ELTON Group

What ELTON Group does

ELTON Group (legal name ELTON International Trading Company S.A.) is a publicly-listed Greek chemical and industrial ingredients distribution company founded in 1981 by Nestor Papathanasiou. The company distributes more than 8,000 products across 17 industrial market segments — including agriculture, food and beverages, pharma, personal care, plastics, coatings, water treatment, refrigerants, elastomers and winery/oenology — through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Greece, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Ukraine, serving more than 15,000 customers across 15 countries in Southeast Europe, Ukraine and Turkey. ELTON generates revenue through one-time sale and distribution transactions of chemicals and raw materials sourced from premium global suppliers, reporting FY2025 revenue of €175.09M (FY2024: €161.19M) and EBITDA of €7.37M (FY2024: €8.37M).

The company's core operational asset is its physical distribution infrastructure — 9 logistics centers totaling 35,000 m2 (25,000 m2 owned) that handle more than 250,000 metric tons of goods annually — combined with regulatory compliance, technical support and implementation consultancy delivered across multiple specialized chemical verticals. ELTON is family-controlled, with four Papathanasiou family members collectively retaining approximately 75% of equity following the founder's passing in June 2025 and a regulated hereditary succession announcement in June 2026. The company is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange Main Market (ticker: ELTON) as part of the FTSE Small Cap index, ranks among the Top 50 European and Top 100 Global chemical distributors, and holds ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications across multiple entities.

Name

ELTON Group

Legal name

ELTON International Trading Company S.A.

Website

https://elton-group.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ELTON Group is a publicly-listed Greek chemical and industrial ingredients distributor serving 15,000+ customers across 15 countries in Southeast Europe, Ukraine, and Turkey through 9 logistics centers, distributing 8,000+ products across 17 industrial segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Compounding Ingredient & API Distributors (Pharma Supply) (HLAIAJAO)

Keywords

• Industrial chemicals distribution
• Specialty chemical raw materials
• Food ingredients distribution
• Pharmaceutical excipients supply
• Chemical supply chain services

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical and Industrial Raw Materials Distribution: ELTON Group distributes a wide range of industrial raw materials, food ingredients, and specialty chemicals to customers across 15 countries in Southeast Europe, Ukraine, and Turkey. Revenue is generated through the sale and distribution of products from premium global suppliers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ELTON Group is a regional distributor of industrial raw materials, specialty chemicals, and food ingredients, representing premium global chemical producers and supplying more than 8,000 SKUs across 17 market segments (agriculture, food & beverages, pharma, plastics, coatings, water treatment, etc.). The company serves over 15,000 customers in 15 countries across Southeast Europe, Ukraine, and Turkey through 9 logistics centers and 35,000 m2 of warehouse capacity.

Product overview

ELTON Group is a chemical and industrial ingredients distribution company operating across 15 countries in Southeast Europe, Ukraine, and Turkey. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of over 8,000 products serving more than 15,000 customers through 9 logistics centers. Their distribution business covers 17 market segments: Agriculture, Animal Nutrition, Chemical Reagents, Coatings/Adhesives/Construction, Dietary Supplements/Functional Food, Elastomers/Waxes, Food/Beverages, Home Care/Industrial Cleaning, Metal/Mining/Paper, Personal Care, Pharma, Plastics, PU Systems/Polyurea, Refrigerants/Lubricants, Tanneries/Textiles, Water Treatment/Environment, and Winery. ELTON Group acts as an intermediary between global chemical producers and industrial customers, providing supply chain expertise, regulatory compliance support, and technical guidance across all served markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Raw Materials and Crop Protection Products Distribution of agrochemical products including fertilizers, plant protection products, and propagation materials for crop nutrition and crop protection applications to agricultural producers.
• Animal Nutrition Ingredients and Feed Additives Supply of ingredients and additives for the animal feed industry, focused on supporting animal health and performance for feed manufacturers.
• Chemical Reagents and Laboratory Equipment Distribution of chemical reagents and laboratory equipment, including premium safety instruments, marking labels, and quantitative and qualitative measurement instrumentation, primarily serving the Greek laboratory market.
• Coatings, Adhesives and Construction Materials Comprehensive portfolio of raw materials for paints, coatings, adhesives, and construction chemical applications, sourced from global chemical leaders.
• Dietary Supplements and Functional Food Ingredients Distribution of ingredients for dietary supplements and functional food products addressing consumer health benefits for nutraceutical manufacturers.
• Elastomers and Waxes Raw Materials Raw materials and special additives for elastomer products and wax applications across various industry sectors.
• Food and Beverages Ingredients Premium food ingredients, auxiliary materials, and additives for the food and beverage industry covering bakery, dairy, meat processing, beverages, and confectionery applications.
• Food Blends and Specialized Mixtures Specialized food blends and mixtures for the food industries, expanded through the acquisition of LEKOS A.E., serving industrial food manufacturers.
• Home Care and Industrial Cleaning Ingredients Ingredients and solutions for household cleaning products and industrial cleaning applications serving detergent manufacturers and cleaning services companies.
• Metal, Mining and Paper Processing Chemicals Advanced chemical products for metal processing, mining operations, and paper industry applications.
• Personal Care and Cosmetics Ingredients Distribution of ingredients and raw materials for personal care and cosmetics market, including skincare, haircare, and beauty products, supported by technical guidance across all major sectors.
• Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Excipients Active ingredients and excipients for pharmaceutical, medical, and healthcare companies addressing global health needs.
• Plastics Raw Materials and Additives Dynamic portfolio of raw materials for the plastics industry covering all major plastic sectors for both domestic and industrial use.
• Polyurethane (PU) Systems and Polyurea Full range of polyurethane systems with specialized technical support covering insulation, construction, and industrial applications.
• Refrigerants and Lubricants for HVAC+R Advanced support for HVAC+R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration) professionals including refrigerants and lubricants.
• Tanneries and Textiles Raw Materials Wide range of raw materials and additives for leather processing and textile industry across all major sectors.
• Water Treatment and Environmental Technologies Chemical products and technical support for public and private water treatment plants covering drinking water, industrial water, and wastewater applications.
• Winery and Oenological Products Innovative products sourced from global winemaking and biotechnology ingredients leaders for classic and organic winemaking applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serve >15,000 customers with >8,000 products
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments17 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Premium Global Chemical SupplierscoreTechnology or IntegrationELTON Group maintains partnerships with a portfolio of premium global suppliers of chemicals and industrial ingredients. The company works with global industry leaders allowing them to offer premium food ingredients, substantial auxiliary materials, and a wide range of additives to customers across Southeast Europe, Ukraine and Turkey.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brenntag: The world's largest chemical distributor (€16B+ revenue), serving industrial and specialty chemicals across Europe and globally. Directly comparable business model and end-market coverage, but at vastly greater scale than ELTON.
• Univar Solutions: North American chemical and ingredients distributor (now private under Apollo) with global operations. Comparable business model and product categories, but primarily serves the Americas rather than Southeast Europe.

Direct peers

• IMCD: Dutch-listed specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor (~€4B revenue) with strong European presence and a focus on specialty formulations. Closely comparable to ELTON's specialty distribution model, including food, personal care, pharma, and industrial segments.
• Azelis: Belgian specialty ingredients distributor (~€3B revenue) operating across food, personal care, pharma, and industrial markets in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas. Mirrors ELTON's multi-segment specialty distribution model.
• Barentz: Dutch specialty ingredients distributor (~€2B revenue) serving food, personal care, animal nutrition, and industrial markets across Europe. Closely comparable breadth of end-market segments and specialty distribution model.
• Biesterfeld: German family-owned chemical distributor (~€1.5B revenue) with strong presence in Europe distributing industrial chemicals, specialty chemicals, and food ingredients. Family-owned structure and European regional focus are particularly comparable to ELTON.
• TER Chemicals: German-headquartered chemical distributor specializing in specialty chemicals, food ingredients, and personal care raw materials across Europe. Directly comparable to ELTON's product breadth and regional European distribution focus.
• Calddic: Dutch specialty ingredients distributor (now owned by Advent International) serving food, personal care, pharma, and industrial markets across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. Comparable specialty distribution model with broad end-market coverage.
• Hawkins: US-listed specialty chemical and ingredients distributor serving industrial, food, and water treatment markets. Comparable horizontal segmentation strategy, though geographically focused on North America.
• Omya: Swiss specialty chemicals distributor and producer of industrial minerals, with strong European distribution presence in chemicals and food ingredients. Comparable European focus and broad horizontal product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EltonChemicals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elton-group-sa

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ELTON Group