Chemical distribution and solution services for industrial chemicals in Central and Eastern Europe
HSH Chemie GmbH
Hamburg (HQ) · Vienna/Großweikersdorf · Riga · Warsaw · Prague · Budapest · Bucharest · Sofia · Zagreb · Belgrade · Bratislava · Brnik · Minsk · KyivNew on Amplifa
About HSH Chemie
HSH Chemie GmbH is an owner-managed chemical trading company headquartered in Hamburg, specialized in the distribution of industrial and specialty chemicals in Central and Eastern Europe. The company distributes chemical raw materials via 14 branches serving more than 30 countries, and additionally offers its own solution services: formulation development, lab services, contract manufacturing of complex chemical products, blending and refinement, repacking, as well as chemical warehouse logistics. In-house product development includes the cellulose ether CELLQ for the construction industry, which HSH Chemie markets as a manufacturer. Customers come from five industry focus groups: Personal & Home Care, Coatings/Adhesives & Building, Plastics & Rubber, Food/Feed & Pharma, and Industrial Performance. The company is 100 % family-owned, employs around 350 staff, and generated revenue of EUR 232 million in 2024; a network of more than 30 warehouses supports the distribution logistics.
- Site
- Hamburg
- Processes
- Formulations Services (formulation development, material testing, QA), Lab Services (formulation testing, quality inspection, product development), Production Services (contract manufacturing of complex chemical products to specification), Refinement Services (blending, finishing, ready-made mixtures, additives), Repacking Services (decanting, drumming, IBC filling, bulk breaking), Chemical Warehousing (storage, buffer storage, distribution), Chemical Distribution, Chemical Warehousing
- Materials
- Cellulose ether CELLQ (own product), Cellulose ether CELLQ (own production), Industrial and specialty chemicals
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001, SQAS/ESAD, EcoVadis Bronze Medal, SQAS / ESAD
- Founded
- 1976
- Employees
- 350
- Industries
- Personal & Home Care, Coatings, Adhesives & Building, Plastics & Rubber, Food, Feed & Pharma, Industrial Performance
- 01
Procurement from international chemical producers
- 02
Storage at more than 30 chemical warehouse locations
- 03
Material testing and QA in in-house laboratories
- 04
Optional: formulation, blending/refinement, repacking, or contract manufacturing
- 05
Distribution and supply chain solutions to more than 30 countries
Products and Services
Cellulose ether CELLQ (own production)
In-house thickener for the construction industry, produced by HSH Chemie as a manufacturer.
Industrial and specialty chemicals
Raw materials and additives for five industry focus groups, from home care to industrial performance.
In-House Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formulations Services (formulation development, material testing, QA)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Chemical raw materials (industrial chemicals) |
| Lab Services (formulation testing, quality inspection, product development)Testing | – | – | – | – | Chemical raw materials |
| Production Services (contract manufacturing of complex chemical products to specification)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Chemical raw materials, e.g. cellulose ethers (own brand |
| Refinement Services (blending, finishing, ready-made mixtures, additives)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Chemical raw materials |
| Repacking Services (decanting, drumming, IBC filling, bulk breaking)Surface | – | – | – | – | Liquid chemicals |
| Chemical Warehousing (storage, buffer storage, distribution)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Quality and Compliance
All companies of the HSH Chemie Group are certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001; distribution processes are additionally covered by SQAS/ESAD assessments. In-house laboratories ensure material testing, quality assurance, and traceability of product origins.
| Evidence | Hamburg |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| ISO 14001 | |
| SQAS / ESAD | |
| EcoVadis Bronze Medal |
Company History
- 1976
Foundation of F. Rather Chemie GmbH in Hamburg and Gratenau & Hesselbacher Chemie GmbH with 50/50 cross-holdings
- 1981
Foundation of HSH Hamburger Handelsgesellschaft GmbH in Hamburg
- 1988
Merger of HSH and F. Rather Chemie into HSH Chemie GmbH
- 1989
First expansion to Poland: Hamburska Spółka Handlowa Sp. z o.o. in Warsaw (from 2008 HSH Chemie Sp. z o.o.)
- 1997
Foundation of Goldmann HSH Sp. z o.o. in Warsaw (from 2012 Goldmann Sp. z o.o.)
- 1999
Merger of HSH Chemie GmbH and Gratenau & Hesselbacher Chemie GmbH; foundation of Rather GmbH as holding company
- 2000
Expansion to the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania; strategic alliance with Parka d.o.o. (Slovenia)
- 2001
Foundation of HSH Chemie EOOD in Sofia, Bulgaria
- 2002
Ter Hell & Co. GmbH acquires 40 % of HSH Chemie GmbH
- 2005
Acquisition of 50 % of Tekom Ltd. in Kyiv (remainder in 2011)
- 2008
Foundation of Tekom-Chemie ooo in Minsk, trade office in Bratislava, Parka Distribucija d.o.o. in Zagreb
- 2010
Acquisition of 26 % of Parka d.o.o., Slovenia
- 2014
Stake in Parka d.o.o. increased to 50 %
- 2015
Trade office Slovakia becomes HSH Chemie SK s.r.o.
- 2018
Tecom Chemie (Belarus, Ukraine) renamed to HSH Chemie
- 2019
HSH Chemie GmbH becomes sole owner of the Parka Group
- 2025
First VSME sustainability report of the HSH Chemie Group published