What Tillmanns does

Tillmanns S.p.A. is an Italian specialty chemicals distributor founded in 1944 and headquartered in Milan, with operations serving industrial, food, water treatment, and building finishing markets. The company operates through four business divisions — Industry (pigments, resins, binders, and auxiliaries for paints, coatings, plastics, rubber, ceramics, adhesives, construction, textiles, leather, and inks), Food & Nutrition (ingredients, additives, casings, and packaging for meat, dairy, bakery, confectionery, beverages, and pet food), Water Tech (coagulants, flocculants, defoamers, enzymes, odor control, and equipment cleaning chemicals for municipal and industrial wastewater), and Building Finishing Materials (interior and exterior surface products including DEPRON insulation panels and GLUTOLIN/DECOTRIC construction chemicals). The company holds exclusive Italian distribution rights for multiple global principals — DEPRON (Saarpor), GLUTOLIN/GLUTOFILL (Decotric GmbH), SOLENIS (ZETAG, MAGNAFLOC, PRAESTOL), INEOS pigments, BASF (ANTIPREX), and others — and runs an internal laboratory for custom formulation development (TILLFLOCK), quality testing, membrane autopsy, and technical problem-solving.

The company distributes over 7,000 active product references to 4,500+ active customers, shipping 36,000 tonnes of merchandise annually from 25,000 sqm of combined warehouse capacity in Milan and Buccinasco. Revenue is generated through markup on chemical products sourced from global suppliers and resold to Italian industrial and food customers, augmented by technical services including formulation development, dosing system implementation, and equipment chemical washing. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via a nationwide network of specialized agents and technical/commercial officials, supported by participation in major trade shows (Ecomondo, European Coatings Show, Heimtextil, Paint & Coatings Milano, MEAT-TECH) and increasingly by digital content including instructional video tutorials. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification (Certiquality) covering the full distribution chain, and appeared in the ICIS Top 100 chemical distributors ranking in 2020 based on 2019 sales. In August 2025, Tillmanns was acquired by IMCD N.V., a Dutch-listed global leader in specialty chemicals distribution and formulation, making Tillmanns a wholly-owned subsidiary within IMCD's group structure.

Name

Tillmanns

Legal name

Tillmanns S.p.A.

Website

https://tillmanns.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Tillmanns S.p.A. is an Italian specialty chemicals distributor serving industrial, food, water treatment, and building finishing markets through four divisions, distributing 7,000+ product references to 4,500+ customers via exclusive brand partnerships and direct field sales. Now a subsidiary of IMCD Group following the August 2025 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemical Distribution

NAICS

Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (42469), All Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (32599)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Food-Grade Chemicals & Processing Aids Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

Keywords

• Specialty chemical distribution
• Industrial raw materials
• Food ingredients supply
• Wastewater treatment chemicals
• Building finishing products

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Specialty Distribution: Tillmanns distributes over 7,000 active product references across industrial, food, water treatment, and building finishing sectors. Revenue is generated through the markup on chemical products sourced from global suppliers and sold to industrial customers with technical support and formulation services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tillmanns is a specialty chemical distributor that sources and supplies more than 7,000 product references (pigments, resins, additives, food ingredients, water treatment chemicals, insulation panels, construction finishing products) from global manufacturers to Italian industrial, food processing, water treatment and building/decorating customers. The company adds value through technical formulation support, a dedicated laboratory, equipment cleaning services and just-in-time delivery from its 25,000 sqm warehouse network.

Product overview

Tillmanns is a chemical specialty distributor operating four main divisions: Water Tech (wastewater treatment chemicals and technologies), Food & Nutrition (food ingredients, additives, and packaging), Industry (industrial raw materials for paints, plastics, construction), and Building Finishing Materials (interior/exterior surface products). The company distributes exclusive brands including DEPRON insulating panels, GLUTOLIN/DECOTRIC construction products, and SOLENIS water treatment chemicals. Tillmanns serves over 4,500 active customers with 7,000+ article references across industrial and food sectors, shipping 36,000 tons annually from their 25,000 sqm warehouse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Water Tech Division: Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment division offering coagulants, polyelectrolytes, defoamers, and odor control products.
• Food & Nutrition Division
• Industry Division
• Building Finishing Materials Division
• ECOSORB
• LACTOVAL
• TILLFLOCK
• OSMOTILL
• TILLFRESH
• TILLSTEAM
• ANTIPREX

Products and services

• Industrial Raw Materials (Industry Division)

Quantifiable outcome

• 36,000 tonnes of merchandise shipped annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• SOLENIScoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial and exclusive supplier of SOLENIS products including ZETAG, MAGNAFLOC, and PRAESTOL product lines for water treatment applications.
• BASF GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive brand partner providing products for wastewater treatment and industrial applications. Products include ANTIPREX for equipment cleaning.
• OMYA AGstrategicTechnology or IntegrationNew exclusive partnership formed in 2019 for water treatment and industrial applications.
• GREIBO CHEMIEstrategicTechnology or IntegrationNew exclusive partnership formed in 2019 for specialty chemical products.
• ACATcoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive brand partner for wastewater treatment specialty products.
• Saarpor Klaus Eckhardt GmbH (DEPRON)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTillmanns is exclusive distributor in Italy of DEPRON insulating panels, an international brand for interior insulation since 1969.
• Decotric GmbH (GLUTOLIN)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTillmanns is exclusive distributor in Italy of GLUTOLIN and GLUTOFILL product lines and all chemical products for building industry from Decotric GmbH.
• CovestrostrategicTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for coating raw materials including Desmodur and Bayhydur Ultra line crosslinkers for polyurethane paints, and new Covestro RFM product distribution.
• INEOSstrategicTechnology or IntegrationExclusive supplier of INEOS pigments for industrial applications.
• Borchers (Milliken)strategicTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of high-performance siccatives (driers) including cobalt-free options for solvent and water-based systems.
• FrieslandCampina DMVstrategicTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of LACTOVAL functional ingredients including high-calcium milk mineral complexes for food fortification.
• BENEO PalatinitstrategicTechnology or IntegrationWorld leader in Isomalt production, providing ingredients for sugar-free confectionery products.
• Pufas Dieter (Glutolin-Pufas)strategicTechnology or IntegrationLong-term partnership of over 30 years for building finishing products including adhesives and finishing materials.
• Kalle (Krehalon)strategicTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of artificial casings for the processed meat industry.
• HukkistrategicTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of casings for salami and cold cuts processing.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Azelis: European-headquartered specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor with strong food, personal care, and industrial segments — closely comparable to Tillmanns in market positioning, vertical breadth, and value-added formulation services.
• Barentz: Specialty ingredients distributor focused on food, nutrition, personal care, and animal nutrition with strong European presence and a principal-distributor model parallel to Tillmanns' Food & Nutrition and Industry divisions.
• Brenntag: World's largest chemical distribution company, offering a comparable portfolio of specialty and commodity chemicals to industrial customers across Europe, with similar principal-distributor-customer model to Tillmanns.
• Univar Solutions: North American and European chemical and ingredients distributor serving industrial, food, and water treatment end markets with comparable portfolio breadth and distribution-plus-services model.
• Caldic: Specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor serving food, personal care, pharma, and industrial markets globally — comparable in vertical mix, formulation capabilities, and reliance on exclusive supplier partnerships.
• IMCD Group: IMCD is the acquirer of Tillmanns and is itself a global leader in specialty chemicals and ingredients distribution. Directly comparable as a specialty chemicals distributor with formulation capabilities serving industrial and food markets across 60+ countries.

Regional players

• Quaron (now part of Univar): Benelux- and France-focused chemical distributor (acquired by Univar Solutions) with industrial, food, and water treatment portfolios comparable to Tillmanns' divisional structure, though primarily serving non-Italian markets.
• Biesterfeld: European specialty chemicals distributor headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, with operations across multiple industrial and consumer verticals — comparable distribution model and customer types to Tillmanns but with German rather than Italian center of gravity.
• Nordmann, Rassmann: European specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor headquartered in Germany serving industrial and consumer markets — comparable in principal-distributor model and vertical breadth, but primarily serving Germany and DACH rather than Italy.
• Häffner & Co: German-headquartered chemical distribution and trading company with similar portfolio of industrial, food, and specialty chemicals — comparable in business model, though focused on the DACH market rather than Italy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Tillmanns