LBB Industries

What LBB Industries does

LBB Industries is a New York-based private holding company founded in 2015 by Simon Brown and Matt LeBaron that invests in and develops specialty chemical distribution and packaging businesses through long-duration ownership. The company is structured around two operating platforms: LBB Specialties, a North American specialty chemical and ingredient distributor serving personal care, food, nutraceutical, industrial and adjacent end markets; and LBB Paper & Packaging, established through the 2021 acquisition of NPS Holdings in towel, tissue and specialty packaging conversion. A 20-year capital charter distinguishes LBB from conventional 5-7 year private equity funds and underpins its roll-up strategy.

LBB Specialties operates an asset-light distribution model: it sources from hundreds of global ingredient and chemical suppliers and sells into thousands of customers across the U.S. and Canada via approximately 19 warehouses and a 50+ person technical sales organization (most recent disclosed headcount: ~250 employees at the platform). Revenue scaled to approximately $500M in 2022, driven by eight disclosed add-on acquisitions between 2017 and 2022 (Charkit, AIC, Custom Ingredients, Dien, CCS, Centerchem, NPS Holdings, Debro). The AIC platform is ISO 9001 certified, providing a quality-management-system anchor for buyers in regulated end markets. Proprietary house brands (including Merfin and CustoBlend) supplement third-party distribution.

The founders previously led over $20B of transaction value. LBB Industries has raised at least two committed-capital vehicles: Fund I (>$100M committed, 2016) and Fund II (2019, with an industrial technology focus) that opens an adjacent platform thesis beyond specialty chemicals. The paper and packaging platform (NPS Holdings) is led by its own division CEO, and the broader group runs divisional CEOs at each major platform to enable autonomous operating execution under central capital and M&A oversight.

Name

LBB Industries

Legal name

LBB Industries

Website

https://lbb-industries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

LBB Industries is a New York-based private holding company that builds and acquires specialty chemical distribution and paper packaging businesses for long-term ownership, serving thousands of consumer goods, food, nutraceutical and industrial customers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Chemical Distribution: LBB Specialties generates revenue through distribution of specialty chemicals and ingredients. The company sources products from hundreds of suppliers and earns margins on sales to thousands of customers across various end markets including personal care, pharmaceutical, aroma, biotech, flavor and fragrance, food and nutritional, industrial, imaging, and metal and water treatment markets.
2. Paper Packaging Manufacturing and Conversion: NPS Holdings generates revenue through manufacturing and converting towel & tissue products, hygienic wipes, and specialty paper packaging for away-from-home markets.
3. Private Equity Management: LeBaronBrown Industries manages private investment funds, generating returns through portfolio company growth and exits. The firm targets companies generally in the range of $50 to $500 million in enterprise value for initial platform acquisitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

LBB Industries is a private holding company that invests in and develops specialty chemical distribution and packaging businesses. Through LBB Specialties, it distributes specialty chemicals and ingredients sourced from hundreds of suppliers to thousands of customers across personal care, pharmaceutical, food and nutrition, flavor and fragrance, biotech, industrial, imaging, and metal and water treatment markets. Through LBB Paper & Packaging (NPS Holdings), it manufactures and converts away-from-home tissue, towel, hygienic wipes, and specialty paper packaging products.

Product overview

LBB Industries is a private investment holding company with two main operating platforms: LBB Specialties and LBB Paper & Packaging. LBB Specialties is a leader in North American specialty chemical and ingredients distribution, operating through subsidiary companies including American International Chemical (AIC), Charkit Chemical Company, Custom Ingredients, Dien, Custom Chemical Services, Centerchem, and Debro Inc. LBB Paper & Packaging operates through NPS Holdings, a manufacturer and converter of away-from-home tissue & towel products and specialty packaging. The company employs an acquisition-led growth strategy, targeting specialty industrial businesses in the $50 to $500 million enterprise value range.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CustoBlend: Tradename for specialty concentrates allowing formulators to cold-blend ingredients, speeds up manufacturing and lowers production cost. Products include specialty chemical concentrates, high quality natural oils, polymers and extracts.

Quantifiable outcome

• LBB Specialties has grown from initial Charkit acquisition (2017) to over $500M revenue through multiple acquisitions including AIC, Custom Ingredients, Dien, CCS, Centerchem, and Debro

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ICC Chemical Corporation: Specialty chemical distributor focused on food ingredients, nutraceuticals, and personal care with a strong North American footprint. Highly comparable niche positioning to LBB Specialties' AIC and Charkit subsidiaries.
• Caldic (now Barentz-adjacent / formerly Caldic BV): Global specialty ingredient distributor serving personal care, food, pharma, and industrial markets with a comparable product mix and customer profile to LBB Specialties. Direct peer in business model.
• Rockline Industries: US-based private-label manufacturer of wet wipes and personal care paper products. Direct peer to NPS Holdings (LBB Paper & Packaging) in the away-from-home tissue, towel, and hygienic wipes conversion business.
• Barentz International: Global specialty ingredient distributor focused on personal care, food, nutrition, and pharma. Closely comparable to LBB Specialties in supplier-partnership model and end-market vertical coverage; comparable size and acquisition-led expansion.
• Azelis: European-headquartered specialty ingredient distributor with strong personal care, food, and pharma coverage. Direct peer to LBB Specialties in business model and end-market mix, with overlapping acquisition-led growth strategy.
• Hawkins, Inc. US-based specialty chemical distributor serving water treatment, food, and industrial end markets. Closely aligned with LBB Specialties' specialty industrial and water treatment segments, and a direct peer in North American distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Univar Solutions: Global specialty chemical and ingredient distributor serving personal care, food, pharma, and industrial markets. Direct overlap with LBB Specialties across nearly every end market, but operates at vastly larger scale and as a public incumbent.
• Brenntag: World's largest chemical distribution company with deep specialty ingredient exposure across personal care, pharma, and food. Highly comparable business model to LBB Specialties, but at global incumbent scale with broader geographic reach.
• Cascades Inc. Canadian-based manufacturer and converter of tissue, towel, and specialty packaging products. Highly comparable to NPS Holdings in tissue, towel, and packaging conversion, but operates as a larger public incumbent across North America.
• IMCD N.V. Global specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor with strong focus on personal care, pharma, and advanced materials. Closely comparable to LBB Specialties in product mix and customer profile, but operates as a public multinational incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lbb-industries

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries11 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 LBB Industries