NorFalco

What NorFalco does

NorFalco is a privately held, wholly-owned subsidiary of Glencore and one of North America's largest merchant marketers of sulfuric acid, distributing approximately 2 million tons annually across industrial customers in the United States and Canada. The company was built from the combined corporate histories of Noranda, Falconbridge, Xstrata, and Glencore following the 2013 Xstrata-Glencore merger, and it holds exclusive access to sulfuric acid production from three major North American smelting facilities — including the CEZ Refinery (Canadian Electrolytic Zinc Limited) in Quebec — alongside an unrivaled global supply and trading network via its parent.

The core product is concentrated non-fuming sulfuric acid (93% to 99%) offered in Technical, Commercial, and Battery Electrolyte grades. Production uses the contact process at Glencore- and Noranda Income Fund-owned plants, where sulfur dioxide captured during metal smelting is oxidized over a vanadium pentoxide catalyst. NorFalco does not own primary production but functions as the integrated marketing, logistics, and technical-service arm, delivering product via a multi-modal network of 100-short-ton rail tank cars, 25-40 short-ton tank trucks, and 1,500-20,000+ ton vessels, supported by an extensive terminal network. Award-winning tank car safety design, a 24/7 emergency response infrastructure, and complimentary services — on-site safety inspections, compliance training, handling system design, vendor-managed inventory, and EDI/paperless invoicing — supplement the commodity offering.

NorFalco's business model is B2B sales-led with direct relationships to industrial customers across at least eleven verticals (fertilizer, paints and pigments, explosives, pulp and paper, plastics, detergents, textiles, batteries, specialty chemicals, mineral ore processing, metal refining, petrochemicals, and water treatment). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company holds CIAC Responsible Care certification and has received multiple industry safety awards, including the AAR Grand Slam Award, CN Safe Handling Award for Dangerous Goods, and Union Pacific's Pinnacle Award. Recent strategic activity includes a 2023 non-binding MOU with First Phosphate to supply emerging phosphate processing facilities in Quebec, signaling tentative entry into the battery-materials supply chain.

Name

NorFalco

Legal name

NorFalco LLC

Website

https://norfalco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NorFalco is a Glencore subsidiary and one of North America's largest merchant marketers of sulfuric acid, distributing approximately 2 million tons annually of 93%-99% concentration acid to industrial customers across the US and Canada via an integrated multi-modal rail, road, and vessel logistics network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Chemical Distribution (Sulfuric Acid)

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Concentrates & Intermediate Feedstocks Marketing (Concentrates, Cathodes, Anodes, Alumina) (IMAKAJAJ)

Keywords

• Sulfuric acid distribution
• Industrial chemicals supply
• Merchant chemical marketing
• Battery electrolyte acid
• Hazardous materials logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Sulfuric Acid Sales: NorFalco markets and distributes approximately 2 million tons of sulfuric acid annually, produced at three major plants owned by parent company Glencore and Noranda Income Fund. The company sells various grades including Technical, Commercial, and Battery Electrolyte, in concentrations from 93% to 99%. Revenue is generated through direct sales to industrial customers via a multi-modal distribution network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NorFalco markets and distributes approximately 2 million tons of sulfuric acid annually (93% to 99% concentration) in Technical, Commercial, and Battery Electrolyte grades, sourced exclusively from three major North American production facilities owned by parent company Glencore and the Noranda Income Fund. The company operates a fully integrated multi-modal logistics network (rail tank cars, tank trucks, and ocean vessels) and complements product sales with technical services, safety training, and 24/7 customer service to industrial customers across North America.

Product overview

NorFalco is a sulfuric acid distribution company offering concentrated sulfuric acid (93% to 99%) in Technical, Commercial, and Battery Electrolyte grades. The core product is supplemented by a suite of complementary services including Technical Service Solutions (safety seminars, facility inspections, compliance training, handling system design), Logistics and Supply Chain Solutions (vendor-managed inventory, railcar tracking), and Customer Service Solutions (24/7 support, EDI invoicing). Products are delivered via an integrated multimodal network of tank trucks, tank cars, terminals, and vessels. The company distributes approximately 2 million tons annually from three North American production facilities owned by parent company Glencore and the Noranda Income Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sulfuric Acid (93%-99%, Technical / Commercial / Battery Electrolyte grades) Non-fuming concentrated sulfuric acid in 93% to 99% concentration, available in Technical, Commercial, and Battery Electrolyte grades, shipped to industrial customers via tank trucks, tank cars, and vessels for use in fertilizer production, metal refining, mineral ore processing, water treatment, pulp and paper, petrochemical processing, and battery manufacturing.
• Technical Service Solutions Complimentary services offered to industrial customers including regional safety and technical seminars, customer facility safety inspections, compliance training, handling system design, storage tank specifications, accident investigation support, material compatibility advice, and emergency response training.
• Logistics and Supply Chain Solutions Leak-free sulfuric acid deliveries via award-winning tank cars and trained truck carriers, vendor-managed inventory (VMI), quality management, and customer railcar pipeline reports for industrial customers.
• Customer Service Solutions Dedicated customer service/traffic team offering 24/7 after-hours support for emergency order changes and customer railcar pipeline reporting for industrial sulfuric acid customers.
• Electronic Data Interface (EDI) and Paperless Invoicing Electronic billing and data interchange system available to interested customers for administrative efficiency in sulfuric acid procurement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 2 million tons of sulfuric acid shipped per year
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• First PhosphatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2023NorFalco signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) on July 17, 2023, to potentially supply sulfuric acid for First Phosphate's future industrial facilities in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec. This partnership positions NorFalco as a key supplier for First Phosphate's phosphate processing operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Chemtrade Logistics: Canadian-headquartered chemical producer and distributor with one of the largest sulfuric acid businesses in North America; directly comparable in product portfolio (technical, commercial, and electrolyte grades), multi-modal logistics, and industrial customer base across fertilizer, mining, and chemical processing.
• PVS Chemical Solutions: U.S.-based chemical distributor with a significant sulfuric acid product line serving industrial customers; directly comparable as a regional sulfuric acid merchant marketer competing for similar fertilizer, water treatment, and chemical processing customers.
• ICC Chemical: Global chemical trading and distribution company with sulfuric acid and industrial inorganic chemicals in its product portfolio; comparable as an industrial chemical trader serving manufacturing customers worldwide.
• Hydrite Chemical: U.S.-based chemical manufacturer and distributor serving industrial customers with products including sulfuric acid and related inorganic chemicals; comparable in regional industrial chemical distribution and customer segments.
• LSB Industries: U.S.-based producer and marketer of industrial and agricultural chemicals including sulfuric acid; directly comparable in sulfuric acid production, agricultural customer base, and chemical manufacturing operations.

Broad incumbents

• Brenntag: Global market leader in chemical distribution with North American operations serving industrial customers; comparable in business model (B2B chemical distribution) and customer segments, though sulfuric acid is one of many product lines.
• Solvay: Global chemical manufacturer with sulfuric acid and inorganic chemicals production; comparable as an industrial chemical producer serving similar end markets including mining, electronics, and specialty chemicals.
• Clean Harbors: North America's largest provider of environmental and industrial services including hazardous waste handling; comparable in dangerous-goods transportation, emergency response, and industrial chemical handling infrastructure.
• Univar Solutions: Large North American chemical distributor with broad product portfolio including sulfuric acid; comparable as a chemical distribution competitor but operates across many chemistries rather than specializing in sulfuric acid.
• Veolia: Global environmental services company with sulfuric acid regeneration services and chemical distribution capabilities; comparable in industrial chemical handling infrastructure and hazardous materials expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norfalco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 NorFalco