Sds By Chs

What Sds By Chs does

SDS by CHS (operating as SDS srl – Società Distribuzione e Servizi) is an Italian B2B distributor and proprietary product manufacturer founded in 1995 and headquartered in Vittuone, Milan. The company supplies professional Ho.Re.Ca (hotel, restaurant, catering) operators and facility management companies with food transport, packaging, hygiene, and cleaning solutions, serving vertical segments that include commercial restaurants, collective/institutional catering, hospital food service, large-scale retail (GDO), food delivery operators, and facility management businesses across Italy.

The company's core proprietary technology is the Polibox line of insulated containers made from expanded polypropylene (EPP), a closed-cell foam composed of approximately 98% air. Around this base platform, SDS has built an integrated product family that includes SmartPolibox (RFID-based real-time shipment tracking via App/WebApp/cloud), Smart Heater Polibox (a microcomputer-controlled active heating system maintaining food at ~65°C), Safelivery (a patented code-locked tamper-proof delivery container), Polibox Ocean (containers made from recycled fishing-net feedstock), Poliboxbag (thermal delivery bags/backpacks), and the modular Genius system. Three patents protect the SmartPolibox, Smart Heater, and Safelivery designs, and Polibox is a registered trademark. SDS supplements its proprietary line by acting as Italian master distributor for global brands including Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Tork (Essity), Roltex, Tournus Equipement, Carlisle FoodService Products, San Jamar, and Ecolab.

The business model is a hybrid of proprietary hardware manufacturing and branded B2B distribution. Revenue is generated through direct sales to enterprise and institutional accounts, e-commerce via the Polibox online shop, and a partner distribution channel; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company is led by CEO Mario Sestito, holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications, TÜV certification for Polibox products, and HACCP compliance, and operates a domestic-only footprint with no disclosed revenue, funding, or M&A activity.

Name

Sds By Chs

Legal name

SDS srl

Website

https://grupposds.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SDS by CHS is an Italian B2B distributor and manufacturer serving Ho.Re.Ca and facility management operators with proprietary Polibox insulated containers, RFID/IoT-enabled tracking, smart heating delivery systems, and distributed brands like Rubbermaid and Tork across Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vittuone

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution: SDS distributes professional products and supplies for Ho.Re.Ca and facility management operators, including cleaning, hygiene, food service equipment, and packaging solutions from branded partners.
2. Proprietary Polibox Brand: SDS manufactures and sells its own Polibox branded insulated containers and temperature-controlled solutions for food transport, delivery, and catering applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SDS by CHS (SDS srl) is an Italian B2B distributor and manufacturer that supplies professional food service and facility management operators with equipment, packaging, hygiene products, and related services. Its core proprietary offering is the Polibox line of expanded polypropylene (EPP) insulated containers for temperature-controlled food transport, complemented by smart variants (SmartPolibox RFID, Smart Heater, Safelivery) and distributed partner brands such as Rubbermaid, Tork, Tournus, Carlisle, San Jamar, and Ecolab.

Product overview

SDS by CHS is a distribution company serving professional Ho.Re.Ca (hotel, restaurant, catering) and facility management operators with a comprehensive portfolio of food packaging and delivery solutions. The core offering centers on Polibox insulated containers in expanded polypropylene (EPP) with multiple variants including Smartpolibox (RFID tracking), Smart Heater Polibox (temperature control), Polibox Safelivery (smart lock delivery), Poliboxbag (thermal bags), Polibox Ocean (recycled material), and Genius (modular system). Complementary solutions include Food Service equipment with melamine dishes, single-use sustainable packaging, cleaning and hygiene products (Rubbermaid), waste management, washroom solutions, personal safety, and baby care products. The company serves commercial and collective catering, hospital food service, retail distribution, and food delivery operations across Italy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Polibox: Insulated containers and temperature-controlled food transport solutions in expanded polypropylene (PPE). Includes SmartPolibox tracking systems and Smart Heater temperature control products.
• Poliboxbag
• SmartPolibox
• Smart Heater
• Safelivery
• Polibox Ocean

Products and services

• Polibox Insulated Containers Insulated containers in expanded polypropylene (EPP) for temperature-controlled transport of food, beverages, and perishables. Used in catering, restaurants, hospitals, schools, and food delivery.
• SmartPolibox Easy Plus Intelligent insulated container with RFID technology for real-time tracking and traceability. Uses App and WebApp communicating via cloud services to monitor shipments and deliveries throughout the distribution chain.
• Smart Heater Polibox Temperature control system that transforms Polibox containers into hot-food maintainers/regenerators. Available in Plug&Play, Absolute (with microcomputer), and IoT (Wi-Fi/cloud-connected) models, maintaining food at 65°C while consuming approximately 50W once stabilized.
• Polibox Safelivery Patented lightweight insulated locker for food delivery with smart lock system. Container can only be opened via code communicated by the restaurant to the end customer, ensuring tamper-proof delivery.
• Poliboxbag Thermal Bags Thermal bags and backpacks for food delivery including Foodbike backpack, Backpack Tower, and Delivery Pizza bags, designed for professional hot/cold food transport.
• Polibox Ocean Insulated containers made from recycled fishing nets from the maritime industry, reducing CO2 emissions by 7% compared to virgin raw material while maintaining identical physical properties and performance.
• Genius Modular System Modular insulated container system where base and lid are the same element, expandable with insert extenders. Designed for pizza, pastry, and finger-food transport.
• Polibox Crystal Advanced insulated container with crystallized interior that is smooth, rigid, and waterproof. Features easy-open system and handles, complies with UNI EN 12571:1999 standard for thermal retention. Available in Orange, Lemon, Green, and Magenta lid colors.
• Porter Mini Compact insulated container used by ESA for space research to transport filters at -20°C constant temperature.
• Partner-Brand Distribution (Rubbermaid, Tork, Tournus, Carlisle, San Jamar, Ecolab) Distribution of leading partner brands including Rubbermaid (Master Distributor for waste management, cleaning, hygiene), Tork (Essity Group) napkin systems, Tournus stainless steel kitchen equipment, Carlisle food service products, San Jamar food safety/hygiene products, and Ecolab cleaning/sanitizing products with the KAY line.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37% reduction in environmental impact compared to conventional thermal boxes, validated by University of Milan life cycle assessment
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rubbermaid Commercial ProductscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSDS is a Rubbermaid Master Distributor, providing complete waste management, cleaning, and hygiene solutions. All RCP products come with lifetime warranty and are designed for superior performance and durability. This partnership enables SDS to offer comprehensive facility management solutions.
• RoltexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSDS serves as the reference point for dining room service through Roltex products. Partnership offers a wide variety of green and durable products for the hospitality sector, enhancing customer experience with added value.
• Tork (Essity Group)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTork is part of the Essity Group, which produces disposable hygiene products, personal care products (diapers, feminine hygiene, incontinence products, medical solutions), tissue products, and professional hygiene services. Long-standing partnership with SDS providing professional hygiene solutions.
• Tournus EquipementminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTournus Equipement has produced professional kitchen equipment since 1910. Located in Tournus, Burgundy with a 22,000 sqm facility, they design over 4,800 catalog references. SDS is a market leader for stainless steel equipment including trolleys, hand washing stations, knife sterilizers, and holding/reheating ovens.
• Carlisle FoodService ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarlisle is a market leader in food service, catering, and buffet services. Through this partnership, SDS provides the best equipment for kitchens including food contact containers, color-coded cutting boards, and transport containers for food and liquids.
• San JamarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSDS and San Jamar distribute innovative products for food safety, counter service, personal safety, and hygiene. San Jamar has been a Ho.Re.Ca sector leader for over 20 years, providing solutions for safety and efficiency improvements.
• EcolabminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership provides solutions for fast food service operations with food safety consulting and customized programs using Ecolab's KAY product line for cleaning and sanitization. Includes on-field technical, regulatory, and food safety assistance.
• Università degli Studi di MilanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the University of Milan for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Polibox insulated containers. Published research validating 37% environmental impact reduction.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Frilich GmbH: German manufacturer of insulated food transport containers and presentation systems for professional catering and food logistics. Direct peer to SDS's Polibox line in the European insulated food transport segment, with comparable material and use-case focus.
• Cambro Manufacturing: US-based global leader in commercial insulated food transport containers, food pans, and food-service equipment. The most directly comparable player to SDS's Polibox line, competing across Italian and broader European Ho.Re.Ca customers with similar insulated EPP-style products.
• MARR S.p.A. Italian-listed B2B distributor of food service and Ho.Re.Ca supplies serving restaurants, hotels, and caterers across Italy. Closest directly comparable business in vertical, customer base, and Italian market coverage, even though MARR does not have a comparable proprietary smart container line.
• Tournus Équipement: French stainless-steel kitchen equipment manufacturer with a 4,800-reference catalog including trolleys, holding/reheating ovens, and knife sterilizers. Already a distribution partner of SDS and a natural peer in Ho.Re.Ca equipment manufacturing and supply.

Broad incumbents

• Carlisle FoodService Products: US-headquartered food service equipment manufacturer with a broad portfolio spanning insulated containers, color-coded cutting boards, and food transport products. Larger incumbent that already partners with SDS and competes in overlapping product adjacencies.
• Brakes Group: UK and Europe's largest food service distributor, serving restaurants, pubs, schools, hospitals, and caterers. A large-scale European incumbent in the same B2B Ho.Re.Ca distribution space with broader product breadth than SDS.
• Metro AG: German multinational wholesaler and food service distribution group (METRO Ho.Re.Ca). Broad incumbent operating across multiple European countries in the same Ho.Re.Ca wholesale space, providing scale benchmark for cross-border growth.
• Rubbermaid Commercial Products: US major manufacturer of commercial waste management, cleaning, and hygiene products. Already a master distribution partner of SDS; competitive overlap exists in facility management categories where SDS also distributes its own offerings.
• Vollrath Company: US-based food service equipment and smallwares manufacturer with broad Ho.Re.Ca coverage. Larger established competitor with overlapping offerings in food transport, holding, and buffet solutions distributed across professional kitchens.
• Sysco Corporation: Largest global B2B food service distributor with operations across North America and Europe. Useful benchmark for the scale and category reach a B2B food distribution business can achieve, albeit at much greater capitalization than SDS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sdssrl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sds-srl---polibox
• Instagraminstagram.com/sdssrl1995

Compliance6 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 Sds By Chs