Chemtan

What Chemtan does

Chemtan Company, Inc. is a privately held specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1948 and headquartered in Exeter, New Hampshire, with a secondary finished-goods and customer service facility in Lee, NH, a sales office in Milwaukee, WI, and a global distribution network spanning 33+ countries. The company develops, produces, and markets leather tanning chemicals covering the full processing chain — beam house, tan/retan, waterproof systems, and finishing — organized under the CHEMTAN, CHEMOL, and GreenTan product brands, and is the largest US producer of phenolic syntans. Its core technical differentiator is a waterproof leather chemistry portfolio (polymers, fatliquors, silicones) supplemented by an eco-friendly GreenTan line for chrome-free, low-nitrogen, and bio-based retanning, with 29 products certified to ZDHC Level 3 via Chem-MAP.

The company serves leather tanneries producing waterproof footwear (e.g., Timberland, Wolverine), apparel (Vanity Fair), and luxury leather goods (Louis Vuitton), as well as automotive, upholstery, garment, and specialty leather segments. Customers are reached through direct technical sales in the USA and a network of technically qualified regional distributors in Mexico, Central and South America, Brazil, Portugal, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India, and Bangladesh. The firm is employee-owned — directors and shareholders are required to be full-time employees — and has remained independent with no private equity, venture capital, or parent-company involvement. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; pricing is not listed and the firm sells primarily via direct technical sales relationships and distributor partnerships, supported by laboratory services, technical schooling, and annual product showlines showcased at trade events such as APLF Hong Kong.

Name

Chemtan

Legal name

Chemtan Company, Inc.

Website

https://chemtan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chemtan is a privately held, employee-owned specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1948 in Exeter, NH, producing waterproof leather tanning chemistries and broader wet-end and finishing chemicals for tanneries serving footwear, automotive, upholstery, and luxury leather goods customers in 33+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Leather Tanning Chemicals

NAICS

Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing (31611), Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)

SIC

Leather & Leather Products (3100), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Textile, Leather & Paper Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hide & Skin Beamhouse Operations (Soaking/Liming/Deliming/Bating) (IMAOAGAB), Chrome Tanning (Wet Blue) (IMAOAGAC), Aldehyde/Synthetic/Combination Tanning (IMAOAGAE), Retanning, Dyeing & Fatliquoring (IMAOAGAF), Finishing & Surface Coating (Pigmented/Aniline/Embossing/Topcoat) (IMAOAGAG), Leather Effluent Treatment & Environmental Compliance Services (IMAOAGAO)

Keywords

• Leather tanning chemicals
• Waterproof leather systems
• Specialty chemical manufacturing
• Wet end leather processing
• Leather finishing chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Leather Tanning Chemicals: Development, production and marketing of specialty and commodity chemicals to the leather tanning industry. Products span beam house, tan/retan, waterproof systems, and finishing categories.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chemtan develops, manufactures, and markets specialty and commodity chemicals for the leather tanning industry. Its product portfolio covers the entire leather processing chain, from beam house (soaking, liming, unhairing, pickling, preservation) through tan/retan, waterproof systems, and finishing. The company is a recognized leader in waterproof leather chemicals and the largest US producer of phenolic syntans, with proprietary technologies including GreenTan® eco-friendly chemistries and patented aminoaldehyde tanning resins.

Product overview

Chemtan is a world leading manufacturer of waterproof leather chemicals, offering a comprehensive portfolio of specialty and commodity chemicals for the leather tanning industry. The product portfolio spans from beam house through finishing, organized into distinct categories: GreenTan® eco-friendly product series (C, ET, M-5, N-90, T-22M, R-5K) for low carbon footprint solutions; Beam & Tan/Biocide products for preservation and preparatory stages; Retan products including buffers/neutralizers, dye assists, degreasers, extracts, fatliquors, fillers, mineral tans, syntans, and specialty chemicals; Water Resistant/Waterproof Systems products (polymers, fatliquors, silicones) for high performance waterproof leathers; and Finishing products including acrylics, polyurethanes, top coats, waxes, oils, pigments (ICE nano-pigments, MP micro-pigments), feel additives, dullers, silicones, and protein binders. The company emphasizes customer service and product creativity with over 75 years of industry expertise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GreenTan®: Eco-friendly product series offering low carbon footprint solution for tanners making leathers with lower environmental impact.
• CHEMTAN®
• CHEMOL®

Products and services

• GreenTan® Eco-Friendly Product Series Eco-friendly, low carbon footprint product series including chrome-free tanning agents (GreenTan® C, ET, M-5), nitrogen reduction deliming (N-90), bio-based polymeric acid retanning (R-5K), and bisphenol-free synthetic retanning (T-22M). Designed for tanners seeking ZDHC and sustainability compliance.
• Beam & Tan / Biocide Products Products for the preparatory stages of leather making including preservation, soaking, liming, unhairing, and antifungal protection. Includes CHEMTAN® A-58, A-64, B-4, B-52, M-5, M-35, M-88, AMICAL®, Unhairing Assist FR-62, PHMB P20D, ZENITH® 388, Z-15AQ.
• Retan Products Comprehensive retanning product line including buffers and neutralizers (CHEMTAN® A-55, N-34R, MAGOX® 98 HR), dye assists, degreasers/emulsifiers (CHEMOL® 215NB, 411), extracts (CHESTNUT, MIMOSA, QUEBRACHO), fatliquors, fillers, mineral tans, acrylic/aminoaldehyde/other resins, and syntans for retanning, filling, and lightfastness.
• Water Resistant / Waterproof Systems Advanced polymers, fatliquors, and silicones specifically formulated to exceed industry waterproof standards and perform across varied environments and retanning systems. Includes CHEMOL® 542 CONC and CHEMTAN® R-97 NEW, R-106, R-146, R-350, S-31, S-33, S-52R.
• Finishing Products Comprehensive leather finishing product family including acrylic polymers (CHEMTAN® AC-840, AC-2093, AC-2540), water-based polyurethanes (PU-88, PU-3024, PU-9382), top coats (TC-990, TC-3183, TC-3450/M, TC-3542, TC-W), waxes (CHEMOL® 323, 329W), finish oils (CHEMOL® 199S, 216, 588), pigments (ICE nano-pigments, MP micro-pigments), feel additives and fillers, finish silicones, dullers, and protein binders for automotive, upholstery, garment, and footwear applications.
• Specialty Chemical Products Other specialty products including CHEMTAN® 440A (defoamer), CR-1, ECO-FIX (formic acid alternative), M-55, R-227, R-20 (iron stain chelate). Designed for defoaming, calcium removal, pH fixing, flame retardancy, and sequestering.
• ICE Pigments Waterborne dispersed organic colorants - ICE BLACK, ICE BLUE, ICE BURGUNDY, ICE COPPER, ICE PINK, ICE RED, ICE YELLOW, ICE WHITE. Nano-sized pigments (10-100nm) for aniline and semi-aniline finishing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces nitrogen effluent by up to 80-100% in deliming bath using GreenTan® N-90
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and regional.

• University of NorthamptonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2016Chemtan donates expertise, time, and samples for week-long lecture and application series teaching students about processing waterproof leather. Students learn influence of wetblue, water sources, chemicals used, and finishing challenges.
• Leather Working Group (LWG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLWG is made up of member brands, retailers, product manufacturers, leather manufacturers, chemical suppliers and technical experts that have worked together to develop an environmental stewardship protocol specifically for the leather manufacturing industry.
• Leather NaturallycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry members association focused on education and promotion of leather. Promotes globally-manufactured sustainable leather and seeks to inspire and inform designers, creators, and consumers about leather's beauty, quality and versatility.
• American Leather Chemists Association (ALCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeventh oldest chemistry association in the United States. Publishes the Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association (JALCA). Promotes advancement of science and engineering applied to leather and leather products industries.
• New England Tanners' ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization committed to education and support of the leather industry. Sponsors educational seminars on industry direction, new technologies and challenges.
• Leather & Hide Council of America (L&HCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade body representing 75 member companies from hide processors to tanners and finished leather goods producers. Provides government, public relations, and international trade assistance. Cooperator under USDA foreign market development programs.
• Midwest Tanners AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional industry association supporting leather industry in the Midwest United States.
• Hela Chemicals S.A. de C. V.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering Mexico market, based in Leon, Mexico. Contact: Sr. Heinz Uebele.
• Conexion AmericanaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering Central & South America (except Brazil & Argentina). Contact: Sr. Tibor E. Furchtgott, Costa Rica.
• MK QUÍMICAregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering Brazil market, based in Portão/RS, Brazil. Contact: Ary C Pires.
• Miguel Oliveira SUCRS, SAregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering Portugal market, based in Porto, Portugal. Contact: Miguel Pedro Oliveira.
• Jiaxing Honglin Co, Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering Mainland China market, based in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province. Contact: Mr. Jody Chow.
• Chiland Enterprise Co. Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering Taiwan market, based in Tainan, Taiwan. Contact: Ms. Sasha.
• Kawamura & Co., Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering Japan market, based in Tokyo. Contact: Mr. T. Kobayashi.
• Dakun CorporationregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering South Korea market. Contact: President Dae Gon (D.G.) Kim.
• Technochem DistributorsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering India market, based in Chennai. Contact: Mr. Paresh Vasa.
• SB Trading InternationalregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor covering Bangladesh market, based in Dhaka. Contact: Mr. SM Abdul Baten.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Clariant (Leather Services): Specialty chemical company with a legacy leather business offering dyes, syntans, and finishing products. Larger and more diversified than Chemtan but serves similar customer segments.
• Lanxess (now Syensqo Leather): Former Lanxess leather chemicals business now part of Syensqo, supplying preservatives, tanning auxiliaries, fatliquors, dyes, and finishing products globally. A much larger incumbent competing with Chemtan across most product lines.
• BASF (Leather & Performance Chemicals): Global chemical major with a leather chemicals portfolio covering wet-end and finishing. Wider product breadth and greater scale than Chemtan, but overlapping customer base in automotive and footwear leather.

Direct peers

• Trumpler: European producer of leather chemicals and auxiliaries, including beamhouse, tanning, retanning, dyeing, fatliquoring, and finishing products. Competes with Chemtan in technical leather wet-end chemistry.
• Pulcra Chemicals: Global specialty chemicals supplier with a dedicated leather business covering beam house, tanning, retanning, dyeing, fatliquoring, and finishing — directly overlapping Chemtan's product categories and customer base.
• TFL (now Heubach/Prabhu): Specialty chemicals company focused exclusively on leather, offering wet-end and finishing products including syntans, fatliquors, and dyes. Closely comparable to Chemtan in product scope and end-market focus.
• Smit & Zoon: Dutch specialty chemicals manufacturer focused on leather wet-end and finishing products, including syntans, fatliquors, and retanning auxiliaries — a direct competitor to Chemtan's CHEMTAN® and CHEMOL® lines.
• Zschimmer & Schwarz: Diversified specialty chemicals manufacturer with a strong leather division producing syntans, fatliquors, and finishing auxiliaries. Comparable in technical product range and customer overlap with Chemtan.
• Stahl (Syensqo): Global leader in leather chemicals and coatings, offering wet-end, finishing, and waterproofing systems directly comparable to Chemtan's portfolio. Serves the same footwear, automotive, and leather goods customers worldwide.

Emerging players

• DyStar: Specialty chemical supplier with strong presence in textile and leather dyes and auxiliaries, overlapping with Chemtan's dye-assist and pigment offerings (e.g., ICE nano-pigments and CHEMOL® dye chemicals).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

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 Chemtan