Q20

What Q20 does

Q20 is the South African trading brand of CRC Industries RSA (Pty) Ltd, a privately-held specialty chemical manufacturing and distribution subsidiary of multinational CRC Industries. The company's flagship product, Q20, was invented in 1950 as a multi-purpose lubricant, rust preventative, and moisture displacement solution, and remains the core SKU in a broader portfolio spanning automotive, industrial, electrical, marine, and household maintenance chemicals. The product surface includes the Q Range (Q-Silicone Spray, CRC Brakleen), the EvapoRust water-based rust remover line, the full CRC Industries chemical catalog, and the CRC GREENLIGHT Food Safety Program, which comprises over 75 NSF H1 registered food-grade maintenance products serving food processing, packaging, and production customers.

The business operates exclusively in South Africa, headquartered in Olifantsfontein, Gauteng, and sells through a multi-tier distributor channel — including Proditech, Fowkes, Matus, O2Pro, Chemqua, AutoZone, BMG, Waco, DE, and Motus — alongside branded point-of-sale retail concepts. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set through distributor relationships. The target customer base spans B2B industrial and manufacturing buyers, food processing operators requiring NSF H1 certified maintenance inputs, automotive and marine workshops, and DIY/household consumers. Manufacturing quality is anchored by the parent's ISO-9001:2008 certification and the NSF H1 product registration. The company has 11-50 employees and is privately held with no public listing, funding rounds, or M&A activity on record.

Name

Q20

Legal name

CRC Industries RSA (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://q20.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Q20 is the South African trading brand of CRC Industries RSA, distributing specialty chemical maintenance products — lubricants, rust preventatives, moisture displacers, and food-grade cleaners — to industrial, automotive, food processing, and DIY customers across South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Maintenance Chemicals

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), All Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (32599), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Heavy-Duty Lubricants (IMAEAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rust Removers, Metal Cleaners & Tarnish Removers (CRAJAKAG), Food & Beverage Process & CIP/Sanitation Chemicals (IMAEAJAK), Aftermarket Fluids, Lubricants & Chemical Products Manufacturing (Oils/Coolants/Additives/Cleaners) (IMACANAK)

Keywords

• Specialty chemicals
• Industrial lubricants
• Rust prevention products
• Food grade maintenance
• Moisture displacement sprays

Headquarters

HQ city

Gauteng

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Products Sales: Sale of specialty chemical products including lubricants, rust removers, moisture displacers, and industrial maintenance products to distributors and end customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Q20 manufactures and distributes specialty chemical maintenance products, led by its flagship multi-purpose lubricant for lubrication, rust prevention, and moisture displacement. The portfolio also includes the EvapoRust water-based rust remover, the broader CRC Industries range of automotive, industrial, electrical, and marine maintenance chemicals, and the CRC GREENLIGHT food-safety program with 75+ NSF H1 registered products for the food processing industry.

Product overview

Q20 is a single unified product brand (invented in 1950) specializing in lubrication, rust prevention, and moisture displacement. The core Q20 product is complemented by related brands including EvapoRust (rust remover), CRC Industries chemical products (automotive, industrial, electrical, marine maintenance), and the CRC GREENLIGHT Food Safety Program (food-grade products with NSF H1 registration). The Q Range includes Q-Silicone Spray and CRC Brakleen brake cleaner. The portfolio offers solutions for household, automotive, industrial, and food-processing applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Q Range of Products: The complete range of Q20 branded products including lubrication, rust prevention, and moisture displacement solutions.

Products and services

• Q20 Multi-Purpose Lubricant Flagship multi-purpose lubricant invented in 1950, used for lubrication, rust prevention, moisture displacement, and protection of industrial and household goods. Targeted at industrial, automotive, marine, electrical, and DIY/household users in South Africa.
• EvapoRust Rust Remover

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 75 NSF H1 registered products available
• +1 more outcomes

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SmartWasherminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmartWasher products are distributed through the Q20/CRC network in South Africa, complementing the maintenance chemical product range.
• GreenlightminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreenlight food safety program products are distributed through the Q20/CRC network, offering NSF H1 certified food-grade maintenance products.
• CRC IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRC Industries is the parent company of CRC Industries RSA (Pty) Ltd which trades as Q20 South Africa. Q20 is part of the broader CRC product portfolio including industrial, automotive, marine, and electrical maintenance chemicals. CRC Industries has over 50 years of experience and ISO-9001:2008 certification.
• KontaktChemieminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKontaktChemie electronics maintenance products are distributed through the Q20/CRC network in South Africa.
• EvapoRustminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvapoRust environmentally safe rust remover products are distributed through the Q20/CRC network, complementing the product portfolio.
• National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)coreTechnology or IntegrationNSF provides third-party certification for food-grade products. CRC/CRC Greenlight products are registered by NSF and conform to strict standards for food industry applications. Over 75 NSF H1 products are available.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 3M: Diversified industrial conglomerate with a significant maintenance chemicals and aerosols portfolio (e.g., 3M adhesives, lubricants, rust treatments). Competes with Q20 in industrial MRO channels.
• ITW (Illinois Tool Works): Diversified industrial manufacturer whose consumables division (including lubricant, cleaning, and surface treatment brands) competes with Q20 in industrial and automotive maintenance channels.
• CRC Industries: Multinational specialty chemical manufacturer and Q20's parent company. CRC's broader portfolio (Brakleen, food-grade, industrial, marine, electrical) overlaps directly with everything Q20 distributes in South Africa.
• Henkel (Loctite): Global adhesives and maintenance chemicals player via its Loctite brand, offering lubricants, threadlockers, rust treatments, and industrial cleaners that overlap with Q20's industrial and automotive maintenance range.

Direct peers

• Rocol: UK-based industrial lubricant and maintenance chemicals manufacturer with deep penetration in MRO, food-grade, and industrial segments — closely mirroring Q20/CRC's product positioning.
• Permatex: Specialist in automotive and industrial maintenance chemicals (gasket makers, threadlockers, cleaners, rust treatments). Highly comparable product mix to Q20 in the automotive aftermarket segment.
• WD-40 Company: Global maker of multi-purpose lubricants, rust removers, and maintenance sprays. WD-40 is the most direct functional peer to Q20's flagship product, competing for the same DIY, automotive, and industrial use cases.

Emerging players

• Sprayway: Specialist aerosol maintenance and cleaning product maker with overlap on silicone sprays, lubricants, and cleaners, competing with Q20's Q-Silicone and CRC aerosols in the DIY/professional segment.

Regional players

• Chemico (Pty) Ltd: South African manufacturer of specialty industrial and maintenance chemicals, including lubricants, cleaners, and rust treatments, competing head-to-head with Q20 in the domestic industrial market.
• Moreson Chemicals: South African chemical manufacturer producing industrial cleaners, degreasers, and maintenance chemicals — a direct domestic competitor to Q20 in the local industrial channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/q20oil
• Xx.com/q20oil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/q20oil

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Q20