What CH-Polymers does

CH-Polymers Oy is a Finnish specialty chemical manufacturer founded in 2009, building on more than 40 years of binder expertise originating from the Raisio Chemicals heritage. The company produces water-borne polymer dispersions, latex products, and binders organized into three business units: Paper & Packaging (notably VAcA binders and the CHP BAR water-based barrier coatings for food packaging), Nonwoven & Specialties (formaldehyde-free and bio-based binder systems for wipes, filtration, wall cover, and moulded fibre), and Paints & Coatings (acrylic, styrene acrylic, and vinyl acrylic dispersions for interior/exterior architectural and industrial coatings). Manufacturing is concentrated at the Kaipiainen polymerisation plant, one of the largest acrylic dispersion facilities in Europe, with R&D and product development at Raisio and a recently relocated head office in Espoo. Proprietary emulsion polymerization know-how underpins products such as the VAcA binder line, which delivers 10-15% on-machine drying energy savings, and the CHP BAR barrier coatings certified under BfR, FDA, and GB 9685 for direct food contact.

The company is a privately held subsidiary of Oy Chemec Ab, with no venture or private equity funding rounds disclosed. Revenue is generated through B2B sales of specialty chemical inputs priced via quote-based industrial contracts, sold directly by dedicated business-unit sales teams and indirectly through a network of technical agents across European countries including the Nordics, the United Kingdom, and Eastern and Southern Europe. CH-Polymers operates under ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISCC PLUS, EcoVadis Gold (top 5% globally), and Responsible Care certifications, and actively participates in externally funded R&D consortia including SUSBINCO with Åbo Akademi University and the HiPer project led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Leadership transitioned in June 2022 when long-serving CEO Sauli Laakso retired and was succeeded by Tuija Andersson, with Timo Heimola appointed COO and David Greener as BU Director Paints & Coatings.

Name

CH-Polymers

Legal name

CH-Polymers Oy

Website

https://ch-polymers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CH-Polymers Oy is a Finnish specialty chemical manufacturer producing water-borne polymer dispersions, binders, and water-based barrier coatings for the paper & packaging, nonwoven, and paints & coatings industries, with operations in Finland and a customer base across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty polymer dispersions and binders

NAICS

Adhesive Manufacturing (32552), Adhesive Manufacturing (325520), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255)

SIC

Adhesives & Sealants (2891), Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Adhesives & Sealants Chemicals (IMAEABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adhesives (Structural & Assembly) (IMAEAGAH), Acrylics & Methacrylates (PMMA, Acrylic Resins) (IMAEANAG), Label Stock, Inks, Coatings & Laminates (Materials Supply) (IMALAKAL), Sustainable Labels, Adhesives & Inks (Wash-Off Labels, De-inkable Inks, Low-VOC) (IMALAMAJ)

Keywords

• Polymer dispersions
• Water-based binders
• Barrier coatings
• Nonwoven binders
• Architectural coatings binders

Headquarters

HQ city

Espoo

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Polymer Dispersions and Binders: CH-Polymers generates revenue through the sale of water-borne polymer dispersions, latex products, and binders. Products are sold directly to customers in the paper & packaging, nonwoven, and paints & coatings industries. The company operates with large industrial corporations and maintains long-standing customer relationships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CH-Polymers manufactures and sells water-borne polymer dispersions, latex products, and binders for the paper & packaging, nonwoven, and paints & coatings industries. Its portfolio includes Vinyl Acetate Acrylate (VAcA) binders for paper and packaging, the CHP BAR water-based barrier coating family for sustainable food packaging, formaldehyde-free and bio-based binders for nonwovens, and acrylic/styrene acrylic/vinyl acrylic dispersions for architectural and industrial coatings. Production takes place at one of Europe's largest acrylic dispersion plants in Kaipiainen, Finland, supported by a polymer R&D laboratory in Raisio.

Product overview

CH-Polymers is a Finnish company established in 2009 (originating from Raisio Chemicals with 40+ years of polymer expertise) that manufactures water-borne polymer dispersions and binders. The company operates one of Europe's largest acrylic dispersion plants in Kaipiainen, Finland, and maintains a world-class R&D laboratory. The product portfolio is organized into four main business units: (1) Paper & Packaging featuring VAcA binders and CHP BAR water-based barrier coatings for food packaging; (2) Barrier Coatings (CHP BAR series) providing sustainable alternatives to PE, wax, and fluorochemicals; (3) Paints & Coatings offering comprehensive acrylic/styrene acrylic/vinyl acrylic dispersions for architectural and industrial applications with features including low VOC, easy clean, tannin locking, and exterior durability; and (4) Nonwoven & Specialties providing binders for wipes, filtration, wall cover, and molded fibre with formaldehyde-free and bio-based options. The portfolio also includes rheology modifiers (CHP 701) and dispersants (CHP 804). All products are backed by extensive application testing and comply with food contact regulations (BfR, FDA, GB 9685).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paper & Packaging Binders (VAcA) Vinyl Acetate Acrylate (VAcA) polymer binders for paper and board manufacturing providing excellent wet and dry strength, boosted optical properties, superior printability, PE adhesion, and UV-varnishing capability with on-machine drying energy savings of 10-15%. Used by paper, packaging, board, and label manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• On-machine drying energy reduced by 10-15% using VAcA coating
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SUSBINCO ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Sustainable Bio-based Binders and Coatings project with 7 universities/research organizations and 10 companies. Supported by Business Finland through Veturiohjelma funding tool as part of Bio and Circular Finland Programme. Project runs from 1.9.2021-30.11.2023. CH-Polymers focuses on bio-based solutions for Paper & Packaging.
• Oy Chemec AbcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMother company of CH-Polymers specializing in industrial services and products. Oy Chemec Ab is the parent company providing strategic direction and ownership.
• FP-Pigments OyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduces high performance specialty pigments. CH-Polymers works together with FP-Pigments and shares R&D facilities as part of the joint owner base.
• CH-Bioforce OyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist in biopolymers produced by unique fractionation technology. CH-Polymers cooperates with CH-Bioforce and shares R&D facilities.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of FinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCH-Polymers participates in HiPer project (High performance cellulose based composites) funded by Business Finland. VTT leads the project creating biocomposites for automotive, construction and furniture industries using natural fibers and new forming methods like foam forming.
• Åbo Akademi UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCH-Polymers has longstanding cooperation with Åbo Akademi in Turku. Works with the Laboratory of Natural Materials Technology. Principal Investigator Prof. Chunlin Xu leads the SUSBINCO project.
• Forest Gump OyminorOthersCarbon offset partner for tree planting initiatives. CH-Polymers partnered with Forest Gump Oy (istutapuita.fi) to plant trees as part of sustainability efforts.
• EPDLAminorOthersEuropean Polymer Dispersion and Latex Association. CH-Polymers is a member of EPDLA industry association, ensuring their voice is heard when decisions are made.
• Expand Fibre EcosystemminorOthersFinnish ecosystem focused on fiber-based solutions. SUSBINCO project aligns with the mission of Expand Fibre Ecosystem for bio-based developments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Synthomer: UK-listed specialty polymer dispersions and latex manufacturer with strong positions in paper, coatings, adhesives, and nonwovens — the same end-markets CH-Polymers targets. Highly comparable chemistry (acrylic, VA, styrene-acrylic emulsions) and customer overlap in European paper and barrier coatings.
• Wacker Chemie: German specialty chemical company with a large polymer dispersions business (Wacker Polymers) supplying binders for coatings, paper and nonwovens. Direct overlap with CH-Polymers' acrylic and VA-acrylic emulsions across all three business units.
• Trinseo: US-headquartered materials company with significant latex binders and emulsion polymer business serving paper, packaging, and coatings. Closely comparable product mix in acrylic and styrene-acrylic dispersions for paper and barrier applications.
• Organik Kimya: Turkish emulsion polymer producer serving paper, packaging, coatings, textiles, and nonwovens with acrylic and styrene-acrylic dispersions. Comparable mid-size European-adjacent specialty emulsions peer.
• Hexion: US-based producer of specialty resins, binders and adhesives including formaldehyde-free and water-based systems for nonwovens, paper, and coatings. Directly comparable in nonwoven binder chemistry and formaldehyde-free positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Arkema: Global French specialty chemicals major with a substantial adhesives, coating solutions and advanced materials portfolio. Comparable in coating binders and water-based polymer dispersions, but vastly larger and more diversified across many chemistry lines.
• BASF: World's largest chemical company with broad dispersions and binders offerings serving paper, packaging, coatings, and nonwovens. Direct chemistry overlap but operates at global incumbent scale far beyond CH-Polymers.
• Celanese: Global specialty materials company producing VA-E (vinyl acetate ethylene) emulsions and acrylic emulsions for paper, coatings, adhesives, and nonwovens. Directly comparable chemistry base with much broader portfolio and global reach.
• DIC Corporation: Japanese diversified chemicals company with pigments, printing inks, and polymer dispersions for packaging, coatings and industrial uses. Comparable in barrier coatings and pigment-adjacent binder systems.

Regional players

• Stahl: Dutch specialty chemicals company providing polymer dispersions and coatings for packaging, nonwovens, and specialty industrial applications, with strong European presence. Comparable in water-based barrier coatings and nonwoven binders, focused primarily on EMEA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ch-polymers-oy
• Xx.com/chpolymers

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 CH-Polymers