) offering LTL, TL, logistics, and warehousing across Eastern Canada. Comparable to Somavrac's geographic concentration in Quebec/Ontario/Maritimes and industrial customer base.
• Trimac Transportation: Canadian bulk trucking company specializing in liquid and dry bulk transport, including chemicals and dangerous goods. Directly comparable to Transport Somavrac and Transport Servitank in tanker transport of hazardous materials across Canada and the U.S.

Regional players

• ICL Group: Specialty minerals and chemicals company producing fertilizers, industrial chemicals, and specialty products. Comparable to Chloretec's chemical manufacturing capability and UBA's chemical distribution portfolio, particularly in chlorides and industrial acids, though operating at global scale and not primarily focused on Canadian distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groupe-somavrac
• Xx.com/somavrac

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 Groupe Somavrac