Sicalco, Ltd.

What Sicalco, Ltd. does

Sicalco, Ltd. is a privately-held chemical distributor founded in 1979 and headquartered in Hinsdale, Illinois. The company operates as an authorised distributor of LIQUIDOW™ calcium chloride and related products manufactured by Occidental Chemical Corporation, distributing both liquid (28-42% concentration) and dry forms — including PELADOW™ 90% pellets, DOWFLAKE™ Xtra 83-87% flakes, Briners Choice™ food-safe dry pellets, and Anhydrous 94-97% pellets — to commercial, governmental, and industrial customers across 21 U.S. states and Canada. Sicalco serves a diversified customer base spanning municipal and state highway departments (ice control, anti-icing, pre-wetting), industrial and mining operators (dust control, base stabilization), construction materials firms (ready-mix concrete acceleration), food processors (Kosher/Halal-certified food-grade calcium chloride), and landscaping/golf course operators. Distribution is executed through five company-owned terminals with combined bulk liquid storage of 625,000 gallons (Oak Hill WV, Camden TN, Cutler IL, Weyers Cave VA, South Roxana MO), enabling bulk delivery via tank trucks and rail cars alongside packaged formats (50 lb bags, super sacks).

The company monetises primarily through transaction-based sales of distributed calcium chloride products with volume-based pricing and quote-driven bulk orders. Go-to-market combines direct-to-customer sales (Order Center 800.435.1919, dedicated account consultation) with channel distribution through its authorised-distributor relationship with Occidental Chemical Corporation. Value-added services — including Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) road rehabilitation, Enhanced Aggregate treatment, dust control program management, and concrete acceleration consulting — generate incremental revenue beyond bulk chemical margins. Sicalco's value proposition emphasises technical performance (LIQUIDOW™ effective from -17°F to -53°F, exothermic 'hot brine' ice melting, 30% salt reduction via pre-wetting, 50% savings on FDR versus conventional reconstruction) and regulatory-grade product documentation (spec sheets, SDS, Kosher/Halal/FDA GMP certifications). An affiliated company, RBIS, Ltd., extends the product surface into specialty chemicals and food processing additives (acidulants, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants, humectants) through a network of upstream suppliers (ADM, Tate & Lyle, Dow, Huntsman, Bio-Cat, Magrabar) with local warehousing for next-day/same-day delivery. The company operates with no disclosed institutional investment, no public listing, and no documented headcount, consistent with a family-owned regional distribution business now in its fifth decade.

Name

Sicalco, Ltd.

Legal name

Sicalco Ltd.

Website

https://sicalco.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sicalco, Ltd. is a privately-held Hinsdale, Illinois-based distributor of liquid and dry calcium chloride products (LIQUIDOW™, PELADOW™, DOWFLAKE™) serving government, industrial, construction, and food processing customers across 21 U.S. states and Canada via five company-owned terminals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Chemical Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Mineral/Particulate Thickeners (Silicates, Clays, Calcium Carbonate as texturizers) (AFAJAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Liquid Specialty Fertilizers (Suspensions, Solutions, UAN Blends) (AFABACAF)

Keywords

• Calcium chloride distribution
• Industrial chemical supply
• Road deicing products
• Unpaved road dust control
• Food grade calcium chloride

Headquarters

HQ city

Hinsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Calcium Chloride Product Distribution: Distribution of liquid and dry calcium chloride products (LIQUIDOW™, PELADOW™, DOWFLAKE™, Briners Choice™, Anhydrous) to commercial, governmental, and industrial customers. Products sold in various forms including liquid solutions (28-42%), pellets (90%), and flakes (83-87%) with different packaging options including rail cars, tank trucks, 50lb bags, and super sacks.
2. RBIS Specialty Chemicals: Affiliated company RBIS provides specialty chemicals, food processing chemicals, food additives including vitamins, acids, antioxidants, and custom blended products to food processing industry through local warehousing with next day/same day delivery capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sicalco distributes liquid and dry calcium chloride products (LIQUIDOW™ liquid 28-42%, PELADOW™ pellets 90%, DOWFLAKE™ Xtra flakes 83-87%, Briners Choice™, and Anhydrous 94-97% pellets) to commercial, governmental, and industrial customers across 21 U.S. states and Canada. The portfolio spans application-specific service lines for ice control, dust control, road base stabilization, enhanced aggregate, ready mix concrete acceleration, landscaping, and food-grade uses, with affiliated RBIS supplying specialty and food-processing chemicals.

Product overview

Sicalco, Ltd. is a distributor of liquid and dry calcium chloride products, operating since 1979 as an official Liquidow™ distributor for Occidental Chemical Corporation. The company offers calcium chloride in three primary forms: liquid (Liquidow™ 32%), dry pellets (Peladow™ 90%, Anhydrous 94-97%), and flakes (Dowflake™ Xtra 83-87%). Products span both technical/industrial grades and food grade formulations. The portfolio is organized around core chemical products supplemented by specialized service offerings including ice control, dust control, road base stabilization, enhanced aggregate, landscaping, ready mix concrete acceleration, and food-grade applications. An affiliated company, RBIS, provides specialty chemicals including acidulants, antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins, and custom blending for the food processing industry. The company distributes through terminals across five U.S. locations to 21 states and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce salt usage by 30% through pre-wetting with LIQUIDOW™ calcium chloride
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Occidental Chemical CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationSicalco is an official Liquidow™ distributor and authorized distributor of both liquid calcium chloride and dry calcium chloride products manufactured by Occidental Chemical Corporation. Products include LIQUIDOW™ (liquid), PELADOW™ (pellets), Briners Choice™, and Anhydrous 94-97%. This is the primary supplier relationship enabling Sicalco's core business.
• RBIS, Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRBIS Ltd. is an affiliated company of Sicalco that provides specialty chemicals and food processing chemicals. Through RBIS, Sicalco offers extended product lines including acidulants, aroma chemicals, antioxidants, humectants, custom blended enzymes and vitamins. RBIS uses local warehousing for quick delivery and offers next day/same day delivery for orders by 10am.
• Archer Daniels MidlandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey supplier to RBIS for specialty chemicals including various food processing ingredients.
• Bio-Cat EnzymesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey supplier to RBIS for enzyme products used in food processing applications.
• Dow Chemical CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensor of DOWFLAKE™ trademark exclusively licensed to Occidental Chemical Corporation. Key supplier for calcium chloride flake products.
• Huntsman ChemicalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey supplier to RBIS for specialty chemical products.
• Magrabar DefoamersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey supplier to RBIS for anti-foaming and defoaming agent products.
• JBLminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey supplier to RBIS for specialty chemical products.
• Tate & LyleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey supplier to RBIS for food ingredient products including sorbitol and other specialty chemicals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Univar Solutions: Major North American chemical distributor with specialty chemicals for industrial, food, and water treatment markets. Directly comparable to Sicalco's distribution model and customer segments, but at much greater scale and breadth across many chemistries beyond calcium chloride.
• Brenntag SE: World's largest chemical distribution company with broad specialty chemical and food ingredient portfolios. Comparable to Sicalco as a scaled incumbent in chemical distribution with overlapping food, water treatment, and industrial chemistry customers, though it operates globally and across many chemistries rather than specializing in calcium chloride.
• Solvay S.A. Global specialty chemicals producer including calcium chloride for food, industrial, and water treatment applications. Comparable to Sicalco in supplying calcium chloride into overlapping end markets, though Solvay is a large diversified manufacturer rather than a regional distributor.
• Cargill, Inc. Produces deicing salt and a broad portfolio of food ingredients. Comparable to Sicalco at the intersection of road deicing chemistry (Cargill's North American salt business competes for DOT contracts) and food ingredient distribution via RBIS's supplier ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Compass Minerals International: Major producer of highway deicing salt (SafeStep, FreezGard) and magnesium chloride deicers sold to state DOTs and municipalities. Closely comparable to Sicalco's ice control and dust control businesses given overlapping winter road maintenance end markets and product chemistries competing for the same municipal budgets.
• Hawkins, Inc. US specialty chemical distributor with Water Treatment, Food & Health Sciences, and Industrial segments. Directly comparable to Sicalco because it blends bulk industrial chemical distribution (including water treatment chemistries analogous to calcium chloride) with food ingredient and specialty chemical sales to municipal, industrial, and food processing customers.
• Tetra Technologies, Inc. Produces calcium chloride and calcium bromide products for industrial, food, and oilfield markets. Directly comparable to Sicalco as both a calcium chloride manufacturer competing for similar end markets and a competitor in food-grade and industrial calcium chloride supply.
• ICL Group Ltd. Specialty fertilizer and food-grade phosphate producer serving agriculture and food processing customers. Comparable to Sicalco in selling specialty mineral-based inputs to food processors and into agricultural/landscape applications, though ICL is global and much larger.
• Hydrite Chemical Co. Privately held US specialty chemical manufacturer and distributor serving food processing, water treatment, and industrial end markets. Highly comparable to Sicalco in its combination of food-grade ingredients, water-treatment chemistry, and industrial chemical distribution to a multi-state Midwestern customer base.

Others

• Occidental Chemical Corporation (OxyChem): Primary manufacturer of LIQUIDOW™, PELADOW™, and the licensed DOWFLAKE™ calcium chloride products that Sicalco distributes. Sicalco's core supplier relationship — comparable as the upstream partner whose chemistry Sicalco takes to market, rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sicalco-ltd.

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 Sicalco, Ltd.