What CH2O, inc. does

CH2O, Inc. is a privately held specialty water treatment chemical manufacturer founded in 1977 and headquartered in Tumwater, Washington. The company develops and sells over 350 proprietary chemical formulations across six product categories: industrial water treatment (boilers, cooling towers, hydronic systems, oxygen control, and bio-security), drinking water treatment, industrial cleaners including car and truck wash products, food processing sanitation (post-harvest produce, brewery/winery/distillery cleaning, and seafood preservation), horticultural and irrigation water treatment, and chemical feed equipment. Core technical expertise centers on chlorine dioxide chemistry and related specialty formulations, anchored by trademarked product families including POSCA, BIO-GUARD, Select-Amine, Sea Fresh, SureFlow, Fresh-Pak, Well-Done, Agri-Guard, Freeze Fresh, Oxy-Trol, HYDRO-TREAT, and Clean Finish, with 16+ granted patents across the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile.

The company serves industrial facilities, food processing operations (produce packing, seafood, breweries, wineries, and distilleries), agricultural and horticultural growers (greenhouses, drip irrigation networks, well operators), commercial potable water users, and car/truck wash operators. CH2O operates a direct-sales go-to-market model with field representatives and account managers providing customized formulations and quotes, supplemented by an online order portal (echempax.com) for existing customers and a drum/tote return program in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California. Revenue is generated through one-time chemical product sales and hardware sales of automated monitoring and chemical feed equipment, with quote-based pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Regulatory and quality certifications include EPA registrations, NSF/ANSI 60 for drinking water additives, NSF Nonfood Compounds Registration, ISO 9001, ISO 22000, OMRI listings for organic use, Kosher, Halal, and CFIA approval, which collectively serve as both quality validation and barriers to entry.

The business is founder-owned, with no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or institutional investors, and operates without publicly disclosed revenue, leadership team, or funding history. CH2O maintains a European subsidiary in the Netherlands (ch2o.nl) and references serving customers globally, though the United States is the primary operating market. Headcount is reported as 11-50, and the company claims thousands of customers and billions of gallons of water cleaned monthly across all industries served.

Name

CH2O, inc.

Legal name

CH2O, Inc.

Website

https://ch2o.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CH2O, Inc. is a privately held specialty water treatment chemical manufacturer founded in 1977 in Tumwater, Washington, producing over 350 proprietary chlorine dioxide and specialty chemistry formulations for industrial water treatment, food processing sanitation, agriculture, drinking water, and equipment applications across multiple global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tumwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Treatment Chemicals: Sale of specialty chemical formulations including boiler treatments, cooling tower treatments, corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, microbiocides, and cleaning agents for industrial, agricultural, and food processing water treatment applications.
2. Equipment Sales: Sale of automated monitoring and chemical feed equipment including spray bar applicators, chlorine dioxide generators, product metering devices, and monitoring equipment customized for customer needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CH2O, Inc. formulates, manufactures, and sells specialty water treatment chemicals for industrial boilers, cooling towers, hydronic and condensate systems, irrigation networks, food processing sanitation, brewery/winery/distillery cleaning, and potable water. The catalog spans corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, microbiocides, chlorine dioxide systems, oxidizing agents, and cleaning products, complemented by automated chemical feed and monitoring equipment. Customers are industrial, agricultural, and food processing businesses served through direct sales, an online order portal, and a field-based account management team.

Product overview

CH2O, Inc. is a specialty water treatment company offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 350 products across six main categories: Water Treatment (including POSCA, HYDRO-TREAT, Oxy-Trol, Select-Amine, and BIO-GUARD products for boilers, hydronic systems, oxygen control, condensate systems, and cooling towers), Drinking Water (Sea Fresh system), Industrial Cleaners (Clean Finish car/truck wash products and general cleaners like Chlor-Cling, M-202, Power Plus), Food Processing (Fresh-Pak for harvest sanitization, Brew-Clean, Sani-Pac for breweries, and Freeze Fresh for seafood), Horticultural & Irrigation (SureFlow and Agri-Guard for drip irrigation, Well-Done for well cleaners, plus IVR-CLEAR, Stop-It, Oxy-Gen for greenhouse applications), and Specialty Equipment (chemical feed systems). The company operates as a unified product portfolio unified by shared water treatment science expertise, with EPA registrations, NSF certifications, and ISO 9001/22000 manufacturing standards underlying all offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bio-Security™: EPA-registered products for controlling pathogens including Legionella and E. coli in water systems.
• POSCA™
• HYDRO-TREAT™
• BIO-GUARD™
• Select-Amine™
• Sea Fresh™
• Clean Finish™
• SureFlow™
• AgriGuard™
• Well-Done™
• Fresh-Pak
• Freeze Fresh
• Brew-Clean
• Sani-Pac
• IVR-CLEAR™
• Stop-It™
• Oxy-Gen™

Products and services

• POSCA Boiler Treatment Synergistic chemical blend formulated for industrial boiler systems to keep heat transfer surfaces clean, reduce blowdown that consumes water and energy, and maintain peak performance.
• HYDRO-TREAT Series Chemicals designed to protect hydronic systems from corrosion caused by dissolved oxygen and other water constituents, providing corrosion inhibition for closed-loop heating systems.
• Oxy-Trol Catalyzed oxygen control products that accelerate reactions with dissolved oxygen to minimize corrosion and pitting in boiler systems.
• Select-Amine Combination of neutralizing and filming amines that creates uniform pH throughout condensate systems and controls carbonic acid attack with synergistic performance compared to individual amines.
• POSCA Cooling Tower Treatment Threshold inhibition treatment designed to reduce corrosion and increase solubility of minerals in cooling tower systems.
• BIO-GUARD Series EPA-registered microbiocides used to control algae, bacteria, and fungi in recirculating commercial and industrial water-cooling towers as part of CH2O's Bio-Security pathogen control program.
• Sea Fresh NSF-certified single-drum component feed system for potable water using unique oxidizing agents that reduce hydrogen sulfide odors and control iron and calcium minerals.
• Clean Finish (Car/Truck Wash) Industrial car and truck wash chemistry line including Rainbow Foam, Jet Clean, Safety Foam, Rust Shield, Bug-Off, Road-Kill, Whitewall Cleaner, and Sunny Shine for vehicle cleaning and protection in commercial wash operations.
• Fresh-Pak Post-harvest chlorine dioxide sanitation system combining oxidizing agents and exclusive detergents to reduce pathogens and improve produce marketability during washing, packing, and storage.
• Brew-Clean Cleaning solution specifically formulated for brewery, winery, and distillery equipment cleaning applications.
• Sani-Pac Sanitation chemical product for brewery, winery, and distillery equipment cleaning and food processing facilities, with Kosher certification available.
• Freeze Fresh Chlorine dioxide-based products designed for seafood preservation, applied to storage tanks, holds, water, and ice to reduce bacterial growth and extend shelf life.
• SureFlow First EPA-registered chlorine dioxide product specifically designed for irrigation water treatment to control biofilms and microorganisms and maintain free-flowing water in hydroponic, greenhouse, and field drip irrigation networks.
• Agri-Guard Oxidant-chelant solution designed as a simple one-drum product for maintaining free-flowing water through irrigation networks.
• Well-Done NSF-60 certified product that works synergistically to dissolve and suspend minerals and remove biofilm to restore water flow in agricultural wells.
• Chemical Feed Equipment Automated monitoring and chemical injection systems including spray bar product applicators, chlorine dioxide generators, product metering devices, and monitoring equipment, customized for individual customer needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• As little as 1/16th of an inch of boiler scale can cost more than 12% in additional fuel consumption
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• World VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCH2O partners with World Vision through the annual Global 6K for Water event to support Pure Water For The World and raise funds for global water issues. 6 kilometers represents the average distance someone walks for clean water in communities without adequate water infrastructure.
• Pure Water For The WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization supported through CH2O's World Vision Global 6K for Water partnership to provide lasting clean water to children in need.
• AWT (Association of Water Technologies) Member CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCH2O partners with other AWT member companies to support the World Vision Global 6K for Water fundraiser and raise awareness of global water issues.
• NSF InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationCH2O products are registered with NSF International's Nonfood Compounds Registration Program and certified to NSF/ANSI 60 standard for drinking water treatment chemicals.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BioSafe Systems: Specialty manufacturer of chlorine dioxide and peroxyacetic acid chemistries for agriculture, horticulture, and post-harvest sanitation. Directly comparable to CH2O's chlorine dioxide-based SureFlow, Fresh-Pak, and Freeze Fresh product lines.
• ChemTreat: Specialty water treatment chemicals and services for industrial boiler, cooling, and process water applications. Closely comparable direct competitor to CH2O's core industrial water treatment product lines with a similar sales-led model.
• Hydrite Chemical: US specialty chemical manufacturer and distributor offering water treatment, food processing sanitation, and industrial cleaning chemistries. Closely comparable to CH2O across food processing and industrial water treatment segments.

Broad incumbents

• Solenis: Global specialty chemicals manufacturer serving water-intensive industries including food, beverage, and industrial water treatment. Comparable to CH2O across boiler, cooling, and food processing chemistries but at far greater scale with a broader portfolio.
• Ecolab (Nalco Water): Global water, hygiene, and infection prevention leader with the Nalco Water division serving industrial boiler, cooling, and food processing water treatment. Broad incumbent that overlaps with nearly all of CH2O's verticals at much larger scale.
• Suez Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water treatment chemicals and equipment provider serving industrial, municipal, and food processing customers. Broad incumbent comparable to CH2O across cooling, boiler, and process water chemistries.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Water treatment solutions provider offering specialty chemicals, equipment, and services across industrial and municipal markets. Comparable to CH2O across cooling tower, boiler, and food processing chemistries but with integrated service and equipment offerings.
• Kurita Water Industries: Japanese-headquartered global water treatment company providing specialty chemicals and equipment for boilers, cooling, and process water. Overlaps with CH2O's industrial water treatment portfolio and represents a comparable chemistry-plus-equipment business model.

Regional players

• Innovative Water Care (formerly Arch Chemicals / Lonza Water Care): Specialty water treatment chemical manufacturer focused on pool, spa, and industrial water biocides including chlorine-based chemistries. Comparable in chemistry platforms and EPA-registered biocide portfolio to CH2O's BIO-GUARD line, with broader but less food-focused end markets.

Emerging players

• EnviroTech Chemical Services: Specialty chemical producer focused on peroxyacetic acid and chlorine dioxide chemistries for food safety, water treatment, and agriculture. Comparable emerging competitor in CH2O's chlorine dioxide and post-harvest sanitation niches.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ch2o-inc.

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 CH2O, inc.