Chemical Solvents

What Chemical Solvents does

Chemical Solvents, Inc. (CSI) is a privately held, Cleveland, Ohio-based specialty chemical distributor and custom blender founded in 1970, serving industrial manufacturers primarily in the Midwest US. The company operates a horizontal-segment model across five core revenue streams: commodity chemicals and solvents distribution; custom blending and turnkey custom blending; toll manufacturing of solvents and aqueous blends; waste services (hazardous and non-hazardous disposal plus solvent recycling); and the RECYCLEPAK sub-brand for self-contained recycling of fluorescent bulbs, lamp ballasts, batteries, mercury devices, and PC electronics.

The technical backbone is a single-site Cleveland facility equipped with a Morehouse Cowles ViscoMAX multi-shaft mixer capable of producing flammable products and high-viscosity blends from 100 to 1,000,000 CPS, paired with 10,000-gallon stainless steel storage tanks supporting batch sizes up to 7,000 gallons. An on-site quality control laboratory operates around the clock to enforce tight manufacturing tolerances, and proprietary formulation work supports specialized offerings such as custom tailored purge solvents for 1K, 2K, Hi Solids, and H2O-based paint systems tuned for HAP and VOC compliance.

CSI runs a direct enterprise field-sales motion with named specialists by service line (Tim McNeilly, Technical Director; Blaine Davidson and Terri Shimensky, Commodity Sales; plus waste/disposal and chemical purchasing contacts), while RECYCLEPAK extends reach to SMB and individual buyers via an online storefront. The company is independently owned with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A, or institutional investors, and serves its customer base from 3751 Jennings Road, Cleveland.

Name

Chemical Solvents

Legal name

Chemical Solvents Inc.

Website

https://chemicalsolvents.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chemical Solvents, Inc. is a Cleveland-based, privately held specialty chemical distributor and custom blender founded in 1970, serving Midwest US industrial manufacturers with commodity chemicals, toll manufacturing, custom blending, and integrated waste and recycling services under the CSI and RECYCLEPAK brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemical Manufacturing and Distribution

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), All Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (32599)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Industrial Solvents (IMAEAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solvent Recovery & Recycling Services (BPALAHAC), Solvents & Solvent-Based Cleaners (Mineral Spirits, Acetone, Alcohols) (CRAJAKAC)

Keywords

• Specialty chemical distribution
• Custom chemical blending
• Toll manufacturing services
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Solvent recycling programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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. Chemical Distribution: Distribution of commodity chemicals and solvents to meet industrial needs
2. Custom Blending Services: Mixing and blending services for increased capacity or outsourced solutions, including custom liquid, cream and gel product formula development for household and specialty market items
3. Toll Manufacturing: Manufacturing services offering a wide range of solvents and aqueous blends on a toll basis
4. Waste Services: Hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal, solvent recycling, and the RECYCLEPAK program for recycling fluorescent bulbs, lamp ballasts, batteries, mercury devices and PC electronics

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Chemical Solvents, Inc. distributes commodity chemicals and solvents and provides custom blending, turnkey custom blending, and toll manufacturing of solvents and aqueous blends using a Morehouse Cowles ViscoMAX multi-shaft mixer with batch capacity up to 7,000 gallons. The company also offers hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal, solvent recycling, the RECYCLEPAK self-contained recycling program for bulbs/batteries/electronics, and custom tailored purge solvents for paint systems.

Product overview

Chemical Solvents, Inc. is a chemical manufacturing and distribution company offering a portfolio of integrated products and services. The core offerings include Commodity Chemicals & Solvents (distribution), Custom Blending and Turnkey Custom Blending (using Morehouse Cowles ViscoMAX technology for batch sizes up to 7000 gallons and viscosity ranges from 100 to 1,000,000 CPS), Waste Services (encompassing Hazardous Waste Disposal, Non-Hazardous Waste Disposal, and Solvent Recycling), and Toll Manufacturing. The company also provides specialized products like RECYCLEPAK (a self-contained recycling program for fluorescent bulbs, batteries, and electronics) and Custom Tailored Purge Solvents for 1K, 2K, Hi Solids, and H2O paint systems. Supporting these products is an on-site quality control laboratory. The portfolio operates as a unified offering where customers can source chemicals, have them custom blended, and use the company's waste services for disposal or recycling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RECYCLEPAK: A recycling program for old fluorescent bulbs, lamp ballasts, batteries, mercury devices and PC electronics. The program includes outbound shipping, step-by-step instructions, waste container, prepaid return shipping labels, prepaid recycling, certificate of recycling, tracking documents, liability protection and technical representatives.

Products and services

• Commodity Chemicals & Solvents

Quantifiable outcome

• Viscosity capability from 100 to 1,000,000 CPS
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Koster Keunen: Custom wax and specialty chemical blender with toll manufacturing and R&D capabilities. Comparable to CSI on turnkey custom blending, specialty formulation, and toll manufacturing services for industrial customers.
• Hubbard-Hall: Specialty chemical manufacturer and distributor serving metal finishing, wastewater, and industrial cleaning with custom formulating capabilities. Comparable to CSI on custom blending and specialty chemical distribution to industrial customers in the Midwest and Northeast.
• Heritage-Crystal Clean: US provider of hazardous and non-hazardous waste services, used oil recycling, and solvent recovery, with complementary industrial cleaning. Closely comparable to CSI's waste services and solvent recycling revenue stream, especially for industrial customers.
• Seeler Industries: Midwest-based custom chemical blender and distributor of commodity and specialty chemicals. Directly comparable on geographic footprint, custom blending services, and industrial customer base.

Emerging players

• Houghton Chemical: Specialty chemical manufacturer and distributor of solvents, antifreeze, and industrial chemicals with custom blending services. Comparable to CSI on commodity solvent distribution and specialty chemical formulation.
• Chemisphere Corp. Regional distributor of commodity and specialty chemicals, solvents, and intermediates serving the Midwest industrial market. Comparable to CSI's commodity chemical distribution focus and regional customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Univar Solutions: Large global chemical and ingredients distributor with broad commodity solvents, specialty chemicals, and waste services. Directly comparable as a chemical distribution peer but operates at national/international scale rather than CSI's regional focus.
• Brenntag: World's largest chemical distribution company, supplying commodity and specialty chemicals plus value-added services such as blending and formulation. Comparable to CSI on the distribution and custom blending core, but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Safety-Kleen: North American leader in used oil recycling, solvent recovery, and parts cleaning services with industrial waste management. Comparable to CSI's solvent recycling and hazardous waste service line but at national scale.

Others

• Chemark Solutions: Chemical industry consulting and M&A advisory focused on specialty chemicals and distribution. Comparable not as a direct competitor but as a peer in the broader specialty chemicals ecosystem relevant to CSI's distribution and blending segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/134640516585206

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 Chemical Solvents