Auto-Chem

What Auto-Chem does

Auto-Chem is a Canadian specialty chemical manufacturer of professional and consumer cleaning, polishing, and protection products for vehicle, marine, aircraft, and commercial trucking surfaces. Founded in 1988 by Claude, Denise, and Jean Dagenais and headquartered in Montréal with manufacturing operations in Repentigny, Quebec, the company built a portfolio of over 100 products organized across exterior care, interior care, specialty, accessory, and dedicated vertical lines marketed under the Auto-Chem, Aquapro (marine), Norstar (aviation), and Truck Connexions (commercial trucking) sub-brands. Core product technology centers on proprietary chemical formulations developed by an in-house R&D laboratory operating for 35+ years, including advanced graphene ceramic coatings, hybrid ceramic waxes, low-VOC polishing compounds for dark paints, and water-based peelable booth coatings with no VOCs. Over $1 million has been invested in R&D over the last ten years, with products offered in packaging formats ranging from 50ml to 1000L.

The company operates a consultative, channel-led go-to-market model. Sales are driven by a network of independent sales representatives managed through the Caruk Agency, which covers Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, and the US Pacific Northwest. Technical sales specialists provide product selection advice for specific cleaning challenges, and the company offers private label manufacturing services for clients seeking custom formulations or existing formulations repackaged under client brands. Direct e-commerce was operated but has been deactivated indefinitely as part of the company's 2025 integration into Recochem Inc., a PFX Group company; customer orders and service are now routed through Recochem Customer Experience. Primary customer segments include professional auto detailers and body shops, automotive dealerships, marine service providers, commercial truck fleet operators, aviation maintenance operations, and individual DIY consumers. Pricing is unit-based, ranging from approximately $10 for basic cleaners to $550 for specialty accessories, with products sold across both one-time purchase and private-label professional service engagements.

Name

Auto-Chem

Legal name

Auto-Chem Inc.

Website

https://autochem.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Auto-Chem is a Canadian manufacturer of professional and consumer cleaning, polishing, and protection products for automotive, marine, aircraft, and commercial trucking surfaces, serving detailers, dealerships, fleet operators, and DIY consumers across Canada and the US. In 2025 it merged into Recochem Inc. (PFX Group).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Cleaning & Detailing Products

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (3259), Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246), Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (42469)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013), Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Aftermarket Fluids, Lubricants & Chemical Products Manufacturing (Oils/Coolants/Additives/Cleaners) (IMACANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Car Wash, Auto Detailing & Vehicle Cleaning Supplies Distribution (CRAOAGAM), Lubricants, Fluids & Chemical Products Distribution (Oils, Coolants, AdBlue/DEF, Cleaners) (TLAKAOAL)

Keywords

• Automotive cleaning chemicals
• Car care products
• Vehicle detailing supplies
• Marine cleaning products
• Surface protection coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Repentigny

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cleaning and detailing products: Sale of professional-grade automotive, boat, truck, and aircraft cleaning and detailing products. Products sold in various formats from 50ml to 1000L. Revenue generated through direct sales and dealer network.
2. Private label manufacturing: Custom formulation and manufacturing services for private brand clients. Auto-Chem develops products according to client specifications or uses existing formulations under client brands. Services include packaging in various container sizes from 50ml to 1000L.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Auto-Chem formulates, manufactures, and distributes professional-grade cleaning, polishing, protection, and detailing chemical products for automotive, marine, truck, and aircraft surfaces, with containers sized from 50 ml to 1000 L. The company also provides private label custom-formulation and contract manufacturing services that allow clients to launch chemical products under their own brands using Auto-Chem's R&D laboratory and Repentigny manufacturing facility. Products are sold directly to professional detailers, body shops, dealerships, fleet operators, and aviation maintenance operators through a network of manufacturer sales representatives, with a dedicated sub-brand portfolio including Aquapro (marine), Truck Connexions (trucks), and Norstar (aircraft).

Product overview

Auto-Chem is a Canadian manufacturer of professional automotive, boat, and aircraft cleaning and detailing products. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into multiple product lines: exterior products (polishes, waxes, ceramic coatings, cleaners for paint, wheels, chrome, glass, and convertible tops), interior products (cleaners and protectants for leather, fabric, carpet, dashboard, and odors), specialty products (rustproofing, leather paint, mechanic shop and bodyshop supplies, steam cleaners), and tool accessories (polishing pads, applicators, brushes, microfiber cloths, chamois, and polishing machines). The company also provides dedicated product lines for boats (Aquapro brand) and trucks (Truck Connexions brand), as well as private label manufacturing services. Auto-Chem operates as a manufacturer offering both retail-ready formulations and custom private brand development for clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aquapro: Specialized brand for boat cleaning and protection products
• Norstar
• Truck Connexions

Products and services

• Banana Wax (Hybrid Ceramic Wax) Hybrid ceramic wax providing durable protection and shine for vehicle paint finishes; targeted at professional detailers and enthusiasts.
• Black Wax (Finishing Wax for Dark Paint) Black finishing wax designed for dark-colored vehicles to enhance shine and protection without leaving white residue.
• Black Polish (Finishing Cut Compound for Dark Paint) Friction-free finishing compound specifically developed for dark paint, eliminating swirl marks, holograms, and 1900-grit sanding scratches without causing burn-through or whitening.
• Black Compound (Extra Cut Compound for Dark Paint) High-technology polishing compound for dark paint that eliminates 1200-grit sanding marks, holograms, swirl marks, and sanding scratches with rapid, efficient results.
• Snow Foam (Super Foam Car Wash) Super foam car wash providing high-lubricity cleaning for vehicle exteriors.
• Citrus Max (All-Purpose Citrus Cleaner) Citrus-based all-purpose cleaner for general vehicle cleaning applications.
• Graphene Ceramic Coating Advanced ceramic coating treatment utilizing graphene technology for enhanced durability and protection of vehicle paint.
• Free Shine (Silicone-Free Dressing) Silicone-free dressing and renovator for interior and exterior plastic and rubber surfaces.
• HDO Terry Pads (Dual Action) Robust orbital pads (HDO) specifically designed for long-lasting polishing with a durable dual-layer foam D/A cushion offering aggressive cutting or finishing performance.
• HDO Foam Pads Dual-action orbital foam pads designed for extended polishing sessions with durable foam construction.
• Foam Wool Pads Purple foam wool pads that encapsulate lamb's wool fibers with microscopic polym foam particles, aggressively removing 1500-grit scratches while leaving a polished finish without hazing.
• Jam Rim Cleaner (Neutral pH Wheel Cleaner) Neutral pH wheel and rim cleaner effective against brake dust and iron particles.
• Booth Coating (Peelable Mask for Paint Booths) Water-based peelable coating for paint booths that can be applied by spray, roller, or brush and peeled off when needed without damaging treated surfaces. Contains no VOCs.
• 21mm Dual Action Polisher Dual-action polisher with 21mm orbit for polishing vehicle paint and surfaces with reduced heat and swirl risk.
• Vinyl Fab (Vinyl, Fabric & Leather Cleaner) Cleaner for fabric, vinyl, and leather surfaces used for interior vehicle cleaning.
• Leather Care (Treatment Cream) Treatment cream for leather and vinyl that enriches and softens interior leather surfaces.
• Ultra Brite (Concentrated Car Wash Soap) Concentrated car wash soap with neutral pH (7) that gently cleans without removing wax protection.
• HD Clean (Water-Based Degreaser) Water-based degreaser and cleaner effective for engine cleaning and heavy-duty applications.
• Bug Off (Insect & Droppings Remover) Insect and bird droppings remover for vehicle exteriors.
• Eco Wash (Waterless Wash) Waterless wash solution that allows vehicle cleaning without water while preventing scratches.
• Carnauba Wax Carnauba-based wax providing paint protection and shine.
• HSF Polishing Compounds (HSF 0, 1, 2, 3) Series of superior finishing polishes (HSF 0, 1, 2, 3) for quick, medium, and fine finishing work on vehicle paint.
• TRIM Care (Plastic & Molding Restorer) Restorer for plastic and molding on both interior and exterior vehicle surfaces.
• Odour Exit (Odor Destroyer) Odor destroyer that eliminates persistent bad odors from vehicle interiors including roofs, fabric seats, and carpets.
• Salt Buster (Salt Stain Remover) Salt stain remover for vehicle carpets and interiors, particularly useful in winter conditions.
• Fabric Guard (Fabric Protector) Fabric protector that waterproofs fibers and helps resist stains on fabric seats and carpets.
• Rustproofing Products Rustproofing treatments for vehicle protection against corrosion.
• AC 80 (Truck Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner) Concentrated all-purpose cleaner designed for truck fleet cleaning applications under the Truck Connexions brand.
• Truck ALU (Acid Aluminum Cleaner) Acid cleaner for polished aluminum surfaces on trucks without scrubbing required.
• Boat Care Products (Aquapro Line) Complete line of cleaning and protection products specifically formulated for boats and marine vessels, sold under the Aquapro sub-brand.
• Aircraft Care Products (Norstar Line) Cleaning and protection products designed for aircraft exteriors and interiors, sold under the Norstar sub-brand.
• Detailing Kit Complete automotive care kit containing essential products for professional detailing work.
• Private Label / Custom Formulation Manufacturing Custom formulation and contract manufacturing services for private brand clients; Auto-Chem develops products to client specifications or uses existing formulations under client brands, packaged in container sizes from 50 ml to 1000 L.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Recochem Inc. (PFX Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Auto-Chem Inc. has fully merged into Recochem Inc. (a PFX Group company) as of summer 2025. This merger integrates Auto-Chem into the Recochem family, with customer service handled through Recochem Customer Experience at [email protected].

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Meguiar's: Meguiar's (a 3M brand) is a global leader in professional and consumer car care, offering polishes, waxes, ceramic coatings, and detailing chemicals that directly overlap Auto-Chem's core product portfolio across the same professional detailer and dealership customer base.
• Chemical Guys: Chemical Guys is a direct-to-consumer car care brand offering soaps, polishes, ceramic coatings, and detailing accessories. It competes with Auto-Chem in the same product categories and is a key digital-native threat to Auto-Chem's specialty position.
• Turtle Wax: Turtle Wax is a long-established car care brand offering washes, waxes, polishes, and ceramic spray coatings. It competes with Auto-Chem across consumer and prosumer retail channels for vehicle cleaning and protection products.
• SONAX: SONAX is a German manufacturer of premium car care products, including polishes, compounds, and ceramic coatings, with strong distribution in North America. It directly competes with Auto-Chem's professional polishing compound and ceramic coating lines.
• Griot's Garage: Griot's Garage specializes in enthusiast and professional car care products, including polishes, polisher pads, and detailing accessories. Its product mix and customer base (auto enthusiasts and detailers) closely mirror Auto-Chem's specialty positioning.
• Koch-Chemie: Koch-Chemie is a German specialty chemicals manufacturer producing professional detailing products including polishes, cleaners, and coatings. It is a direct peer in the professional detailing chemistry category, serving similar body shop and detailing customers.
• Menzerna: Menzerna is a German manufacturer of polishing compounds for automotive paints, directly comparable to Auto-Chem's HSF polishing compound series and Black Compound/Polish lines used by professional detailers and body shops.
• Adam's Polishes: Adam's Polishes is a US-based premium car care brand offering polishes, ceramic coatings, and detailing accessories, primarily through direct e-commerce. It competes with Auto-Chem in the enthusiast and prosumer detailing segment.

Emerging players

• CarPro: CarPro specializes in ceramic coatings and advanced surface protection products (e.g., CQuartz), with strong appeal among professional detailers. It overlaps with Auto-Chem's Graphene Ceramic Coating and ceramic treatment product lines.

Broad incumbents

• 3M Automotive Aftermarket: 3M's Automotive Aftermarket division sells a broad portfolio of body shop, refinishing, and detailing products, including Meguiar's. It competes with Auto-Chem's bodyshop and detailing categories as part of a much larger industrial and consumer portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiJG5Dg6FbWRKzR8nzPygdA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Auto-Chem-335636926538913
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auto-chem-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/auto_chem/?hl=fr

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 Auto-Chem