What Centro-Chem does

Centro-Chem is an independent chemical raw materials distributor founded in 1998 in Lublin, Poland, operating today as a limited partnership (Centro-Chem spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością spółka komandytowa) with 101–250 employees. The company stocks more than 300 chemical raw materials, ranging from glycerin (pharmaceutical, technical, cosmetic, and food grades), magnesium and calcium sulfates, iron sulfate, calcium chloride, feed-grade magnesium oxide and choline chloride, to alkanolamines (MEA/TEA) and other commodity and specialty inputs. It serves roughly 10,000 regular customers across approximately 30 industrial end-markets, including fertiliser, animal feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, paints and lacquers, construction chemicals, household chemicals, and plastics, with active presence in 36 markets across Central Europe, the Baltics, Eastern Europe and increasingly Asia. Operational scale is anchored by owned logistics infrastructure: a fleet of 20 ADR-certified trucks, ~20,000 m² of warehouse space (including two customs-bonded depots), and 25,000+ tonnes of storage capacity, complemented by a logistics partnership with GEODIS.

The company runs a sales-led, enterprise-focused go-to-market model: a dedicated Sales Department with assigned account managers responds to inbound quote requests within 60 minutes via phone, email, and a website quick-quote form, and the company actively generates demand through content marketing (an extensive Polish-language blog on chemical applications and regulations), presence at major industry trade fairs (EPCA, Chemspec Europe, VIV Asia, FSHOW, FIC, Argus Fertilizer Europe), and organic social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, podcast sponsorships). Pricing is quote-based and negotiated per order, with revenue generated transactionally on order volume across multiple packaging formats (25 kg bags, big bags, cisterns, IBCs, drums, canisters, bottles) with optional custom labelling. Customer access into regulated end-markets (pharmaceutical, feed, food) is protected by a comprehensive compliance stack — ISO 9001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, GMP+ FSA, HACCP, AEO, EcoVadis Bronze, and REACH compliance — alongside industry association memberships (EPCA, MAVESZ). The company has no proprietary software platform or AI capability; its competitive position rests on physical distribution assets, certification depth, and supplier/customer relationships accumulated over 28 years, currently benchmarked as 95th in Europe and 187th globally in the 2026 ICIS Top 100 Chemical Distributors ranking.

Name

Centro-Chem

Legal name

Centro-Chem spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością spółka komandytowa

Website

https://centro-chem.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Centro-Chem is an independent Polish chemical raw materials distributor, founded 1998 in Lublin, supplying 300+ raw materials (glycerin, sulfates, calcium chloride, MEA/TEA, etc.) to 10,000+ industrial customers across ~30 end-markets and 36 markets via owned logistics and a sales-led B2B model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246), Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (42469)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Food-Grade Chemicals & Processing Aids Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAJ), Compounding Ingredient & API Distributors (Pharma Supply) (HLAIAJAO), Industrial Alcohols & Glycols (Commodity Grade) (IMAEAAAK)

Keywords

• Chemical raw materials distribution
• Industrial chemical supply
• B2B chemical logistics
• Fertiliser and feed ingredients
• Pharmaceutical and cosmetic chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Turka

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Raw Material Distribution: Centro-Chem generates revenue by distributing chemical raw materials to industrial customers across nearly 30 industries. Revenue is transactional, driven by order volume and frequency. The company stocks hundreds of raw materials in its own warehouses and fulfills orders via its own truck fleet, customs depots, and container transport platform. Pricing is quote-based, negotiated per client and order.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Centro-Chem is an independent chemical raw materials distributor that sources, stocks, and delivers over 300 chemical substances (glycerin, glycols, amines, sulfates, nitrates, phosphates, acids, hydroxides, and more) to industrial manufacturers across nearly 30 industries, including fertilisers, animal feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, paints, construction chemicals, household chemicals, and plastics. The company operates its own warehouses, bonded customs depots, and a 20-vehicle ADR-certified truck fleet to fulfil orders directly to customers in 36 markets worldwide.

Product overview

Centro-Chem is a chemical raw materials distributor offering a portfolio of over 300 chemical substances serving approximately 30 industries. The company operates as a single unified distribution platform providing products across multiple categories including fertilisers, animal feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, horticulture, paints and lacquers, household chemicals, construction chemicals, food industry, glass and ceramics, and plastics. Core specialist products include various grades of glycerin (pharmaceutical, technical, cosmetic, food), magnesium sulfate (anhydrous, monohydrate, heptahydrate), calcium sulfate, iron sulfate, calcium chloride, feed-grade magnesium oxide, choline chloride, and alkanolamines (MEA/TEA). Products are available in flexible packaging formats (bags, big bags, tankers, IBC, drums, canisters, bottles) with custom labelling options. The distribution service is supported by company-owned warehouses, a fleet of trucks with ADR certification, and customs warehouses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pharmaceutical Glycerin USP/EP (Gliceryna Farmaceutyczna USP/EP) Pharmaceutical-grade glycerin (glycerol) 99.5% purity derived from vegetable oils, compliant with USP/EP pharmacopeia standards. Used by pharmaceutical manufacturers in syrups, ointments, and topical formulations as a humectant, solvent, and stabilising agent.
• Technical Glycerin (Gliceryna Techniczna) Technical glycerin available in 99.5% and 80% concentrations, used in industrial applications including dye production, paper manufacturing, and technical fluids such as brake and cooling fluids.
• Anhydrous Magnesium Sulfate (Siarczan Magnezu Bezwodny) Anhydrous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4, CAS 7487-88-9) supplied as a white powder for feed, agriculture, and general industrial applications.
• Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate (Siarczan Magnezu Siedmiowodny) Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate used as an agricultural fertiliser to deliver magnesium and sulfur nutrients, supporting photosynthesis and nitrogen utilisation in crops.
• Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate (Siarczan Wapnia Dwuwodny) Calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4·2H2O, CAS 10101-41-4) supplied for use across the feed, food, construction chemicals, and cosmetics industries.
• Iron Sulfate Monohydrate (Siarczan Żelaza Jednowodny) Iron sulfate monohydrate (FeSO4·H2O, CAS 17375-41-6) supplied in grey/green solid form for fertiliser, dye, household chemicals, paint, and lacquer production.
• Calcium Chloride (Chlorek Wapnia) Calcium chloride dihydrate supplied for road dust control and de-icing. Available in granular form (25 kg bags) and 38% solution (IBC 1000 L, 200 L drums, 5–30 L canisters).
• Feed-Grade Magnesium Oxide (Tlenek Magnezu Paszowy) Feed-grade magnesium oxide (MgO) with 83–85% active MgO content, used in animal nutrition for cattle and sheep as a magnesium supplement, rumen buffer, and for prevention of grass tetany. Distributed under GMP+ certification.
• Feed-Grade Choline Chloride (Chlorek Choliny Paszowy) Feed-grade choline chloride supplied in powder/granular form (25 kg bags) and 75% solution for animal feed formulations, distributed under GMP+ certification.
• Monoethanolamine (MEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA) Monoethanolamine (MEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) alkanolamines used in detergent formulations for pH regulation and formulation stability. MEA is ADR-regulated for dangerous goods transport; TEA can be stored under standard conditions.
• Chemical Raw Materials Portfolio (Surowce Chemiczne) Portfolio distribution service covering over 300 chemical raw materials across nearly 30 industries including fertilisers, animal feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, horticulture, paints and lacquers, household chemicals, adhesives and oils, construction chemicals, food industry, glass and ceramics, and plastics. Available in flexible packaging (bags, big bags, tankers, IBC, drums, canisters, bottles) with custom labelling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Orders fulfilled via own truck fleet and warehouses, with quote responses in maximum 60 minutes.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GEODIScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2025GEODIS is a key transportation/logistics partner for Centro-Chem. Centro-Chem's management met with GEODIS leadership including CEO Marie-Christine Lombard to discuss challenges and opportunities in the transport industry including driver shortages, rising costs, regulatory complexity, and the impact of the German market situation. The partnership is based on mutual trust and collaboration with the goal of adapting to the changing transport environment and maintaining the highest standards.
• EPCA (European Petrochemical Association)coreOthersCentro-Chem is a member of EPCA, the organisation uniting the largest petrochemical raw material distributors globally. EPCA membership provides networking, industry intelligence, and industry representation for Centro-Chem.
• MAVESZ (Hungarian Chemical Association)minorOthersCentro-Chem became a member of MAVESZ, the Hungarian chemical industry association, strengthening its presence and engagement in the Hungarian chemical market.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IMCD: European-headquartered specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor serving similar end-markets including pharma, food, personal care, and industrial applications. Direct competitor for specialty chemical distribution accounts across Europe.
• Biesterfeld: Hamburg-based family-owned chemical distributor with a multi-decade history similar to Centro-Chem's, distributing specialty and commodity chemicals across polymers, life sciences, and industrial verticals in Europe.
• ICC Chemical: Global chemical distributor with presence in Central/Eastern Europe and Asia, distributing commodity and specialty chemicals to industrial customers. Comparable as a mid-sized international distributor with overlapping geographies and verticals.
• Azelis: Specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor with strong European presence and a similar multi-vertical customer model (pharma, food, personal care, industrial). Competes for the same enterprise customers and supplier mandates.
• Nordmann, Rassmann: Hamburg-headquartered chemical distribution company distributing specialty chemicals, natural raw materials, and industrial additives across Europe. Comparable family-owned competitor with similar multi-vertical customer base.
• TER Group: Hamburg-based chemical distribution group distributing specialty and industrial chemicals to manufacturers across Europe. Direct peer in scale, ownership profile (privately held), and vertical breadth.
• Caldic: European specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor serving food, personal care, pharma, and industrial end-markets. Comparable as a mid-sized European multi-vertical distributor pursuing a similar one-stop-shop customer proposition.

Regional players

• Overlack: German chemical distributor with a portfolio spanning industrial and specialty chemicals, focused primarily on the DACH region. Comparable in vertical mix and customer type, though geographically centred in Germany rather than Poland/Central Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Univar Solutions: North American-headquartered chemical and ingredient distributor with growing European footprint, distributing commodity and specialty chemicals to industrial end-users. Comparable as a full-line broad incumbent competing for the same industrial raw material budgets.
• Brenntag: Global market leader in chemical and ingredient distribution, with broad product portfolio across industrial and specialty chemicals. Comparable as the dominant scaled chemical distributor against which mid-tier players like Centro-Chem compete for customers and supplier relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance7 records

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 Centro-Chem