Overview

Kline Helps Chemical Companies Manage, Survive, and Thrive Through Every Business Cycle

Kline is the top management consulting firm serving the Chemicals industry globally. For more than 50 years, we have helped clients manage, survive, and thrive in every business cycle.

Our dedicated Chemicals team is well versed in critical business issues affecting clients that are among the leading regional and global players. They compete in commodity, specialty and fine chemicals, plastics and polymers, and petrochemicals. Our ability to develop and implement effective strategies for clients is complemented by our deep expertise across multiple industries related to chemicals – personal care, health and nutrition, building and construction, packaging materials, microelectronic devices, paints, coatings and adhesives, and a host of others. This critical understanding of the entire value chain adds value by allowing us to better uncover obstacles and identify growth opportunities in a difficult operating environment.

Whether the challenge is to revitalize an existing business or determine the best options for growth, Kline has the underlying Chemicals industry expertise and proven processes to help our clients gain competitive advantage and succeed.

Challenges

Kline Understands the Tough Challenges of Chemicals

Companies in the dynamic chemicals industry face intense competition and some of the toughest challenges in history. They look to Kline’s experts for solutions in dealing with a wide range of issues including:

  • Anemic growth and economic uncertainty in EU27 countries
  • Slow growth in U.S. markets, but U.S.-based firms well-positioned for profitable growth in local and export markets
  • Two types of economies driving China – richer coastal provinces behaving like developed economies and inland provinces repeating the growth miracle
  • Middle Eastern, Chinese, and Indian producers flexing their muscles in developing economies by seeking to participate in more downstream chemical and material businesses
  • Many specialty businesses in the United States and EU27 suffering from growing competitive pressures and businesses transitioning into the “specialty trap”

Competencies

Chemicals Expertise Coupled with Targeted Service Solutions Help You Win

Kline leverages our industry and value-chain expertise across our global organization to work with our clients on feedstock, technology, product, manufacturing, supply chain, customer, and country initiatives. Our consulting teams consist of experts from our functional service practices and resident industry/value-chain experts. Their relevant industry knowledge coupled with targeted service solutions help clients gain competitive advantage and develop winning strategies. Our service solutions include:

  • Business Growth: Evaluate attractiveness of options that provide greatest chance of winning with rapid, sustainable, and profitable growth
  • Innovation: Help optimize approach to achieve greater innovation and more effective spend
  • M&A Advisory: Leverage our deep industry knowledge and transaction support services to uncover candidates and perform due diligence
  • Manufacturing Competitiveness: Draw upon our robust cost benchmarking to improve gross margins and to support physical asset decisions
  • Market Entry: Help clients expand into business adjacencies or entirely new markets and regions to deliver top-line growth
  • Pricing & Margin Management: Utilize robust quantitative research to evaluate pricing options and related profit pools to increase margin significantly

Specialty Chemicals Category Expertise


TECHNICAL SPECIALTIES
 
  • Antioxidants
  • Biocides
  • Bio based chemicals
  • Catalysts
  • Chelants
  • Corrosion inhibitors
  • Dyes and organic pigments
  • Elastomers
  • Emulsifiers
  • Enzymes (industrial)
  • Flame retardants
  • Foundry chemicals
  • Gasoline additives
  • Ion-exchange resins
  • Laboratory chemicals
  • Mining chemicals
  • Pigments, inorganic
  • Plastics additives
  • Rheology control
  • Rubber processing chemicals
  • Surfactants
  • Specialty polymers
  • Thickeners
  • UV absorbers
FORMULATED SPECIALTIES
 
  • Adhesives
  • Agricultural chemicals
  • Coal and fuel additives
  • Construction chemicals
  • Cosmetic additives
  • Defoamers
  • Diagnostic aids
  • Electronic chemicals
  • Flavors and fragrances
  • Food additives
  • Industrial and institutional cleaners
  • Industrial coatings
  • Lubricant and functional fluid additives
  • Lubricant and functional fluids (synthetic)
  • Metal plating and finishing chemicals
  • Oilfield chemicals
  • Paint additives
  • Paper additives
  • Photographic chemicals
  • Printing chemicals
  • Printing inks
  • Refinery and pipeline chemicals
  • Sealants
  • Specialty surfactants
  • Textile specialties
  • Water management chemicals