What Hvl Gmbh does

HVL GmbH is a privately held German chemical importer, distributor, and manufacturer founded in 1994, headquartered in Badenweiler with a 20,000+ m³ tank storage facility in Antwerp, Belgium. The company operates four business divisions: chemical trading (glycols MEG, DEG, TEG, acetone, white spirits, ethanol); automotive chemistry under the proprietary Frigutec® brand, which has produced nine ASTM D 3306-certified engine coolant variants at Antwerp since 2017 and includes DOT 3/4/4 LV/5.1 brake fluids; raw materials trading supplying regenerated iron oxide and aluminum oxide into cement, refractory, and mineral-fibre industries; and waste valorization, which since inception has redirected hundreds of thousands of tonnes of chemical-industry waste into by-product markets via distillation, recycling, and thermal recovery.

The company's core technical and regulatory assets include proprietary REACH registrations for MEG, DEG, TEG, and acetone; ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications; external certified-laboratory analysis on all products; and full climate-neutral operations since 2022 via CarboCert humus-formation offsetting verified by Arqum. HVL connects chemical production in the USA, Middle East, and Asia with European industrial customers through a bulk road-tanker delivery network, FCA self-collection from Antwerp tanks, and flexible arrangements including combined loads and short-notice collections.

Commercially, HVL runs a sales-led, quote-based B2B model targeting filling companies, workshops, vehicle parts dealers, food and DIY stores, industrial chemical buyers, and cement/refractory/mineral-fibre producers across Europe. Revenue streams combine one-time chemical trading transactions, hardware sales of branded coolants and brake fluids, and transaction-fee-based waste valorization and secondary raw materials trading. The offering is bundled with financing support, multi-modal logistics, market intelligence, and both fixed-price and index-linked formula pricing for longer-term contracts. Ownership is family-managed under Managing Directors Ulrich Lips and Alexander Lips, with no institutional investors, public listing, or external funding rounds identified in the available data.

Name

Hvl Gmbh

Legal name

HVL GmbH

Website

https://hvl-online.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HVL GmbH is a privately held German chemical importer, distributor, and manufacturer founded in 1994, supplying glycols, the proprietary Frigutec® coolant brand, solvents, brake fluids, and recycled mineral raw materials to European industrial buyers, filling companies, and cement/refractory industries from its 20,000 m³ Antwerp tank farm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Chemicals Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246), Chemical Manufacturing (325), Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Industrial Solvents (IMAEAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Alcohols & Glycols (Commodity Grade) (IMAEAAAK), Aftermarket Fluids, Lubricants & Chemical Products Manufacturing (Oils/Coolants/Additives/Cleaners) (IMACANAK), Chemical Tank Farms & Bulk Liquid Chemical Storage (TLALAHAH)

Keywords

• Chemical trading services
• Engine coolant manufacturing
• Industrial chemical distribution
• Glycol distribution
• Waste valorization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Badenweiler

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Trading (Import & Distribution): HVL imports and distributes chemicals including glycols (MEG, DEG, TEG), acetone, white spirits, and ethanol. They connect global chemical production from USA, Middle East, and Asia with European industry. Revenue generated from product sales with flexible pricing options including fixed prices and formula prices linked to common indices.
2. Frigutec® Automotive Coolant Manufacturing: Manufacture and sale of proprietary Frigutec® engine coolant brand since 2017. Products sold in bulk to filling companies for drums, canisters, and bottles, supplied to workshops, vehicle parts dealers, and retail stores throughout Europe.
3. Waste Recycling and Valorization: Marketing of chemical industry waste as by-products or secondary products. Includes distillation of solvent waste for reuse and thermal recovery. The company has fed hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste into markets as by-products since founding in 1994.
4. Raw Materials Trading: Trading of mineral raw materials including iron oxide and aluminum oxide (from aluminum salt slag recycling) to cement, refractory, and mineral fibre industries. Also includes mineral and metal-containing residues marketed as secondary raw materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HVL GmbH imports, distributes, and manufactures industrial chemicals with a primary focus on glycols (MEG, DEG, TEG), the proprietary Frigutec® engine coolant range, solvents (acetone, white spirits), ethanol, brake fluids, and mineral raw materials (iron oxide, regenerated aluminum oxide). The company operates over 20,000 m³ of tank storage in Antwerp as a hub linking global chemical production from the USA, Middle East, and Asia with European industrial customers, and also markets chemical industry waste as secondary products through its recycling and valorization division.

Product overview

HVL GmbH is a chemical trading company founded in 1994, operating as importer, distributor, and manufacturer. The company offers four main product lines: (1) Glycols including Monoethylene glycol (MEG), Diethylene glycol (DEG), and Triethylene glycol (TEG) with REACH registrations; (2) The Frigutec® branded engine coolant range with 9 variants (OAT-EVO, X-OAT, OAT-Si++, OAT+, HDC, WCI, BSN, BSH, LC100) for automotive and industrial applications; (3) Solvents and ethanol products including acetone and denatured ethanol; and (4) Mineral raw materials including iron oxide and aluminium oxide from recycling. Additional products include brake fluids (DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 4 LV, DOT 5.1) and white spirits (D40, D60). HVL operates tank storage capacities exceeding 20,000 m³ in Antwerp and provides logistics, financing, and market information services alongside product sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Frigutec®: Proprietary brand of engine coolants/radiator antifreeze products manufactured by HVL, including OAT-EVO, X-OAT, OAT-Si++, OAT+, HDC, WCI, BSN, BSH, and LC100 variants.
• ALCOFREEZE BASE

Products and services

• Monoethylene Glycol (MEG) Monoethylene glycol distributed under HVL's own REACH registration, supplied in bulk to industrial customers for use in chemical processing and downstream applications.
• Diethylene Glycol (DEG) Diethylene glycol distributed by HVL under its own REACH registration for industrial customers in chemical processing applications.
• Triethylene Glycol (TEG) Triethylene glycol distributed by HVL under its own REACH registration, used in industrial chemical applications.
• Frigutec® OAT-EVO Engine Coolant Premium engine coolant concentrate manufactured by HVL providing long-term protection against corrosion, overheating, and frost; sold in bulk to filling companies for packaging under the Frigutec® brand.
• Frigutec® X-OAT Engine Coolant Premium engine coolant concentrate with extended service intervals and corrosion protection, part of the Frigutec® product line.
• Frigutec® OAT-Si++ Engine Coolant Organic Acid Technology coolant with silicate enhancement for extended durability, part of the Frigutec® product line.
• Frigutec® OAT+ Engine Coolant Organic Acid Technology based coolant concentrate for automotive applications, part of the Frigutec® product line.
• Frigutec® HDC Heavy Duty Coolant Heavy duty coolant designed for commercial and industrial engine applications, part of the Frigutec® product line.
• Frigutec® WCI Warm Climate Inhibitor Coolant Coolant optimized for high-temperature operating conditions, part of the Frigutec® product line.
• Frigutec® BSN Engine Coolant Engine coolant variant for specific automotive applications within the Frigutec® product line.
• Frigutec® BSH Engine Coolant Engine coolant variant for specific automotive applications within the Frigutec® product line.
• Frigutec® LC100 Long-Life Coolant Long-life coolant concentrate providing extended protection cycles, part of the Frigutec® product line.
• Acetone (Solvent) Industrial-grade acetone distributed by HVL under its own REACH registration, used as a solvent across industrial applications.
• Denatured Ethanol (Ethanol vergällt) Denatured ethanol supplied by HVL for industrial and automotive applications including windscreen antifreeze.
• ALCOFREEZE BASE Base product for alcohol-based freezing applications, distributed by HVL under the ALCOFREEZE brand.
• Iron Oxide (Eisenoxid) Secondary raw material from recycling, marketed as a substitute for primary materials in cement, refractory, and mineral fibre industries.
• Regenerated Aluminium Oxide (Aluminiumoxid) Regenerated Al2O3 produced from recycling of aluminium salt slag, marketed as a bauxite substitute in cement, refractory, and mineral fibre industries.
• DOT 3 Brake Fluid Hydraulic brake fluid with minimum dry boiling point of 205°C and wet boiling point of 140°C, supplied for older vehicles and cost-efficient applications.
• DOT 4 Brake Fluid Hydraulic brake fluid with minimum dry boiling point of 230°C and wet boiling point of 155°C for factory filling and aftermarket use.
• DOT 4 LV (Low Viscosity) Brake Fluid Low viscosity brake fluid with minimum dry boiling point of 250°C and wet boiling point of 165°C, optimised for electronic ABS and ESP systems at low temperatures.
• DOT 5.1 Brake Fluid High-performance brake fluid with minimum dry boiling point of 260°C and improved low-temperature viscosity compared to DOT 4.
• White Spirit D40 (Testbenzin D40) Refined, de-aromatised petrol (CAS 64742-48-9) with boiling range 150–200°C, supplied as a solvent and diluent for adhesives, paints, varnishes, and wood preservatives.
• White Spirit D60 (Testbenzin D60) Refined, de-aromatised petrol with boiling range 175–225°C, supplied as an industrial solvent and diluent.
• Waste Recycling and Valorization Services Marketing of chemical industry waste as by-products or secondary products, including distillation of solvent waste for reuse and thermal recovery, serving industrial waste producers across Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste processed as by-products since 1994, reducing need for primary raw materials
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CarboCertcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarboCert partners with HVL for CO2 neutralization through a regional humus formation program. HVL sponsors a local farmer in Markgräflerland (between Freiburg and Basel) participating in CarboCert's humus-building program. This partnership enables HVL to offset 100% of CO2 emissions in Scope 1 and 2 and partly Scope 3 since 2022, contributing to the Paris Climate Agreement goals while also improving drinking water quality and reducing chemical fertilizers in agriculture.
• ArqumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArqum serves as HVL's sustainability consulting partner, continuously calculating and certifying HVL's greenhouse gas emissions according to international calculation standards. Arqum supports HVL in identifying and assessing emitters according to the Kyoto Protocol divided into three scopes.
• tp werbeagenturminorOtherstp werbeagentur (Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 13, 79106 Freiburg i.Br.) provides web design and technical implementation services for HVL's website.
• Forwarding/Spedition PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHVL works with forwarding partners for logistics and delivery services, providing flexible delivery options with bulk goods in full tankers to customers throughout Europe.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Helm AG: Hamburg-based, family-owned chemical distribution and trading company. Highly comparable to HVL given similar family-controlled ownership structure, German base, focus on commodity chemicals, and trading-plus-distribution business model across Europe.
• Biesterfeld AG: Hamburg-based specialty chemical distributor serving industrial customers across Europe. Comparable to HVL in product mix (industrial chemicals, specialty raw materials) and B2B distribution model targeting European industrial producers.
• Azelis Group: Antwerp-headquartered specialty chemicals distributor with strong European and global footprint. Directly comparable to HVL given Antwerp operating base, similar industrial chemicals distribution model, and customer overlap in European industrial markets.
• Prestone Products Corporation: Long-established US antifreeze/coolant brand manufacturer owned by KMG Chemicals. Directly comparable to HVL's Frigutec® business given parallel focus on engine coolants meeting ASTM D 3306, automotive aftermarket channels, and branded coolant product lines.
• Old World Industries: US-based manufacturer of Peak-branded engine antifreeze/coolants and automotive fluids. Most directly comparable peer to HVL's Frigutec® branded coolant business given analogous product portfolio, automotive aftermarket focus, and ASTM-standard certified manufacturing.
• Ter Hell & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG): Hamburg-based chemical distribution company with a similar mid-sized, privately-held profile. Comparable to HVL as a German commodity and specialty chemicals distributor serving European industrial customers with analogous trading and warehousing operations.
• Brenntag SE: World's largest chemical distributor, headquartered in Essen, Germany. Directly comparable to HVL as a bulk and specialty chemical distributor serving European industrial customers with similar product categories (solvents, glycols) and B2B sales-led GTM motion.
• IMCD N.V. Rotterdam-based specialty chemicals distributor listed in Amsterdam. Comparable to HVL as a European chemical distributor connecting global producers with industrial customers, with overlapping product categories in solvents, glycols, and specialty industrial chemicals.

Broad incumbents

• BASF SE: World's largest chemical producer, headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany, with extensive European chemical manufacturing and distribution. Comparable to HVL as a major German chemicals player but operates at vastly larger scale and broader product portfolio including the very glycols HVL distributes.
• Castrol (BP plc): Global automotive and industrial lubricants brand owned by BP. Comparable to HVL given overlapping automotive fluid product categories (coolants, brake fluids, specialty automotive chemicals) and European automotive aftermarket presence, though as part of a much broader lubricants portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hvl-gmbh-badenweiler

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Hvl Gmbh