Crest Industries

What Crest Industries does

Crest Industries, Inc. is a privately-held wholesale distributor of industrial, automotive, and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) supplies, headquartered at 231 Larkin Williams Ind Ct, Fenton, Missouri. The company carries approximately 30,000 part numbers across abrasives, automotive chemicals, fasteners, hydraulic hose and fittings, safety/PPE, electrical supplies, and body shop and paint products, combining its own proprietary Crest sub-brands (Crest Abrasives, Crest Adhesives, Crest Aerosols, Crest Body Fillers, Crest Compounds Polish and Wax, Crest Detail) with distributed lines from major manufacturers including 3M, BASF (Glasurit, BASLAC, RM, Limco, and now ColorSource), Norton Abrasives, CGW Abrasives, and Krylon. Customer segments are primarily automotive body shops and refinish operations, followed by general automotive repair facilities, manufacturing/MRO buyers, and building maintenance customers, with a stated primary focus on automotive refinishing and paint application.

The business operates on a transactional B2B distribution model with no publicly disclosed pricing — accounts must log in or request a quote — and earns revenue through one-time product sales across its catalog. Go-to-market relies on the company's own e-commerce storefront, a registered B2B portal for faster checkout and multi-address shipping, a Quick Order Pad for bulk ordering, and a value-added on-site hydraulic hose fabrication service for industrial customers. Marketing channels include the company website, blog posts announcing new products and catalogs, an email newsletter, and printable PDF catalogs such as the Industrial Product Solutions Catalog, Spring Catalog, and Body Shop and Paint Products Catalog. The company also offers a P-Track inventory management and order tracking service to registered business customers.

Ownership, founding date, headcount, and revenue are not disclosed in available sources; there is no parent company, no institutional backing indicated, and no evidence of M&A or funding activity. The company is actively operating, with current blog and catalog content running through 2025-2026 and functional e-commerce and customer service operations, suggesting an established but privately opaque Midwestern distribution business. Distribution is single-country (United States) with no disclosed international footprint.

Name

Crest Industries

Legal name

Crest Industries, Inc.

Website

https://crestindustries.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crest Industries is a privately-held B2B wholesale distributor of industrial, automotive, and MRO supplies, headquartered in Fenton, Missouri. It distributes 30,000+ SKUs across its own Crest brand and major manufacturer lines including 3M, BASF, and Norton.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Industrial Supplies Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Paint, refinishing & body shop supplies distribution (coatings, abrasives, tools, consumables) (CRAOANAF)

Keywords

• Industrial distribution
• Automotive supplies
• Abrasives and chemicals
• Hydraulic hose fittings
• MRO supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Fenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution: Wholesale distribution of industrial supplies including abrasives, automotive chemicals, fasteners, hydraulic fittings, safety equipment, and tools to automotive body shops, repair facilities, manufacturing operations, and building maintenance providers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Crest Industries is a wholesale distributor of industrial, automotive, and MRO supplies, operating from Fenton, Missouri. The company distributes its own Crest brand abrasives, chemicals, body fillers, compounds, and aerosols alongside major manufacturer brands including 3M, Norton, CGW, BASF (Glasurit, BASLAC, RM, Limco), and Krylon. With approximately 30,000 SKUs in inventory, the company serves automotive body shops, repair facilities, manufacturing operations, and building maintenance providers primarily through e-commerce and on-site hydraulic hose fabrication services.

Product overview

Crest Industries is a wholesale distributor and single-source supplier of industrial, automotive, and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) products operating primarily as an e-commerce platform. The company offers its own Crest brand lines of abrasives and chemicals alongside distributed products from major manufacturers like 3M, Norton, BASF/Glasurit, and Krylon. The product portfolio spans abrasives (sandpaper, discs, wheels, belts), body shop and paint products (primers, clearcoats, toners), industrial hose and fittings (hydraulic, brass, steel), fasteners, electrical supplies, safety/PPE equipment, and automotive specialty chemicals (adhesives, threadlockers, sealants). The company also provides value-added services including on-site hydraulic hose assembly and P-Track inventory management. With approximately 30,000 part numbers in inventory, Crest Industries serves automotive body shops, industrial manufacturing, and commercial maintenance operations primarily in the Midwest region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crest Abrasives: Own brand of abrasive products including sheets, file belts, finishing film abrasives, foam grip discs, grip file strips, gold grip discs, gold PSA roll, grip discs, PSA sheet rolls, and waterproof sheets.
• Crest Adhesives
• Crest Aerosols
• Crest Body Fillers
• Crest Compounds Polish and Wax
• Crest Detail

Products and services

• Crest Abrasives

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 3McoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes 3M abrasives including Hookit discs, PSA discs, ScotchBrite products, Cubitron II abrasives, Stikit products, and Wetordry sheets. Represents a significant portion of their abrasive product offerings.
• BASF (Glasurit, BASLAC, RM, Limco)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of BASF paint products including Glasurit, BASLAC, RM Paint, and Limco product lines for automotive refinishing.
• Norton AbrasivescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes Norton abrasive products including abrasive papers, grinding discs, sanding belts, and surface conditioning products.
• CGW AbrasivesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes CGW Abrasives products including conditioning belts, cut-off wheels, flap discs, and grinding wheels.
• KrylonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes Krylon spray paint and aerosol products including Rust Tough, marking paints, and general purpose sprays.
• BASF ColorSourcecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnounced as BASF ColorSource distributor, expanding their automotive paint distribution capabilities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McMaster-Carr: Direct-order industrial supplies distributor known for exceptionally broad SKU coverage and rapid fulfillment. Comparable in catalog breadth strategy and B2B e-commerce distribution model across industrial MRO categories where Crest competes.
• Fastenal: National industrial and fastener distributor serving MRO customers with multi-channel B2B fulfillment including on-site vending solutions. Highly comparable to Crest's fastener, MRO, and hydraulic fittings offerings, though at vastly greater scale and with stronger digital infrastructure.
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Industrial distributor focused on bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and MRO supplies. Directly comparable to Crest's industrial hydraulics, fittings, and MRO categories with similar B2B sales motion and field service offerings.
• FinishMaster: Specialized distributor of automotive refinish supplies including paint, coatings, and body shop materials. Direct competitor in Crest's primary vertical with overlapping BASF and 3M brand relationships and similar body shop customer base.

Broad incumbents

• AutoZone: Major automotive aftermarket parts retailer with growing commercial program. Overlaps with Crest's automotive repair and chemical categories but at much larger scale and with a predominantly retail (rather than wholesale) GTM.
• MSC Industrial: Major metalworking and MRO industrial distributor serving manufacturers with broad product breadth and direct sales force. Comparable customer overlap in manufacturing MRO and metalworking abrasives categories where Crest competes with 3M and Norton lines.
• O'Reilly Auto Parts: Large automotive aftermarket parts distributor serving professional installers and DIY customers. Overlaps with Crest's automotive repair and fastener offerings but at substantially larger scale with dual retail/commercial distribution.
• W.W. Grainger: Largest broad-line industrial MRO distributor in North America with extensive catalog, multi-region distribution, and enterprise e-procurement integrations. Overlaps with Crest's MRO and industrial supply verticals but at a fundamentally larger scale and broader category coverage.
• Airgas (Air Liquide subsidiary): Largest U.S. industrial gases and welding supplies distributor serving MRO and manufacturing customers. Comparable to Crest's industrial/MRO customer base and value-added distribution model but with specialization in gas/welding rather than automotive/aftersales.
• NAPA Auto Parts (Genuine Parts Company): Largest U.S. automotive aftermarket parts distributor serving professional repair shops and consumers. Overlaps with Crest's automotive repair and fastener categories but operates at vastly greater scale with national footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crest-industries

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 Crest Industries