What Wall Chemie does

Wall Chemie GmbH is a family-owned German specialty chemical manufacturer founded in 1984 in Kempen by Erich Kawka and still managed under family control (Managing Directors Klaus Kawka and Ronald Franke). The company produces surfactants and emulsifiers — predominantly nonionic ethoxylated fatty alcohol, fatty acid, triglyceride, and fatty amine polyglycol ethers, alongside anionic (phosphoric acid esters, alkylbenzene sulfonates, sulfosuccinates) and cationic (fatty amine ethers) lines — organized under brand families WALLOXEN, WALLIPHOS, WALLISAP, WALLASOL, WALLAMID, MERPOXEN, WALLIMUL, WALLINAT, and WALLOMIX. Production is anchored at a Kempen facility with a dedicated ethylene-oxide rail spur (modernized 1993), an on-site laboratory (new building 2011), and truck scales (2021), with input flexibility across renewable (fatty alcohols, fatty acids, triglycerides, fatty amines) and petrochemical feedstocks.

The company's products serve industrial formulators across cosmetics and personal care, lubricants (metalworking fluids, cooling lubricants, drilling/cutting oils), detergents and cleaning, food and feed (via QL-grade emulsifiers), leather processing (via subsidiary Carpetex), textile and paper, and agricultural protection. Customer access to regulated feed, food, and religious-diet segments is secured through GMP+ B1, FSSC 22000, Kosher, and HALAL certifications, complemented by an ISO 9001:2008-based Integrated Management System with ISO 14001 environmental elements.

Wall Chemie monetizes through direct B2B sales of intermediate chemical inputs (not end products), combining a broad standard catalogue with customized application-specific development. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: regional sales managers plus Managing-Director-level engagement, supported by a wholly-owned Netherlands subsidiary (Wall Chemie BV, 2007) covering Benelux/France/Spain/Italy/Portugal/UK/Turkey/MEA, a Brazilian subsidiary (2012) for South America, the ProSupply BV feed-sector joint venture (2006), and distribution partners in Austria, Switzerland, and Norway. Customer acquisition relies on international trade shows (SEPAWA, Chemspec Europe, LUBRICANT Expo, in-cosmetics Global), direct outreach, and the multilingual website (German/English/Portuguese); no public pricing exists and all transactions are negotiated via inquiry.

Name

Wall Chemie

Legal name

Wall Chemie GmbH

Website

https://wall-chemie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wall Chemie GmbH is a family-owned German specialty chemical manufacturer (founded 1984, Kempen) producing anionic, nonionic, and cationic surfactants and emulsifiers for industrial formulators in cosmetics, lubricants, detergents, food/feed, leather, textile, and agriculture, selling globally through direct sales and regional subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals - Surfactants and Emulsifiers

NAICS

Surface Active Agent Manufacturing (325613), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Petrochemical Manufacturing (32511)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Surfactants & Performance Additives (IMAEABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ), Textile, Leather & Paper Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAM), Surfactants & Detergent Intermediates (LAB/LAS, Ethoxylates, Sulfonates) (IMAEADAL), Bio-based Surfactants, Detergent Ingredients & Oleochemicals (EUAAAIAE)

Keywords

• Nonionic surfactants
• Anionic surfactants
• Specialty ethoxylates
• Chemical emulsifiers
• Industrial surfactants

Headquarters

HQ city

Kempen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 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. Surfactant and Emulsifier Sales: Wall Chemie generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of surfactants and emulsifiers to industrial customers. The company sells intermediate chemical products (not end products) including anionic, nonionic, and cationic surfactants for various applications. Products are offered in standard formulations as well as customized solutions developed in partnership with customers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wall Chemie GmbH manufactures and sells surfactants and emulsifiers (anionic, nonionic, and cationic) based on renewable raw materials (fatty alcohols, fatty acids, triglycerides, fatty amines) and petrochemical feedstocks. The company offers a broad standard product portfolio organized into product families (WALLOXEN, WALLIPHOS, WALLISAP, WALLASOL, WALLAMID, MERPOXEN, WALLIMUL, WALLINAT, WALLOMIX) alongside application-specific customized solutions developed in collaboration with customers. Products are sold as intermediate chemicals to industrial formulators serving cosmetics, lubricants, detergents, food/feed, leather, textile, paper, and agrochemical industries.

Product overview

Wall Chemie is a family-owned chemical manufacturing company founded in 1984, specializing in surfactants and emulsifiers for industrial applications. The product portfolio consists of a unified line of specialty chemicals organized into product families: WALLIPHOS (phosphoric acid esters) and WALLISAP/WALLASOL (anionic surfactants) for industrial cleaning and polymerization; WALLOXEN (comprehensive polyglycol ether range including alcohol, castor oil, and fatty acid derivatives) for emulsification and solubilization; WALLAMID (fatty acid alkanol amides) for thickening and refatting; MERPOXEN (sorbitan ester ethoxylates) for food/cosmetic applications; and WALLIMUL/MERPIMUL (ethoxylated triglycerides) for lubricant formulations. The company also produces specialty leather auxiliaries. These products serve diverse industries including cosmetics, lubricants, cleaning products, food/feed, leather processing, textiles, and agrochemicals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WALLIPHOS: Phosphoric acid ester product line for polymerization reactions, metal treatment, and release agents
• WALLISAP
• WALLASOL
• WALLOXEN
• WALLAMID
• MERPOXEN
• WALLIMUL
• WALLINAT
• WALLOMIX
• MERPIMUL

Products and services

• WALLOXEN (Polyglycol Ethers) Comprehensive line of nonionic surfactants including ethylhexanol polyglycol ether (EH series), lauryl-myristyl alcohol polyglycol ether (LM series), decyl alcohol polyglycol ether (ID/D series), isotridecyl alcohol polyglycol ether (TR series), oleyl-cetyl alcohol polyglycol ether (SH/SP series), cetyl-stearyl alcohol polyglycol ether (T series), castor oil polyglycol ether (RO series), hydrogenated castor oil polyglycol ether (HRO series), and oleic fatty acid polyglycol ester (OFS series). Used as emulsifiers, dispersing agents, wetting agents, and solubilizers for industrial applications. Target customers are industrial formulators across cosmetics, lubricants, detergents, and other sectors.
• WALLIPHOS (Phosphoric Acid Esters) Anionic surfactants based on i-C8 to C18 alcohol polyglycol ether phosphoric acid esters, including WALLIPHOS TRP 40, TRP 60, EHDP 30, EHDP 30 Na 85%, IDP 80, LMP 50, and SSP 50. Used as co-emulsifiers for polymerization reactions, release agents, and low-foam wetting agents for cleaners. Target customers are industrial formulators in polymerization and cleaning applications.
• WALLISAP (Alkyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid) Anionic surfactants including WALLISAP AT 50 (alkyl benzene sulfonic acid, TEA-salt) and WALLISAP AS 98. Used in various cleaning and industrial applications. Target customers are industrial formulators in cleaning products and detergents.
• WALLASOL (Sulfosuccinates) Anionic surfactants including WALLASOL DIO 60 PG and WALLASOL DIO 70 PG. Diisooctyl sulfosuccinate products used as rapid wetters for leather, paper, and textile auxiliaries. Target customers are industrial formulators in leather processing, paper, and textile industries.
• WALLAMID (Fatty Acid Alkanol Amides)

Segments7 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wall Chemie Brasil Produtos Quimicos LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2012Wholly-owned subsidiary established in 2012. Sales organization serving the South American market with emulsifiers and surfactants for different applications. Located in Campo Bom, Brazil.
• Wall Chemie BVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2007Wholly-owned subsidiary in Enschede, Netherlands, established in 2007. Serves as the commercial sales organization for Benelux countries, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Great Britain, Turkey, Middle East and Africa. Vertriebsorganisation for multiple European markets.
• Prosupply BVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2006Joint venture established in 2006 with Basic Supply to strengthen cooperation in the feed additive market. Located in Emmen (Aalden), Netherlands. Sales of Wall Chemie products as emulsifiers for animal feed and food products.
• Unger Fabrikker ASminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorwegian partner for distribution of anionic liquid and solid surfactants including LABSA, SLS and SLES products. Wall Chemie BV distributes the entire product program of Unger Fabrikker AS.
• Wimos Handelsges. mbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Austria market. Located in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Handles sales and support for Austrian customers.
• Epicos AG (Hydrior AG)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Switzerland market. Located in Schupfart (and Wettingen for Hydrior AG), Switzerland.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Clariant AG: Swiss specialty chemical company with industrial and consumer care segments including specialty surfactants and ethoxylates — directly comparable in product categories and European market presence.
• KAO Corporation: Japanese multinational producing surfactants and fatty chemicals for personal care, cleaning, and industrial applications — overlapping product portfolio with Wall Chemie, particularly in ethoxylated surfactants.
• Croda International: UK-listed specialty ingredient producer with a strong personal care and life sciences focus, including a broad range of surfactants and emulsifiers — competes in Wall Chemie's cosmetic and specialty chemical segments.
• Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals company with a strong surfactants and specialty additives portfolio (e.g., Tomamine, Tomadol) for cosmetics, cleaning, and industrial applications — a fellow German specialty chemical competitor.
• BASF SE: Global chemical major with a large surfactants, emulsifiers, and oleochemicals portfolio serving personal care, home care, and industrial markets — overlapping with Wall Chemie's product offering as a much larger incumbent.

Direct peers

• Emery Oleochemicals: Specialty manufacturer of oleochemicals and bio-based surfactants derived from natural fatty acids and alcohols — closely comparable to Wall Chemie's renewable-feedstock surfactant strategy.
• Colonial Chemical: US-based specialty surfactant manufacturer focused on mild, custom formulations for personal care, industrial, and institutional cleaning — closely comparable as a smaller, customization-focused specialty surfactant producer.
• Stepan Company: US-listed specialty surfactant manufacturer producing anionic, nonionic, and cationic surfactants for personal care, cleaning, and industrial applications — directly comparable to Wall Chemie's core product portfolio across similar end markets.
• KLK OLEO: Malaysian oleochemicals and specialty surfactants producer (part of Kuala Lumpur Kepong) with a strong focus on fatty acid-based ethoxylated surfactants — comparable in renewable-feedstock surfactant chemistry.

Regional players

• Oxiteno: Latin American surfactant and specialty chemical manufacturer serving personal care, home care, and industrial markets — directly comparable in scale and product mix, with overlapping South American geography through Wall Chemie Brasil.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Wall Chemie