Norac Additives

What Norac Additives does

Norac Additives, LLC is a US-based specialty oleochemicals manufacturer founded in 1966 and headquartered in Ambler, Pennsylvania, with manufacturing operations in Helena, Arkansas. The company develops, produces, and markets metallic stearates (calcium, zinc, magnesium, lithium, aluminum, potassium, sodium variants), calcium/zinc heat stabilizers, ester-based lubricants, and stearate dispersions, organized under multiple product brands (COAD, NORAC, NORSTAB, LIGASTAR, LIGAFLUID, LIGALUB, LIGAPHOB, MATHE, LIGAFOOD, PALMSTAR). Its proprietary COAD manufacturing process, developed upon the 1966 acquisition of The Mathe Company, is the technical foundation of metallic stearate production, supplemented by an application technology laboratory in Ambler, PA (with expansion plans into polyolefins) and a fully equipped quality control laboratory in Helena, AR (XRF, NIR, laser diffraction, wet-chemical analytics). The company holds ISO 9001, NSF, and RSPO Mass Balance certifications, alongside EcoVadis Bronze recognition for its parent group.

Norac Additives serves industrial manufacturers across five primary segments: plastics (PVC and engineering plastics with a strong focus on PVC stabilization and lubrication), construction (hydrophobing agents for cement-based materials, ETICS, and concrete), rubber (release agents and processing aids), lubricants (sustainable ester base oils and greases), and paper (coating additives and hydrophobing). End-use problems addressed include heat stability and degradation prevention in PVC processing, lubrication and flow control in plastics, water absorption and efflorescence control in construction materials, release efficiency in rubber manufacturing, and renewable content / biodegradability in industrial lubricant formulations.

The business model is direct enterprise field sales of formulated additive products to industrial manufacturers, supported by technical sales representatives who provide application-specific consultation and custom formulation services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Norac Additives has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Peter Greven Group, an international family-owned oleochemicals producer, since 2017; the parent group celebrated its centennial in 2023 and operates production sites across Europe, North America, and Asia (including a Penang joint venture with IOI Oleochemicals), providing Norac with global raw material sourcing, coordinated R&D, and a multi-continent platform for future expansion.

Name

Norac Additives

Legal name

Norac Additives, LLC

Website

https://noracadditives.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Norac Additives is a US specialty oleochemicals manufacturer producing metallic stearates, calcium/zinc heat stabilizers, ester lubricants, and dispersions for plastics, construction, rubber, lubricants, and paper industrial manufacturers via direct enterprise field sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemical Additives

NAICS

Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins (325991), Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Polymer Additives & Modifiers (Stabilizers, Plasticizers, Impact Modifiers, FRs) (IMAEANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gear Oils & Transmission Fluids (IMAEAMAE)

Keywords

• Metallic stearates
• Heat stabilizers
• Ester lubricants
• Oleochemical additives
• PVC processing aids

Headquarters

HQ city

Ambler

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Oleochemical Additives Sales: Sale of metallic stearates, heat stabilizers, ester lubricants, and dispersions to industrial manufacturers. Products are sold directly to customers in plastics, construction, rubber, lubricants, and paper industries. Revenue is generated through product sales with potential for custom formulation and technical service packages.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Norac Additives develops, manufactures, and markets metallic stearates (calcium, zinc, magnesium, lithium, aluminum, potassium, sodium), calcium/zinc heat stabilizers, ester-based lubricants, and stearate dispersions for industrial manufacturers. The company serves the plastics, construction, rubber, lubricants, and paper industries using its proprietary COAD manufacturing process and renewable natural fats and oils as base raw materials.

Product overview

Norac Additives is a producer of oleochemicals specializing in metallic soaps, heat stabilizers, ester lubricants, and dispersions for the plastics, construction, rubber, and lubricant industries. The product portfolio is organized into interconnected product lines: COAD® and MATHE® metallic stearates (calcium, zinc, magnesium, lithium, aluminum, potassium, sodium variants) serve as stabilizers, acid scavengers, and release agents; NORSTAB® calcium/zinc heat stabilizers provide PVC stabilization; NORAC® EL individual ester lubricants and NORAC® XL formulated lubricant blends address PVC processing lubrication; LIGALUB® sustainable ester lubricants serve broader industrial lubricant applications; and LIGAPHOB® hydrophobing agents and LIGAFLUID® dispersions address construction material protection and specialty applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COAD: Product brand for calcium, zinc, magnesium, and sodium stearates
• NORAC
• NORSTAB
• LIGALUB
• LIGASTAR
• LIGAPHOB
• LIGAFLUID
• LIGAFOOD
• MATHE
• PALMSTAR

Products and services

• COAD Calcium Stearates Calcium-based metallic stearates used as stabilizers, acid scavengers, and release agents in plastics, construction materials, and rubber applications. Includes COAD 10, 10B, 10C, 10F, 10LD, 13D, 13F, LM, and vegetable-grade variants.
• COAD Zinc Stearates Zinc-based metallic stearates used as stabilizers, acid scavengers, and release agents. Includes COAD 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27D, 27F, prill variants, and dispersion forms.
• COAD Magnesium Stearates Magnesium-based metallic stearates including COAD 40 and COAD 41, used as release agents and stabilizers in industrial applications.
• LIGASTAR Specialty Metallic Stearates Specialty metallic stearates including aluminum, lithium, and potassium stearates used in greases, lubricants, and industrial applications.
• NORSTAB Calcium/Zinc Heat Stabilizers Calcium/zinc-based heat stabilizers for PVC processing serving flexible and rigid PVC applications including medical, FDA, wire insulation, and weatherable formulations.
• NORAC Individual Ester Lubricants Individual ester-based lubricants for PVC and plastics processing. Products include NORAC EL-10, EL-11, EL-15, EL-280, EL-33, EL-70, 95-V, and TPSA for internal/external lubrication in extrusion, injection molding, and clear bottle applications.
• NORAC XL Formulated Lubricant Blends Pre-formulated ester-based lubricant blends for PVC processing. Products include NORAC XL-53 for foam profile extrusion, XL-63 for foam board/sheet, XL-65A for rigid PVC pipe (NSF approved), and XL-77 for solid and foam profile extrusion.
• LIGALUB Sustainable Ester Lubricants Sustainable ester lubricants developed for the lubricant industry, including mono esters, glycerol esters, polyol esters, and complex esters. Used as base oils for hydraulic oils, gear oils, chain oils, metal working fluids, and engine oils.
• LIGAPHOB Hydrophobing Agents Hydrophobing agents for construction materials including stucco, ETICS, and concrete. Includes LIGAPHOB N 90 (sodium oleate) and LIGAPHOB N 90 Plus reactive hydrophobes, alkaline metal oleate powders, and blends.
• LIGAFLUID Stearate Dispersions Stearate dispersions used in paper coating, construction, and rubber applications as hydrophobing agents in concrete and processing aids in rubber manufacturing.
• COAD Paper Coating Additives Metallic stearate dispersions for paper coating color lubricants that facilitate processing during and after paper coating, prevent sticking to calendar rolls, act as hydrophobing agents, limit foam development, and improve shine and smoothness.
• CaZn Stabilizer Boosters Product Line

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Peter Greven GroupcoreOthers · 1 January 2017Parent company acquisition in 2017. Peter Greven Group is an international producer of oleochemicals with production sites on three continents (Europe, North America, Asia). Norac Additives operates as a subsidiary under this parent company, benefiting from global raw material sourcing, shared sustainability initiatives, and coordinated product development.
• IOI OleochemicalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner for Peter Greven Asia Sdn. Bhd. in Penang, Malaysia. IOI Oleochemicals collaborates with Peter Greven Group to serve the Asian market with oleochemical products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BASF SE: World's largest chemical company with extensive plastic additives portfolio including heat stabilizers, UV stabilizers, and processing aids serving PVC, polyolefins, and engineering plastics. Broad incumbent competing across all of Norac's product categories with substantially greater R&D and commercial scale.
• Clariant AG: Swiss specialty chemicals company with polymer additives and industrial lubricant businesses including wax-based additives and specialty stabilizers. Broad incumbent with overlapping product lines in plastics processing aids and industrial specialty chemicals.
• Evonik Industries AG: German specialty chemicals company with additives and coating additives business including lubricant additives and polymer processing aids. Broad incumbent with comparable specialty additives offerings serving plastics and industrial lubricant end markets.

Direct peers

• PMC Group: Diversified US-based specialty chemicals manufacturer with significant plastics additives business including stabilizers and processing aids. Comparable to Norac in heat stabilizer technology and serving similar plastics processing and rubber customer segments with branded specialty products.
• Baerlocher GmbH: German-headquartered global leader in metallic stearates and PVC stabilizer systems with comparable product portfolio across calcium, zinc, and specialty stearates. Directly competes with Norac in plastic additives and lubricant thickeners serving overlapping customer base in PVC processing.
• Reagens S.p.A. Italian specialty chemicals company producing PVC heat stabilizers, lubricants, and processing aids for plastics and rubber applications. Directly comparable product offerings including CaZn stabilizers and ester lubricants serving similar PVC processing customers.
• Songwon Industrial Co., Ltd. Korean-headquartered global specialty chemicals company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of polymer stabilizers including CaZn systems and specialty additives. Direct competitor to Norac's NORSTAB heat stabilizer portfolio with global commercial reach.
• Dover Chemical Corporation: US manufacturer of specialty chemical additives including metallic stearates, chlorinated paraffins, and polymer stabilizers for plastics, rubber, and metalworking fluids. Directly comparable in product focus on metallic stearates and North American customer base in plastics processing.
• Valtris Specialty Chemicals: US-based specialty chemicals manufacturer producing plasticizers, heat stabilizers, and polymer additives for plastics, coatings, and lubricants industries. Direct competitor with comparable North American footprint and overlapping customer base in PVC compounding and industrial lubricant formulations.
• FACI S.p.A. Italian specialty chemical manufacturer focused on metallic stearates and PVC stabilizers with production in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Closely comparable to Norac in product mix, end-market focus on plastics, and customer base in PVC and rubber processing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Norac Additives