November 10 2025, David R Brown
PE firm, Lindsay Goldberg to acquire North American industrial chemicals distributor, EMCO
Lindsay Goldberg LLC, a leading US private equity firm focused on partnering with families and founders, has acquired EMCO Chemical Distributors LLC, a founder-owned distributor of industrial chemicals, primarily serving the midwestern United States. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
EMCO stands out for its stellar reputation, enduring supplier relationships, loyal employee base, and unmatched infrastructure in the region
ohn Holland and Eric Fry
Partners at Lindsay Goldberg
Founded by Edward Polen in 1971 and headquartered in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, EMCO is one of the largest independent chemical distributors in North America. With over 500 employees, EMCO distributes, blends, and packages more than 5,000 SKUs to over 4,000 customers across a wide range of end markets including agriculture, CASE, Food, HI&I, PersonalCare, Textiles and Water Treatment.
“Our investment in EMCO is the culmination of a multi-year relationship with EMCO founder Edward Polen,” said John Holland and Eric Fry, Partners at Lindsay Goldberg. “EMCO stands out for its stellar reputation, enduring supplier relationships, loyal employee base, and unmatched infrastructure in the region. We believe these strengths underpin EMCO's position as a market leader, and we look forward to working with EMCO's management team to support its future growth.”
EMCO's founder and CEO, Edward Polen, remarked “Building EMCO over the last 54 years has been the greatest privilege. From the start, I set out to build a company where people matter - where we are true partners to our suppliers and customers and where our employees are empowered to make a difference. I'm proud of the culture we've built at EMCO. It is critical to our success, and I know that Lindsay Goldberg is the right partner to carry our culture forward.”
Frank Bergonzi, a Lindsay Goldberg Affiliate Partner and seasoned chemicals industry executive, will be appointed Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of EMCO upon Edward's retirement at the closing of the transaction. Frank Bergonzi commented, “I have known and respected Edward Polen and the EMCO platform for the last 30 years. I am excited to work alongside EMCO's talented management team as we expand into new products and markets. Together, we will grow EMCO and further build upon Edward's remarkable legacy.”
About EMCO Chemical Distributors
EMCO Chemical Distributors is a leading distributor, custom blender, and packager of chemicals in North America. The Company packages and distributes chemicals to over 4,000 customers across a variety of industries. EMCO operates eight distribution and packaging facilities, an application lab, and an environmental services facility. The Company maintains a state-of-the-art ISO 8 Class 100,000 clean room, ISO 9001 certification, and is FSSC 22000 certified and recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative. In 2024 EMCO Chemical Distributors reported revenues of USD 419 million.
Source(s): EMCO Press Release
Further Information
Visit: https://www.emcochem.com