What Jobachem does

Jobachem GmbH is a privately held German specialty chemical distributor and service provider headquartered in Dassel, Lower Saxony, founded in 1992 by Dr. Jens-Uwe Kahl and now led in its second generation by Managing Director Julian Kahl (since 2018). The company positions itself as an "extended workbench" for the chemical industry, combining chemical product distribution with a vertically integrated suite of value-added services: hazardous-goods warehousing (~8,500 m² with multi-class dangerous-substance storage and a license for toxic and flammable liquids), in-house logistics (own fleet of tank trucks, ISO-tanks, and container chassis for dangerous goods transport), custom mixture and solution formulation (explosion-proof mixing tanks, homogenization, inert-gas finishing), refilling and tempering (heatable storage up to 120°C), and global product sourcing.

Its commercial portfolio spans nine product categories — aluminum chloride (distributed under exclusive BASF SE agreement), flavors and fragrances, biobased plasticizers, Kosher-certified products, silane coupling agents (under the proprietary Jobasil brand), specialty chemicals, UV/EB curing systems (monomers, oligomers, photoinitiators), heat transfer liquids (under the proprietary Jobatherm brand), and plasticizers — served across three primary end markets: industrial chemical manufacturers (primary segment), the cleaning/cosmetics/detergents industry, and the paints/coatings/adhesives/sealants industry.

Jobachem monetizes through transactional distribution margin on chemical resales, supplemented by fee-based formulation, warehousing, and logistics services, with quote-based, individualized B2B pricing under multi-year contracts and no public price list. The company operates a global footprint via wholly owned subsidiaries in Atlanta (USA, 2017), Suzhou (China, 2013, with a Nanjing branch), Chongqing (China, 2002), Qingdao (China, 2021), and Hong Kong (2004), and sells through direct enterprise field sales, exclusive manufacturer partnerships (BASF SE; AGI Corp. and Qualipoly Chemical Corp. in Taiwan; Jiangsu Suhua Group in China), industry trade fair presence (Chemspec Europe, European Coatings Show, SEPAWA, EPCA, EUROCOAT, FIC), and a 2024-launched Brand Shop on the CheMondis B2B chemical marketplace. The company is privately held by the founding Kahl family, with no external institutional or PE investment disclosed.

Name

Jobachem

Legal name

Jobachem GmbH

Website

https://jobachem.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jobachem is a German specialty chemical distributor serving industrial manufacturers across paints, coatings, cosmetics, and cleaning sectors. It combines global chemical sourcing, hazardous-goods warehousing, custom formulation, and dangerous-goods logistics via offices in Germany, the USA, China, and Hong Kong.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemical Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246), Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (42469), Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (3259)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemicals & Petrochemicals (Non-Hazmat Specialized Handling) (TLAIALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Packaging, Filling & Private Label / Contract Manufacturing (EUALAJAD)

Keywords

• Specialty chemical distribution
• Hazardous materials logistics
• Chemical warehousing services
• Custom chemical formulation
• Industrial chemical sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dassel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Chemical product trading and distribution: Jobachem imports, stores, and resells chemical raw materials and intermediates to industrial customers. Revenue is generated through the margin between procurement cost and sale price, serving as an 'extended workbench' for the chemical industry. Products include plasticizers, UV/EB curing chemicals, heat transfer fluids, flavors & fragrances, silanes, and specialty chemicals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Jobachem imports, stores, and distributes specialty chemicals and chemical raw materials to industrial manufacturers, offering end-to-end warehouse and logistics solutions for hazardous substances along with custom mixture formulation, mixing, repackaging, and tempering services. The company also distributes its own branded product lines (Jobatherm heat transfer fluids, Jobasil silanes, Jobaflex plasticizers) sourced through exclusive partnerships with manufacturers such as BASF SE, AGI Corp., Qualipoly Chemical Corp., and Jiangsu Suhua Group.

Product overview

Jobachem GmbH is a chemical distribution and trading company established in 1992, acting as an extended workbench for the chemical industry. The company offers a diversified portfolio of specialty chemicals organized into product lines: Aluminum Chloride (for BASF), Flavors & Fragrances, Biobased Products, Kosher Products, Silanes (Jobasil brand), Special Chemicals, UV/EB Curing systems (monomers, oligomers, photoinitiators), Heat Transfer Liquids (Jobatherm brand), and Plasticizers. These chemical products are complemented by service offerings including Warehouse & Logistics (8,500 m² hazardous storage), Mixtures & Solutions (custom formulations), Finishing & Tempering (refilling, repackaging, heating), and Product Sourcing. The company operates as a distributor rather than a manufacturer, supplying raw materials and intermediates to the paints, coatings, adhesives, plastics, and consumer goods industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jobatherm®: Brand for heat transfer liquids including Jobatherm I, Jobatherm 23, and Jobatherm 43 products
• Jobasil
• Jobasolv

Products and services

• Aluminum Chloride Anhydrous aluminum chloride distributed under an exclusive sales partnership with BASF SE since July 1, 2008, predominantly used as a catalyst in Friedel-Crafts reactions and as an excipient for paints and varnishes. Delivered in drums to German customers.
• Flavors & Fragrances Chemical substances including Aldehyd C16, Benzophenone-3, Camphor DAB 6, Cinnamic Aldehyde, Diphenyl Oxide/Diphenyl Ether, and Nerolin Yara Yara supplied for flavor and fragrance applications in consumer products.
• Biobased Products Chemicals produced partly or entirely on the basis of renewable raw materials including Acetyl Tributyl Citrate (ATBC), Epoxidized Soybean Oil (ESO/ESBO), and Triethyl Citrate (TEC) for sustainable industrial applications.
• Kosher Products Kosher-certified chemical products including Benzophenone-4, Benzyl Acetate, Ethyl Formate, Heliotropine, Hexyl Cinnamic Aldehyde, Isobornyl Acetate, and others supplied to food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.
• Silane (Jobasil Brand) Jobachem's proprietary Jobasil-branded silane coupling agents including Jobasil 1170, 1189, 1401, A, AMEO, AMMO, DAMO, GLYMO, MEMO, Si69, Si75, TEOS, and VTMO for adhesives, sealants, and coatings applications.
• Special Chemicals Pure chemical substances for highly specialized applications including 4-Methylbenzophenone, 8-Hydroxyquinoline, Benzophenone, Benzyl Alcohol, Biphenyl, Carbonates (DEC, DMC), Maleic Anhydride, and others.
• UV/EB Curing Systems Complete portfolio of UV/EB curing system components including monofunctional monomers (2-PEA, ACMO, HEMA, IBOA), bifunctional monomers (HDDA, DPGDA, TPGDA), tri- and multifunctional monomers (TMPTA, DPHA, PETIA), oligomers (epoxy acrylates, urethane acrylates, polyester acrylates), photoinitiators, and amine synergists.
• Heat Transfer Liquids (Jobatherm Brand) Jobachem's proprietary Jobatherm-branded synthetic heat transfer liquids including Jobatherm I (liquid phase 12-400°C), Jobatherm 23 (liquid phase 3-330°C), and Jobatherm 43 (liquid phase -73 to 315°C) for industrial heating and cooling applications.
• Plasticizers Plasticizer compounds including Acetyl Tributyl Citrate (ATBC), Diisononyl Adipate (DINA), Dioctyl Adipate (DEHA/DOA), Dioctyl Terephthalate (DOTP), Triacetin, Tributyl Citrate (TBC), Triethyl Citrate (TEC), and Jobaflex Eco for flexible PVC, toys, and food packaging applications.
• Warehouse & Logistics Approximately 8,500 m² of hazardous substance storage facilities in central Germany with capabilities for refilling, repackaging, and distribution. Includes the company's own fleet of vehicles for transporting dangerous goods including ISO-tanks, tank trucks, and trailers.
• Mixtures & Solutions Custom mixture and solution manufacturing with heatable stainless steel mixing tanks, explosion-proof facilities, homogenization of viscous mixtures, and integrated quality assurance for industrial chemical applications.
• Finishing & Tempering Refilling and repackaging services for liquids and solids, including finishing under inert gas, heatable storage areas up to 120°C, and re-tailoring services for containers.
• Product Sourcing Global product sourcing services leveraging worldwide network to source specialty chemicals at the right quality and price for industrial customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 1% of companies rated by EcoVadis sustainability platform (score 70/100 in 2022)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• CheMondisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Launched a Brand Shop on the CheMondis B2B chemical marketplace (chemondis.com/suppliers/jobachem/) in 2024. Jobachem products are discoverable and orderable through the CheMondis platform.
• United Nations Global CompactminorOthers · 1 January 2020Jobachem GmbH became a signatory to the UN Global Compact in 2020, committing to its principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.
• Jiangsu Suhua Group Co., Ltd.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2012Sales partnership established 2012 with Jiangsu Suhua Group Co., Ltd in China.
• Qualipoly Chemical Corp., TaiwanmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2011Sales partnership established 2011 with Qualipoly Chemical Corp., Taiwan R.O.C. for distribution of their chemical products.
• BASF SEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2008Exclusive sales partnership established July 1, 2008 for the distribution of anhydrous aluminum chloride (delivered in drums) in Germany. This partnership guarantees an improved delivery service with the usual high product and packaging quality from BASF SE.
• AGI Corp., TaiwancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1999Exclusive sales agreement established in 1999 for the distribution of AGI Corp. products from Taiwan. This was one of Jobachem's earliest international manufacturer partnerships.
• EcoVadisminorOthersEcoVadis provides sustainability ratings for Jobachem, evaluating the company's performance in Ethics, Environment, Labor & Human Rights, and Sustainable Procurement. Jobachem has consistently achieved Gold Medal ratings (top 1%).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brenntag SE: Global market leader in chemical distribution with ~17,000 employees and operations across ~70 countries. Brenntag is the dominant incumbent in the same chemical distribution space and the most direct benchmark for Jobachem's specialty distribution franchise, though at far greater scale.
• IMCD N.V. Global specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor with strong presence in coatings, adhesives, and personal care - directly overlapping Jobachem's customer segments. Though significantly larger and publicly listed, IMCD is a relevant benchmark for the specialty distribution business model Jobachem operates.
• Azelis Group: Global specialty chemical and food ingredient distributor with deep European and Asia-Pacific coverage. Comparable to Jobachem in product focus (coatings, personal care, industrial chemicals) and in the use of exclusive distribution mandates with leading principals.
• Helm AG: Hamburg-based global chemical distribution and marketing company with worldwide subsidiaries. Comparable to Jobachem in its German family-business heritage, specialty chemical focus, and established international sourcing network, though at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Biesterfeld AG: German-headquartered specialty chemical distributor with shared commercial focus on plastics, rubber, and industrial chemicals. Closely comparable as a German specialty distributor serving the same downstream end-markets with similar product categories and a similarly long-standing family ownership heritage.
• TER Chemicals: European specialty chemical distributor with German heritage, focused on industrial chemicals, food ingredients, and personal care ingredients. Comparable to Jobachem across customer segments (cosmetics, detergents, industrial) and in the breadth of value-added services beyond pure distribution.
• Overlack GmbH: German specialty chemical distributor with similar mid-market positioning and a focus on industrial chemicals, food, and personal care applications. Closely comparable to Jobachem in size, geographic scope (Germany-centered with European reach), and product mix.
• Häffner & Co. GmbH: Mid-sized German chemical distribution company founded in 1950, offering specialty chemicals, value-added services, and contract logistics. Highly comparable to Jobachem in scale, German mid-market positioning, and the combination of specialty chemicals trading with in-house logistics support.
• CSC Jäklechemie GmbH & Co. KG: German specialty chemical distributor offering industrial chemicals, food ingredients, and value-added services. Directly comparable to Jobachem in scale, German mid-market focus, and the integration of distribution with technical services.
• Ter Hell & Co. GmbH: Hamburg-based chemical distributor with a long history in industrial chemicals, food ingredients, and personal care raw materials. Comparable to Jobachem in the German mid-market specialty distribution niche and in serving similar end-customer industries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Jobachem