65 Years of Industry Expertise

Chemical’s consulting was the basis for our company’s founding in 1959 by Chemist and Princeton Graduate Dr. Charles Kline, and serving the specialty chemicals sector remains one of our core sectors. Kline’s expert team in manufacturing economics and technology management positions us to serve both diversified chemical companies and specialty firms serving the consumer and industrial markets.

Assisting our lubricants clients in the transformation of the energy industry is at the heart of what we do. From tracking supply and demand across specific industry sectors to forecasting the supply chain outlook for bio lubes and lubricants for wind turbines, Kline’s expertise across the lubricants value chain is unparalleled.  

Insatiable consumer demand for new products, particularly “indie brands,” has long been the lifeblood of the beauty business. How and where consumers buy are the biggest disruptors, putting the spotlight on Asia as the number one market for beauty products. Professional Beauty*, our core beauty practice, is also experiencing retail disruption, with movement of take-home product sales from the salon to e-commerce and brick and mortar.

For over 60 years, we have assisted clients with consulting and market research in the Industrial and Institutional (I&I) cleaning industry. Our I&I practice regularly publishes syndicated reports on various professional cleaning market segments including Janitorial (FOH), Foodservice (BOH), Wipes, Hand Care, and Laundry Chemicals that are built on rigorous primary research with end users, suppliers, distributors, and trade associations. ​Our market data and assessments are highly regarded in the industry for our depth of expertise, and we are asked regularly to speak at industry events.

Kline is without question the industry powerhouse in professional beauty. We are the go-to resource for data and insights for professional hair care, skin care, nail care, and more. Through our always-on Intelligence Centers and our world-class consulting team, strategic and financial companies engage with Kline for due diligence, strategy, and knowledge management.

With the world’s food systems in crisis and increasing demand for sustainably produced crops, pressure on the producers of farm and nonfarm pesticides and fertilizers has never been greater. Our global databases and experts on bio and chemical products provide the foundational knowledge to navigate environmental, regulatory, and competitive challenges.

Automotive & Mobility

We help participants across the automotive supply chain manage their business evolution and transformation as the industry shifts from petroleum products to electric and other carbon-neutral solutions. Kline works with the world’s leading energy companies by developing robust forecasts for supply and demand models across geographies and for alternate market evolution scenarios.

Consumers are firmly in the driver’s seat, making it more complex than ever to capture brand loyalty and the share of wallet. We help consumer product companies and their suppliers understand this ever-changing landscape, as well as the motivation and needs of consumers, particularly in the beauty and professional beauty sectors.

From farm to fork, Kline’s experience covers multiple aspects of the food industry. From biopesticides for crop management to clean-label preservatives and plant-based food, Kline’s ingredient and CPG experts help companies pursue opportunities in sustainable food and nutrition.

Our expertise in over-the-counter (OTC) products, vitamins & nutritional supplements, and Rx-to-OTC switch has been the basis for client engagement to identify and vet business development opportunities (e.g. proof of concept and forecasting). We also have a unique specialization in competitive cost analysis for medical devices in domains such as diabetes care, vision care, and orthopedics.

Kline helps clients in the mining and metals industries address challenges and opportunities in areas such as sustainability, supply chain optimization, and investment strategy. Our team members are experts in industrial minerals and inorganic chemicals.

Kline is the consultancy of choice to advise private equity (PE) firms on investment decisions in professional beauty, lubricants value chain, and specialty chemicals (personal care ingredients). From early-stage screening to robust commercial due diligence, PE clients rely on Kline for confident decision-making and informed valuations.

*Global Leadership Practice