Pfaltz & Bauer

What Pfaltz & Bauer does

Pfaltz & Bauer is a privately held specialty chemical supplier headquartered in Waterbury, Connecticut, originally founded in 1900 and restructured under new ownership in 1996. The company supplies rare, discontinued, and hard-to-find research and laboratory chemicals, as well as a broader product range, to researchers in industry, government, and academia, and provides the same specialty chemicals in bulk to manufacturers worldwide. Its core product offerings include the Molecular Mall online catalog of in-stock specialty chemicals (available for same-day shipping), a Flavor and Fragrance Chemicals catalog with over 700 products, bulk and custom-manufactured chemicals, and custom packaging services spanning milligram to multi-drum quantities.

The company's operations are anchored by a 62,000 sq ft (6,000 sq m) production, warehouse, and office facility housing many research and laboratory chemicals that are not generally available from competitors. Specialized storage infrastructure supports flammables, highly reactive materials, water-reactive chemicals, and temperature-sensitive materials, with a final quality check performed between stockroom and packaging prior to shipment. Pfaltz & Bauer maintains an in-house capability to source rare chemicals not in stock via its global network of custom manufacturers, responding with availability status within hours (maximum 48 hours for complex cases).

The business model is transactional catalog sales with a $60 minimum order, pay-as-you-go pricing, and same-day shipping on the majority of orders. The company operates a dual go-to-market: direct-to-consumer online ordering via pfaltzandbauer.com (credit card and P.O. options) and a global distribution network spanning more than 20 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia. Major US distribution partners include VWR International, Fisher Scientific (ThermoFisher), and LabNetwork, complemented by regional distributors in international markets. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company does not appear to have venture capital, private equity, or parent-company affiliations.

Name

Pfaltz & Bauer

Legal name

Pfaltz & Bauer

Website

https://pfaltzandbauer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pfaltz & Bauer is a privately held specialty chemical supplier founded in 1900 and based in Waterbury, Connecticut, that distributes rare, discontinued, and hard-to-find research and laboratory chemicals to academic, government, and industrial customers across 25+ countries via direct e-commerce and a global distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterbury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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. Research and Laboratory Chemicals: Sale of rare, discontinued, and unique research chemicals and laboratory chemicals. Products available in various quantities from milligrams to drum quantities. Same-day shipping available.
2. Flavor and Fragrance Chemicals: Sale of flavor and fragrance chemicals catalog products.
3. Bulk/Manufacturing Quantities: Bulk quantities of specialty chemicals available for manufacturers. Custom orders packaged in requested quantities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pfaltz & Bauer supplies rare, discontinued, and hard-to-find research chemicals and laboratory chemicals to researchers in industry, government, and academia, and provides bulk specialty chemicals to manufacturers worldwide. The company maintains its own inventory at a 62,000 sq. ft. facility in Connecticut, packages orders in custom quantities from milligram to drum scale, and offers an online Molecular Mall catalog with same-day shipping on in-stock items.

Product overview

Pfaltz & Bauer is a chemical supplier founded in 1900 that operates as a single unified offering centered on specialty chemical distribution. The company offers an online Molecular Mall platform for searching and ordering hundreds of in-stock specialty chemicals, a Flavor and Fragrance Chemicals catalog with over 700 products, research and laboratory chemicals for researchers in industry, government, and academia, bulk chemicals for manufacturers, and custom packaging services. The company differentiates by sourcing rare and hard-to-find chemicals, offering same-day shipping on in-stock items, and providing custom quantities from milligram to drum scale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Molecular Mall Online catalog platform containing hundreds of specialty chemicals in stock, available for same-day shipping. Allows researchers to search and order rare and hard-to-find research and laboratory chemicals by name, CAS number, and specifications.
• Flavor and Fragrance Chemicals Specialized catalog featuring over 700 flavor and fragrance chemical products for researchers and manufacturers in the food, cosmetic, and fragrance industries.
• Research and Laboratory Chemicals Hard-to-find research chemicals and laboratory chemicals supplied to researchers in industry, government, and academia, available in milligram through drum quantities.
• Bulk Specialty Chemicals Specialty chemicals supplied in bulk quantities to manufacturers worldwide, with storage options including dedicated areas for flammables, water-reactive materials, and temperature-sensitive chemicals, and blanket order fulfillment.
• Custom Packaging and Order Services Custom order and packaging services allowing orders in virtually any size quantity, not just catalog quantities, with analysis and packaging performed immediately prior to shipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day shipping on majority of orders
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 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

32 partnerships are on record, tiered major and regional.

• VWR International, Inc.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor for Pfaltz & Bauer chemicals. Located at Goshen Corporate Park West, 1310 Goshen Parkway, West Chester, PA 19380.
• Fisher Scientific Company (ThermoFisher Scientific)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor for Pfaltz & Bauer chemicals. Division of ThermoFisher Scientific, Inc. Located at 600 Business Center Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205.
• LabNetwork, Inc.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor with international capability. Located in South Portland, Maine. Offers US toll free and international phone numbers.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distributor. Located at 5 Caribbean Drive, Scoresby VIC 3179.
• GENTAUR Europe BVBAregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelgian distributor. Located at Voortstraat 49, 1910 Kampenhout BELGIUM.
• GENTAUR BULGARIAregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBulgarian distributor. Located at 53 Graf Ignatiev Str., Sofia 1000.
• InterchimregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distributor. Located at 211 Bis avenue J.F. Kennedy, BP 1140, 03100 Montlucon Cedex, FRANCE.
• Carlo Erba-SDSregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distributor. Located at Z.I Valdonne, B.P 4, 13124 PEYPIN, France.
• CliniSciences S.A.SregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distributor. Located at 74 Rue des Suisses, 92000 Nanterre, France.
• Greyhound Chromatography and Allied ChemicalsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK distributor. Located at Analysis House, 6 Kelvin Park, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 1LT, United Kingdom.
• Cheshire Sciences (UK) Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK distributor. Located at 67 Bridge Street Rows East, Chester, CH1 1NW.
• Hölzel Diagnostika Handels GmbHregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustrian/German distributor. Located at Hohenzollernring 38, 50672 Köln, Germany.
• GENTAUR Poland Sp. z.o.oregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPolish distributor. Located at Ulica Ogarma 15/19B m2, 80-826 GDANSK, Poland.
• GENTAUR SRL IVA IT03841300167regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian distributor. Located at Piazza Giacomo Matteotti 6, 24122 Bergamo, Italia.
• Advanced Tech. & Ind. Co., LTD.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChinese distributor (Hong Kong). Located at Room 50, 9/F, Block F, 31-41 Shan Mei St, Wah Lok Industrial Centre, Fo Tan, Hong Kong.
• Angene International LimitedregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChinese distributor. Located at Nanjing Zhongshan Science and Technology Park, No.9 Kechuang Road, Liuhe District, Nanjing, China 211505.
• Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese distributor. Laboratory Chemicals Division located at 1-2, Doshomachi 3-Chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka 540-8605, Japan.
• Samchun Chemical Co. Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKorean distributor. Located at 7-7, Bongeunsa-ro 37-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 135010, South Korea.
• GVK Biosciences Private LimitedregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndian distributor. Located at 28A, IDA Nacharam, Hyderabad 500 076, India.
• ChempureregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndian distributor. Located at 328, Ashirwad Industrial Estate, Bldg #3, Ram Nabdur Rd, Goregaon (West), Mumbai 400104.
• Doron Scientific Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIsraeli distributor. Located at 7 Hakfar Street, Kiryat Ono 5552504, Israel.
• Holland Moran Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIsraeli distributor. Located at 15 Geron St., PO Box 2753, Industrial Zone, Yehud 56217, Israel.
• Chemikalie Pte LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSingaporean distributor. Located at 10 Anson Road, #15-14 International Plaza, Singapore 079903.
• Chemie*STAR InternationalregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSingaporean distributor. Located at 190 Middle Road, #19-05 Fortune Centre, Singapore 188979.
• Separation Scientific SA (Pty) LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouth African distributor.
• Chemie Brunschwig AGregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss distributor. Located at Belchenstrasse 12, Postfach, CH-4009 Basel, Switzerland.
• Apex Chemicals Co., Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThai distributor. Head Office at 2034/87 Italthai Tower 19th Floor, New Petchburi Road, Bangkapi, Huaykwang, Bangkok 10310, Thailand.
• TECHNIMEX JSCregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVietnamese distributor. Located at 70 Tran Hung Dao str., Hoan Kiem dist., Hanoi, Vietnam.
• Pluton ChemicalsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurkish distributor. Located at EMEK 6. Sokak (Eski 81. S) No: 7 D: 6, 06510 Çankaya, Ankara, Türkiye.
• Gulf Energy Technology & ProjectsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQatari distributor. Located at Ind Area St. No. 13 - Gate No. 44, P.O Box 10161, Doha, State of Qatar.
• Grupo Quimico SASregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorColombian distributor. Located at Carrera 53F 5A 25, Bogota D.C., COLOMBIA.
• Stefanie T. K. Jones / Hexagon ChemicalregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreek distributor. Located at 2 Kavalas Street, GR 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Strem Chemicals: Specialty chemical supplier focused on research and development chemicals, catalysts, and materials. Closely comparable business model centered on rare compounds, small-quantity research orders, and global reach.
• Alfa Aesar (Thermo Fisher Scientific): Research chemicals and materials supplier now owned by Thermo Fisher Scientific, offering rare and discontinued chemicals with global distribution. Direct competitor that benefits from Thermo Fisher's scale and is itself one of Pfaltz & Bauer's largest distribution partners — illustrating both overlap and channel dependency.
• TCI Chemicals: Japanese specialty chemical manufacturer and supplier with a deep catalog of organic and inorganic research chemicals. Competes head-to-head with Pfaltz & Bauer in rare chemicals, with a similar focus on small-quantity research orders and bulk manufacturing supply.
• Santa Cruz Biotechnology: Research chemical and reagent supplier with a deep catalog serving life science research. Comparable in the research chemicals space, though with stronger emphasis on biological reagents alongside chemistry products.
• Chem-Impex International: US-based research chemical supplier with a broad catalog of rare and hard-to-find compounds. Competes directly with Pfaltz & Bauer on research-grade specialty chemicals and serves similar academic, government, and industrial customers.
• Oakwood Chemical: Specialty chemical manufacturer and supplier of research chemicals and intermediates with custom synthesis capabilities. Comparable business model with bulk chemical supply and small-quantity research fulfillment.
• Matrix Scientific: Research and specialty chemical supplier offering a broad catalog of rare and discontinued compounds. Comparable to Pfaltz & Bauer in the rare chemicals space with direct-to-researcher distribution.
• Sigma-Aldrich (Merck KGaA): World's largest research and specialty chemical supplier, offering an enormous catalog of rare and discontinued chemicals with global distribution and digital procurement tools. Closest direct competitor to Pfaltz & Bauer in research-grade specialty chemicals, though with a substantially broader portfolio and much greater scale.

Emerging players

• Combi-Blocks: US-based specialty chemical supplier focused on building blocks for medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. An emerging player that overlaps with Pfaltz & Bauer's research chemical offerings in a narrower chemistry niche.
• Enamine: Specialty chemical supplier with an extensive catalog of building blocks and screening compounds for drug discovery. An emerging global player that competes in adjacent specialty chemical categories relevant to Pfaltz & Bauer's research customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xplus.google.com/110905741786579034880
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pfaltz-&-bauer-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Pfaltz & Bauer