What Brabant does

Brabant (legal entity: SOCIETE PIERRE BRABANT) is a privately-held French Société Anonyme founded in 1880 by Paul Brabant as a sugar beet distillery and now operating as a 100% family-owned distributor and recycler of industrial alcohols and solvents. The group runs 4 processing/distribution sites across France (Tressin HQ, Mignères, Reims, Gonfreville-l'Orcher, Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône) via six wholly-owned subsidiaries — Société Pierre Brabant, BRABANT Chimie, Charbonneaux Brabant, Distillerie Hauguel (two sites), and Flourent Brabant — and has been a pioneer in solvent recycling since the 1960s.

The company's core technology is solvent and alcohol distillation and regeneration, capable of processing solvents with boiling points below 220°C and recovering up to 95% of noble material from used streams. Brabant operates dedicated recycling installations and an in-house R&D team that develops bespoke regeneration protocols, validated cleaning procedures, and dedicated batch production for client-specific waste profiles — including specialized NMP recycling for battery cathode coating. The product portfolio spans pure and denatured ethanols, isopropanol, methanol and other alcohols; acetates, ketones, chlorinated, petroleum-based, glycol ether, and aromatic solvents; mineral chemistry products (acids, bases, oxidizers); and maintenance/cleaning formulations, available in packaging from 1L bottles through 30,000L bulk truckloads.

Brabant generates revenue through three primary mechanics: (1) one-time distribution of new alcohols and solvents, (2) sale of regenerated/renewed solvents from its own recycling operations, and (3) toll/professional recycling services for industrial clients' used solvents, including waste removal and either return of recycled product or alternative outlet placement. GTM is sales-led and event-driven — direct industrial sales teams supplemented by participation in industry events such as Battery Tech Expo. Primary customer verticals are industrial manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and battery manufacturers; secondary verticals include paints/coatings and miscellaneous industrial sectors. Pricing is quote-based with no public disclosure, consistent with bespoke B2B contracts. Certifications include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001, supporting pharmaceutical-grade and regulated-end-market access.

Name

Brabant

Legal name

SOCIETE PIERRE BRABANT

Website

https://brabant.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brabant is a French family-owned industrial chemicals company (founded 1880) that distributes and recycles alcohols, solvents, and mineral chemistry products for industrial, pharmaceutical, and battery manufacturers across four French sites, with 60+ years of solvent regeneration expertise and up to 95% material recovery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Chemical Distribution & Solvent Recycling

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Solvent Recovery & Hazardous Waste Recycling/Reclamation (Distillation, Reuse) (BPALAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bulk Industrial Solvents (IMAEAAAE), Hazardous Waste Recycling & Recovery (Solvent Recovery, Oil Re-refining, Metals Recovery) (EUAIAFAI)

Keywords

• Industrial chemical distribution
• Solvent regeneration
• Alcohol distribution
• Industrial recycling services
• Specialty chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Gonfreville-l'orcher

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Solvent and Alcohol Distribution: Distribution of new alcohols (ethanol, isopropanol, propanol) and solvents (acetates, ketones, chlorinated, glycols, petroleum-based) to industrial customers. Products sold from 1L bottles to full truckload bulk quantities (1,000-30,000L).
2. Recycled/Renewed Solvents and Alcohols: Sale of regenerated solvents and alcohols from company's own recycling operations. Recycled solvents restored to original physicochemical properties through regeneration process.
3. Recycling Services (Toll Recycling): Recycling services for industrial clients' used solvents, including collection, regeneration, and either return of recycled product to client or finding alternative outlets for regenerated materials. Minimum 5 liters for custom recycling development.
4. Mineral Chemistry Products: Distribution of mineral chemistry products including hydrochloric acid, caustic soda, caustic potash, bleach solutions in various grades (technical, food, pharmaceutical) and packaging options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Brabant distributes industrial alcohols and solvents to industrial clients across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, perfumery, food, cosmetics, chemicals, paints, lubricants, and printing. The company also provides custom regeneration/recycling services that recover up to 95% of solvent waste, returning it to virgin-grade quality for reuse across four processing sites in France.

Product overview

Brabant is a French family-owned company (established 1880) specializing in the distribution and recycling of alcohols and solvents for industrial applications. Their product portfolio includes: pure and denatured ethanols, isopropanol, methanol, and other alcohols; ketone, acetate, chlorinated, petroleum-based, glycol ether, and aromatic solvents; mineral chemistry products (acids, bases, oxidizers); and maintenance/cleaning products. They offer regeneration/recycling services for industrial clients with custom (toll) recycling options and waste removal services. Their regenerated solvents are sold alongside new products. The company operates across 4 sites and holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001 certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Alcohols (Ethanol, Methanol, Isopropanol) Denatured and virgin-grade ethanol, methanol, and isopropanol (IPA) supplied to pharmaceutical, perfumery, cosmetics, and food industries.
• Ketonic Solvents (Acetone, MEK, MIBK) Ketone-based solvents sold to paints, coatings, and chemical manufacturing industries.
• Acetate, Chlorinated, Petroleum, and Glycol Ether Solvents A broad portfolio of solvent families supplied to pharmaceutical, printing, and chemical processing clients.
• Mineral Chemistry Products (Acids, Bases, Oxidizers) Mineral acids, bases, oxidizing agents, and salts supplied to industrial and water-treatment clients through the Charbonneaux Brabant brand.
• Custom Solvent Regeneration/Recycling Service Custom regeneration of client-used solvents via distillation and physico-chemical treatments, returning waste streams to virgin-grade quality with up to 95% material recovery.
• NMP Recycling for Battery Industry Recycling and regeneration of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent used in battery electrode manufacturing, supporting closed-loop battery material flows.
• Industrial Waste Removal and Retreatment

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 95% noble material recovery from certain solvents
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PolepharmacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Brabant joined Polepharma, the first pharmaceutical industrial cooperation in Europe, to reinforce commitment to a more sustainable, performant, and sovereign pharmaceutical industry. This partnership strengthens Brabant's position in the French pharmaceutical sector and confirms engagement with industry players, accompanying them toward more responsible and circular solvent management.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Solvay: Belgian chemical manufacturer producing industrial solvents, alcohols, and specialty chemicals. Comparable in product portfolio but operates as an upstream manufacturer rather than recycler/distributor; broader portfolio including polymers and composites.
• Clean Harbors: North American leader in hazardous waste management with solvent recycling operations. Comparable in hazardous waste handling and solvent recovery but with broader environmental services portfolio and larger scale than Brabant.
• Veolia: French-headquartered environmental services giant with hazardous waste treatment and recycling divisions. Operates competing solvent recovery services with much larger geographic footprint; relevant adjacency for Brabant's recycling business and circular chemistry positioning.

Direct peers

• Univar Solutions: Global chemical distributor of specialty chemicals and solvents with strong European presence. Comparable in product portfolio (solvents, alcohols) and target industrial customers, competing in the same distribution channels Brabant serves.
• Brenntag: World's largest chemical distributor offering industrial solvents, alcohols, and specialty chemicals to industrial customers across Europe. Direct competitor in Brabant's new-solvent distribution stream with overlapping customer base in pharma, coatings, and manufacturing.
• Tradebe: Spain-headquartered hazardous waste management and solvent recycling company with significant operations across Europe. Comparable in solvent recovery services and hazardous waste handling, serving similar industrial customers with regeneration capabilities.
• Heritage-Crystal Clean: US-listed solvent recycler and re-refiner providing parts cleaning and hazardous waste services. Closest direct peer in solvent regeneration/distillation with toll recycling offerings to industrial clients, similar to Brabant's regeneration workshops.
• Helm AG: Hamburg-based chemical distribution and marketing company specializing in solvents, alcohols, and specialty chemicals. Direct peer in European industrial chemical distribution with similar focus on regulated industrial verticals.

Emerging players

• ICC Chemical: Specialty chemical distributor focused on industrial solvents and chemicals with growing European presence. Comparable in solvent distribution but at smaller scale and earlier geographic expansion stage than Brabant.

Others

• Suez (now part of Veolia): Formerly independent French waste management and recycling major (acquired by Veolia in 2022). Adjacent peer in industrial waste recovery with overlapping customer base but historically focused on municipal/industrial water and waste streams rather than solvent-specific regeneration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/distillerie-hauguel-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 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 Brabant