Chemstar Products

What Chemstar Products does

Chemstar Products Company is a privately held, family-owned specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1965 by Paul Werler and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company develops and produces bio-based starch polymer products derived from corn, potatoes, wheat, and tapioca, leveraging proprietary modification technologies including pregelatinization, derivatization (starch ethers, carboxymethyl starch), and advanced processing methods. Its portfolio spans branded product families such as DrilStar and ExStar for oil & gas drilling fluids, GlucoSol/GlucoStar and FiberStar for construction, paper, and packaging, HydroStar for mining and electrowinning, StarTak and DustStar for environmental and erosion-control applications, InStar for laundry, and GlucoStar C-500 for textiles. Manufacturing is conducted across three strategically located U.S. plants (Brookhaven, Mississippi; Carlton, Minnesota; and the historical McPherson, Kansas facility originally opened in 1965), with global distribution and an international consignment program supporting stock in key regions including the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Russia/CIS, and West Africa.

The company's revenue model combines direct B2B industrial product sales (sold under Chemstar brand names and via private-label/contract-manufacturing arrangements) with collaborative custom development work performed through the Paul F. Werler Innovation Center in Minneapolis, which houses an R&D lab and pilot plant that replicates plant-scale production. Quote-based pricing is applied to bulk industrial orders packaged in 25 lb, 50 lb, and 2,000 lb Supersacks under multi-year contract terms. The GTM motion is sales-led, relying on dedicated sales and technical specialists organized by industry, supported by Lunch & Learn sessions, 48-hour sample turnaround, EDI capabilities, and active participation in industry trade shows (World of Concrete, National Fluids Technical Conference, SME Annual Meeting, Drymix Mortars Conference) and standards bodies (API, AADE, SME, NAM).

Chemstar sells into nine industrial verticals — Oil & Gas, Construction, Paper/Packaging, Mining, Paints/Coatings/Inks, Adhesives, Environmental, Laundry, and Textiles — with oil & gas, construction, and mining appearing as the most strategically emphasized end markets. Key product differentiators include unique hydration profiles that prevent gel agglomeration, thermal stability up to 300°F for high-temperature drilling, and 100% bio-based content that supports customers' sustainability goals. Compliance with Microtox, OSPAR, REACH, and HOCNF standards opens access to environmentally sensitive offshore and international drilling markets. The firm is led by second-generation President James Werler, has 101-250 employees, and discloses no external institutional ownership or capital raises.

Name

Chemstar Products

Legal name

Chemstar Products Company

Website

https://chemstar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Chemstar Products is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of bio-based starch polymers serving Oil & Gas, Construction, Mining, Paper/Packaging, Adhesives, and other industrial markets with proprietary products like DrilStar, GlucoSol, and HydroStar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Wet Corn Milling and Starch Manufacturing (311221), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)

akta.pro primary industry

Starches & Grain Derivatives Manufacturing (cornstarch, maltodextrin, glucose solids) (AFAKABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Starch-Based Thickeners (Native & Modified Starches, Dextrins) (AFAJAMAA), Starch-Based Stabilizers (Native/Modified Starches, Dextrins) (AFAJACAG), Starch-Based Biodegradable Materials (TPS compounds, blends) (IMAEAOAF)

Keywords

• Industrial starch polymers
• Bio-based polymer products
• Modified starch materials
• Oilfield drilling polymers
• Construction adhesives polymers

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 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. Industrial Starch Polymer Products: Sale of proprietary starch-based polymer products to industrial manufacturers across multiple verticals including oil & gas, construction, mining, and adhesives. Products sold under branded names (DrilStar, GlucoSol, HydroStar, etc.) and private-label arrangements.
2. Custom Formulation & Development: Collaborative R&D and custom product development services through the Paul F. Werler Innovation Center. Process includes discovery, design, development, and launch phases with customer collaboration.
3. Private-Label Products: Manufacturing of products under customer brand names. Many customers market Chemstar starch products under their own brand names. Includes packaging customization with customer logos.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chemstar Products manufactures and supplies starch-based polymers for industrial applications across oil & gas, construction, paper/packaging, mining, paints/coatings/inks, adhesives, environmental, laundry, and textiles verticals. The company offers proprietary modified starch products including pre-gelatinized and derivatized starches (DrilStar, GlucoSol, HydroStar, StarTak and others) under its own brands and via private-label arrangements, plus custom formulation and development services through its Paul F. Werler Innovation Center.

Product overview

Chemstar Products is an industrial starch polymer specialist offering a diverse portfolio of bio-based polymer products across multiple product families. The company's offerings include DrilStar and ExStar series for oil and gas drilling applications, GlucoSol/GlucoStar, FiberStar, and GlucoPlus series for construction, paper/packaging, mining, and industrial applications, StarPak and Starlose for specialized drilling, HydroStar for mining electrowinning, StarTak and DustStar for environmental/erosion control, InStar for laundry applications, and GlucoStar C-500 for textiles. These products are derived from corn, potatoes, wheat, and tapioca and serve industries including Oil & Gas, Construction, Mining, Paper/Packaging, Paints/Coatings/Inks, Adhesives, Environmental, Laundry, and Textiles. The company also provides custom development services through its Paul F. Werler Innovation Center and private-label opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GlucoSol Series

Quantifiable outcome

• Replace higher-priced polymers with starch solutions to minimize total well spend
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered moderate and minor.

• American Petroleum Institute (API)moderateOthersChemstar has been a member of API for more than 40 years and actively participates in specification committees to help set standards worldwide for oil drilling operations. Company sponsors API Winter Standards Meetings.
• American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE)moderateOthersLong-term membership in AADE with active participation in bi-annual National Fluids Technical Conference and Exhibition. Technical presentations on drilling fluid innovations.
• Society of Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME)minorOthersActive participation in SME Annual Meeting focused on mining industry trends, safety, and technology advancements.
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)minorOthersSupport of NAM's 'This Is Our Shot' campaign supporting COVID-19 vaccine education and adoption.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ADM: Global agribusiness and food-processing major with a substantial starch and bio-based industrial ingredients platform. Comparable as a broad incumbent across paper, construction, and industrial starch end markets with vastly larger scale than Chemstar.
• Kemira: Finnish specialty chemicals company with major water-intensive-industries franchises serving paper, packaging, and oil & gas applications. Comparable to Chemstar as an industrial functional chemistry supplier serving shared end markets including paper/packaging.
• Cargill: One of the world's largest privately held agribusinesses with extensive corn wet milling and bio-based industrial chemicals. Comparable as a much broader incumbent in industrial starches and modified polymers, with significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Avebe: Dutch cooperative specializing in potato-derived starch and protein derivatives for industrial applications including paper, construction, adhesives, and textiles. Directly comparable to Chemstar's specialty industrial starch derivatives from a single botanical source.
• Tereos: French cooperative starch, sugar, and ethanol producer with growing industrial starch and bio-based ingredient offerings for paper, construction, and chemical customers. Comparable to Chemstar's starch-based polymer portfolio serving multiple industrial verticals.
• AGRANA: Austria-based starch, sugar, and fruit processor with a dedicated industrial starch segment serving construction, paper, and technical applications. Comparable to Chemstar in modified starch derivatives for industrial end-markets, with similar specialty focus.
• Ingredion Incorporated: Global ingredient solutions provider operating large-scale wet corn milling with industrial starch, modified starch, and bio-based polymer portfolios serving food and industrial customers. Directly comparable to Chemstar as a starch-derived polymer supplier serving paper, construction, and textile end markets.
• Roquette: French-headquartered global leader in starch and polyol production with significant industrial starch derivatives for paper, construction, and pharmaceutical use. Closely comparable to Chemstar in modified and pre-gelatinized starch chemistry for industrial applications.
• Tate & Lyle: Specialty food and ingredient company with a dedicated industrial starch and sweetener portfolio serving paper, construction chemicals, and personal care. Comparable to Chemstar in modified starch chemistry and downstream industrial applications.

Emerging players

• Emsland Group: German specialty potato starch producer focused on food and technical/industrial starch derivatives including modified starches for paper and construction. Comparable to Chemstar in modified starch chemistry and industrial end-market diversification.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chemstar-products

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Chemstar Products