Distribuidora del Caribe

What Distribuidora del Caribe does

Distribuidora del Caribe (DBA: DICSA) is a Guatemala-headquartered, family-owned importer and distributor of raw materials, chemical products, and specialty ingredients, founded in 1974 by José María Macías Fernández and operating for over 50 years. The company imports from international producers and supplies six industry segments: agroindustry, food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, general industry, and hygiene, serving manufacturers and businesses across eight countries in Central America and the Caribbean (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic) with over 75 points of sale and a 430-person workforce.

The core of the offering is twofold. First, B2B raw materials distribution, where DICSA acts as a regional conduit between global chemical and ingredient producers and Central American/Caribbean manufacturers, supported by an in-house R&D department staffed with chemical engineers that provides formulation development, technical consultancy, and customer training. Second, finished proprietary consumer products marketed under a portfolio of approximately 19 sub-brands (Simply Pure, Simply Pure Baby, Simply Pure Kids, Simply Pure Cleaning, Manly Man, Ambientare, Bevande, Food Tech, Geltech, El Rey Sazón, DICSOL, Maxx Power, PULCRA, Pro-Pysta, Indumat, AROMAC, Bakery and Candy, Candy Girl, Simply Kraft) spanning personal care, household cleaning, food and beverages, sports nutrition, and automotive care.

Revenue mechanics combine three channels: a telemarketing team providing phone-based sales support, a corporate/field sales force visiting customers across the region, and owned e-commerce platforms in Guatemala (store.distcaribe.com) and Costa Rica (delcaribeshop.com) launched in 2022. Pricing is unit-based across retail and wholesale, denominated in Quetzales for Guatemala, with bulk and industrial volumes negotiated through the corporate sales team. The company remains privately held by the founding Macías family, with no disclosed external investment, M&A activity, or public revenue figures.

Name

Distribuidora del Caribe

Legal name

Distribuidora del Caribe de Guatemala, S.A.

Website

https://distcaribe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Distribuidora del Caribe (DICSA) is a Guatemala-based, family-owned importer and distributor of chemical raw materials and specialty ingredients serving manufacturers and consumers across six industries and eight Central American and Caribbean countries, complemented by a portfolio of about 19 proprietary consumer sub-brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemical and Raw Materials Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAIABAL

Nonfood Grocery & HBC Wholesale (Paper, Cleaning, Personal Care)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Grocery & Supermarket Wholesale

SECONDARYCRADAOAA

Flavorings & Extracts (Natural & Artificial)

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/CPG Ingredients, Flavorings & Additives Brands

SECONDARYCRADAKAK

Water & Home System Care (Water Softeners, Septic Treatments, Drain/Openers, Appliance Cleaners)

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/Home & Fabric Care Products

SECONDARYCRAOAEAF

Fragrance & Deodorant Distribution

Consumer Products & Retail/Wholesale, Distribution & Category Management/Beauty & Personal Care Distribution

Keywords

• Specialty chemicals distribution
• Raw materials import
• Industrial ingredients supply
• Consumer personal care products
• Food and cosmetics additives

Headquarters

HQ city

Guatemala City

HQ country

Guatemala

HQ region

Latin America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Raw Materials Distribution: Import and distribution of raw materials, chemical products, and specialty ingredients from international producers to manufacturing companies across six industry segments: agroindustry, food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, general industry, and hygiene. Revenue generated through wholesale/product sales to businesses.
2. Proprietary Branded Consumer Products: Sale of proprietary branded finished products through owned brands including Simply Pure, Manly Man, Ambientare, Bevande, Food Tech, Geltech, El Rey Sazón, PULCRA, and others. Products sold via corporate sales, telemarketing, and online stores.
3. E-commerce Retail: Direct-to-consumer and B2B sales through online storefronts in Guatemala (store.distcaribe.com) and Costa Rica (delcaribeshop.com) with product delivery to customers nationwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Distribuidora del Caribe imports and distributes specialty raw materials, chemical products, and finished branded goods from international producers to manufacturing customers across six industrial segments (agroindustry, food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, general industry, and hygiene) throughout Central America and the Caribbean. The company complements distribution with in-house R&D and technical consultancy, helping customers develop custom formulations, and sells proprietary branded consumer products (e.g., Simply Pure, Manly Man, Ambientare, Food Tech, Geltech, El Rey Sazón, PULCRA) through its own telemarketing, corporate field sales, and e-commerce channels.

Product overview

Distribuidora del Caribe is a raw materials importer and distributor serving six industry segments (agroindustry, food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, general industry, and hygiene) across Central America and the Caribbean. The company operates through multiple sales channels: telemarketing, corporate field sales, and two online stores (store.distcaribe.com for Guatemala and delcaribeshop.com for Costa Rica). Its product portfolio consists of owned sub-brands sold through these channels, including personal care lines (Simply Pure, Simply Pure Baby, Simply Pure Kids, Simply Pure Cleaning, Simply Kraft, Manly Man), fragrance and aromatherapy brands (Ambientare, AROMAC), food and beverage ingredients (Food Tech, Bevande, El Rey Sazón, Bakery and Candy), health supplements (Geltech including hydrolyzed collagen and creatine, Maxx Power proteins), industrial and cleaning products (DICSOL disinfectants, PULCRA industrial hygiene, Simply Pure Cleaning), automotive care (Pro-Pysta), and general industrial materials (Indumat). The company also provides technical consultancy and R&D services through a team of chemical engineers to help customers develop custom product formulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ambientare: Essential oils, fragrance diffusers and more.
• Manly Man
• Simply Pure
• Simply Pure Baby
• Simply Pure Cleaning
• Simply Pure Kids
• Simply Kraft
• Bevande
• Food Tech
• Geltech
• DICSOL
• Maxx Power
• El Rey Sazón
• PULCRA
• Pro-Pysta
• Indumat
• Bakery and Candy
• AROMAC
• Candy Girl

Products and services

• Simply Pure Proprietary brand offering high-quality personal care products including soaps, body lotions, moisturizing creams, and facial care items, sold through corporate sales, telemarketing, and online stores in Guatemala and Costa Rica.
• Simply Pure Baby Proprietary brand of baby-friendly products including tear-free shampoos, gentle body washes, and baby care creams.
• Simply Pure Cleaning Proprietary brand of cleaning, hygiene, and sanitization products including floor waxes, disinfectants, dishwashing liquids, glass cleaners, and fabric softeners for household use.
• Manly Man Proprietary men's personal care product line including shampoos and grooming items.
• Ambientare Proprietary brand of essential oils, fragrance diffusers, and aromatherapy products.
• Food Tech Proprietary brand of food industry products and ingredients including additives, stabilizers, flavors, and food colorings sold to food manufacturers and food service operators.
• Geltech Proprietary brand of gelatins including hydrolyzed collagen supplements for sports nutrition and general wellness.
• Bevande Proprietary brand of powdered soft drinks and chocolate drink mixes.
• El Rey Sazón Proprietary brand of seasonings and spices sold at accessible prices to households.
• DICSOL Proprietary brand of disinfectant and spray-on alcohol products for sanitization.
• PULCRA Proprietary brand of industrial hygiene and sanitization products for manufacturing and industrial facilities.
• Pro-Pysta Proprietary brand of automotive care and maintenance products including cleaners and protectants.
• Indumat Proprietary brand of raw materials and industrial products for general manufacturing and industry.
• Bakery and Candy Proprietary brand of ingredients and supplies for bakers and confectioners including chocolate, coatings, and baking ingredients.
• Maxx Power Proprietary brand of sports nutrition proteins and post-training supplements for athletes.
• AROMAC Proprietary brand of fragrances for perfumery and other applications including cosmetics, detergents, and candles.
• Online Store Guatemala (store.distcaribe.com) E-commerce platform for Guatemala offering the company's product portfolio to consumers and SMBs with national delivery coverage and 24-96 business hour delivery times.
• Online Store Costa Rica (delcaribeshop.com) E-commerce platform for Costa Rica offering the company's product portfolio with national delivery coverage.
• Corporate Field Sales (Venta Corporativa) Field sales team visiting manufacturing customers to provide support and offer innovative high-quality products across industry segments at competitive market prices.
• Technical Consultancy and R&D Services Technical assistance and R&D support delivered by an in-house department of qualified chemical engineers, providing personalized formulations, product development guidance, training, and workshops to help customers develop their own finished products.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Barentz: Specialty ingredients distributor focused on personal care, food, nutrition, and animal health. Closely matches DICSA's owned-brand-plus-distribution model and customer segments in personal care and food ingredients.
• Manuchar: Emerging-markets chemical distributor with strong presence in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Comparable to DICSA in focus on distributing specialty and industrial chemicals into growth markets with multi-segment coverage.
• Grupo Pochteca: Mexican chemical distribution and ingredients company serving food, personal care, industrial, and oil & gas segments. Highly comparable Latin American chemical distributor with similar multi-segment customer base and branded product extensions.

Broad incumbents

• Univar Solutions: Major North American chemical and ingredients distributor serving similar end-markets (food ingredients, personal care, industrial). Direct analog to DICSA in business model, though much larger and concentrated in North America rather than Central America.
• Helm AG: German-headquartered global chemical distribution and marketing company. Comparable to DICSA in distributing specialty chemicals across agriculture, pharma, food, and industrial end-markets with a focus on long-standing supplier relationships.
• IMCD: Specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor with deep coverage in personal care, food, pharmaceuticals, and industrial markets. Highly comparable in offering mix and B2B technical-sales model to DICSA's raw materials distribution across six industry segments.
• Azelis: Specialty ingredients distributor with strong personal care, food, and industrial portfolios across EMEA, Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Comparable in vertical-specific sales force and value-added formulation support to DICSA's R&D-enabled offering.
• Brenntag: Global market leader in chemical and ingredients distribution serving food, personal care, pharma, and industrial end markets. Comparable to DICSA in the chemical distribution model and multi-segment customer base, though at vastly greater scale and global reach.

Regional players

• Ter Chemicals: European-based chemical distributor with personal care, food, and industrial focus. Comparable to DICSA in multi-segment distribution of specialty ingredients and chemicals, though operating primarily in Europe.
• Quimidroga: Spanish chemical distribution company with Latin American operations, supplying industrial chemicals and specialty ingredients. Comparable to DICSA in industrial chemical distribution model and Spain/Latin America cultural connection (DICSA founder is Spanish).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGd2sR90kPWmJ9nr2SuGNiw
• Facebookfacebook.com/dicsaguatemala
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/distribuidora-del-caribe
• Instagraminstagram.com/distribuidoradelcaribe/?hl=es

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 Distribuidora del Caribe