What KD Chem does

KD Chem (케이디켐) is a South Korea-based specialty chemical manufacturer focused on PVC stabilizers — additives that prevent thermal and UV degradation of polyvinyl chloride during processing and end-use. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, the company operates an in-house R&D center established in 1990 and produces at least six distinct stabilizer families: Cd-Ba-Zn, Ba-Zn, Ca-Zn, K-Zn, Na-Zn, and organotin formulations, covering calendering, extrusion, injection, and paste/E-PVC processing routes. The company self-positions as #1 in Korea for organic liquid PVC stabilizers and maintains an eco-friendly line including phenol-free and low-VOC Ca-Zn products.

The firm operates as the specialty-chemical arm of JaKang Group (자강그룹), a family-controlled Korean conglomerate reported to encompass 9 corporations and 14 business locations. KD Chem is led by Chairman & CEO Nam Kyu Min, who concurrently chairs the parent group. KD Chem listed on KOSDAQ (ticker 221980) in November 2015, raising its public-market profile and providing growth capital access. Geographic reach extends to 30+ countries via export, supplemented by localized China operations through a manufacturing subsidiary, Shandong KDC Co., Ltd., and a Shanghai Sales Office.

The business model is industrial B2B: KD Chem sells formulated stabilizer products (typically priced per kilogram/tonne in specialty chemical markets) into diversified PVC-processing customers across multiple end-use segments, including food-contact and hygiene-grade applications certified under JHPA (Japan Hygienic PVC Association), and operates under ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental) management systems. Revenue is generated through direct sales and distribution channels into industrial customers; standalone revenue is not disclosed publicly, while the parent group's aggregated financials mask company-level performance. The firm has roughly 44 employees (2019 reporting) and has been recognized as a Korean "Hidden Champion" exporter, including a 1995 Presidential Award for crossing $1 million in cumulative exports.

Name

KD Chem

Legal name

KD Chem Co., Ltd.

Website

https://kdchem.co.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KD Chem is a South Korea-based specialty chemical manufacturer producing PVC stabilizer additives across six formulation families. Founded in 1986 and KOSDAQ-listed since 2015 (ticker 221980), it serves global PVC processors in 30+ countries with a localized China manufacturing and sales footprint.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals (PVC Stabilizers)

NAICS

Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (3259)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Additive Compounds (UV/Antioxidant/Slip/Antiblock/Processing Aids) (IMANABAJ)

Keywords

• PVC stabilizers
• Chemical additives
• Plastic processing aids
• Eco-friendly stabilizers
• Organotin stabilizers

Headquarters

HQ city

Ansan

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

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. PVC Stabilizer Sales: KD Chem generates primary revenue from manufacturing and selling a comprehensive range of PVC stabilizers including Cd-Ba-Zn, Ba-Zn, Ca-Zn, K-Zn, and Na-Zn liquid and powder types, as well as organotin stabilizers (Methyl Tin, Butyl Tin, Octyl Tin) to B2B customers in the PVC processing industry.
2. Additives and Co-stabilizers: Sales of complementary additives including kickers, lubricants, co-stabilizers (E.S.B.O, BX-500, LA-04, LA-07, DHP-501, DPA-800, XQ-100) sold alongside or independently of stabilizers to PVC processors.
3. Chemical Import and Distribution: KD Chem imports and distributes a wide range of chemical products including organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, glycols, alcohols, antioxidants, plasticizers, and PVC single stabilizers to domestic Korean customers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KD Chem manufactures and sells a comprehensive range of PVC stabilizers (liquid and powder types), including Cd-Ba-Zn, Ba-Zn, Ca-Zn, K-Zn, and Na-Zn systems, as well as organotin stabilizers (Methyl Tin, Octyl Tin, Butyl Tin). The company also produces complementary additives such as co-stabilizers, lubricants, foaming kickers, antistatic agents, and viscosity reducers, serving PVC processors across calendering, extrusion, injection, slush molding, and coating applications globally. Additionally, KD Chem imports and distributes industrial chemical products including organic chemicals, glycols, alcohols, antioxidants, and plasticizers.

Product overview

KD Chem is a precision chemical materials company specializing in PVC stabilizers. The product portfolio includes Cd-Ba-Zn, Ba-Zn, Ca-Zn, K-Zn, Na-Zn, and Organotin-based liquid and powder stabilizers for various PVC processing methods (calendering, extrusion, injection, slush molding, coating). The company offers environmentally friendly stabilizers (Phenol-free, Low VOC/Low Odor lines) alongside complementary processing aids, co-stabilizers, and imported chemical products. Products serve diverse applications including general calendering, deco films, high-transparent applications, tarpaulins, food packaging (PVC wrap), foamed and non-foamed E-PVC, wires, hoses, and medical tubing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cd-Ba-Zn Liquid Stabilizers (LX Series) Cadmium-Barium-Zinc based liquid stabilizers for flexible and semi-rigid PVC applications, providing heat stability, transparency, and weatherability for B2B PVC processors.
• Ba-Zn Liquid Stabilizers (LOX Series) Barium-Zinc based liquid stabilizers for flexible, semi-rigid, and rigid PVC applications, available in One Pack and Two Pack systems for B2B PVC manufacturers.
• Ca-Zn Stabilizers (LTX Series) Calcium-Zinc based stabilizers for general PVC applications and food contact films (PVC wrap), offering transparency and low odor properties; includes JHPA-certified food-contact grades.
• K-Zn and Na-Zn Foaming Kicker Stabilizers (LFX Series) Potassium-Zinc and Sodium-Zinc based kicker stabilizers for foamed emulsion PVC (E-PVC) applications such as wallpapers, play mats, and artificial leather, promoting blowing agent decomposition with controlled cell structure and viscosity.
• Organotin Stabilizers (Methyl Tin, Octyl Tin, Butyl Tin) Tin-based stabilizers for rigid PVC applications requiring high heat stability and transparency, supplied to B2B PVC processors.
• Eco-Friendly PVC Stabilizers (Phenol-free, Low VOC, Low Odor) Eco-friendly PVC stabilizer lines that reduce or eliminate harmful substances (PTBBA, DBM, nonyl phenol, 2-EHA) while maintaining performance comparable to conventional stabilizers, addressing environmental and regulatory requirements for B2B PVC processors.
• PVC Processing Aids and Additives Processing aids including lubricants (DL-99R, DL-903R, KAX series), antistatic agents (AS-915S), cell controllers (BX-500), and viscosity reducers (FX-77) sold to PVC processing manufacturers.
• Co-Stabilizers Co-stabilizers including Epoxidized Soybean Oil (ESBO), phosphoric complexes (DHP series, DPA-800), and ester compounds (XQ-100) sold to PVC processing manufacturers.
• Industrial Chemical Products (Import and Distribution) Import and distribution of a wide range of chemical products including organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, glycols, alcohols, antioxidants, plasticizers, and PVC single stabilizers to domestic Korean B2B customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• No. 1 market share in Korea's organic liquid PVC stabilizer market
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Korea University — KU-오정 에코리질리언스센터 (Eco-Resilience Research Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKD Chem (led by Chairman Nam Kyu Min) donated KRW 5 billion to establish the KU-오정 Eco-Resilience Research Center at Korea University's College of Life Sciences in 2014. The center focuses on eco-social resilience research addressing environmental challenges. Annual donations of KRW 500 million continue.
• Daewon Cultural Foundation (대원문화재단)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKD Chem sponsors promising young musicians through the Daewon Cultural Foundation as part of its Mecenat (corporate arts patronage) activities. The company has been supporting Chopin Competition winner Cho Sung-jin for 7+ years.
• Serotonin Culture Foundation (세로토닌문화원)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKD Chem's Chairman Nam Kyu Min serves as the honorary chairman of the Serotonin Culture Foundation, which operates the Serotonin Drum Club program for youth emotional development and character education, now expanded to ROK military units. The company supports this social contribution initiative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Songwon Industrial: Songwon is a global specialty chemical company producing polymer stabilizers, including heat stabilizers and antioxidants used in PVC processing — adjacent chemistry and the same downstream customers.
• Adeka Corporation: Adeka is a diversified Japanese specialty chemical company producing polymer additives including PVC stabilizers and heat stabilizers — broader portfolio but overlapping product lines with KD Chem.
• Valtris Specialty Chemicals: Valtris supplies specialty plasticizers, stabilizers, and additive intermediates for PVC and other polymers; an established incumbent comparator with broader product breadth than KD Chem.
• BASF (Performance Chemicals / Plastic Additives): BASF's plastic additives portfolio includes heat stabilizers and stabilizers for PVC processing — a global incumbent that competes with KD Chem at the high-end and global accounts level, though PVC additives are a small part of its portfolio.

Direct peers

• Reagens: Reagens manufactures PVC stabilizers and additives, including Ca-Zn and tin-based systems for rigid and flexible PVC — directly comparable to KD Chem's offering to PVC processors worldwide.
• Baerlocher: Baerlocher is a global leader in PVC stabilizers (Ca-Zn, Ba-Zn, organotins) and additives, making it the closest direct competitor to KD Chem across product lines, end markets, and customer base.
• PMC Group (Plasticolors/PMC Organometallix): PMC Group supplies specialty stabilizers and additives into PVC and polymer processing — directly comparable to KD Chem in product category and B2B industrial customer base.
• Galata Chemicals: Galata Chemicals specializes in organotin and mixed-metal PVC heat stabilizers, directly overlapping KD Chem's organotin and Ba-Zn/Ca-Zn stabilizer portfolio.

Emerging players

• Italmatch Chemicals: Italmatch produces specialty additives including plasticizers and stabilizers for PVC and polymer applications — overlapping offering to KD Chem with a focus on performance and sustainability-led chemistries.

Regional players

• Sun Ace Kakoh (Sakayo): Sun Ace is an Asian PVC stabilizer manufacturer with strong presence in Japan and Southeast Asia; comparable to KD Chem in product range and reliance on Asian PVC processors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 KD Chem