Special Chemicals: from cosmetics to virucides and hydroalcoholic gels

For the family business Special Chemicals, the key to success lies in internationalization and innovation. With a 25-year trajectory, the distributor of raw materials for cosmetics and perfumery has managed to overcome the pandemic and increase turnover, precisely because it decided to innovate. "We have always focused on the cosmetics and perfumery sector, but at the beginning of this crisis, we were lucky enough to find a raw material, carbopol, which is essential for giving texture to hydroalcoholic gels, and we distributed it worldwide," explains the company's commercial manager, Martí Sarrate.

Not only did they export this polymer, which increases the viscosity of a liquid, but they also obtained permission from the Ministry of Health to sell virucides, a basic ingredient for disinfecting surfaces. "At a time when hair salons and beauty centers were closed, we were able to turn around our turnover with this opportunity," details the general director of Special Chemicals, Gerard Aymí.

In this way, Special Chemicals' turnover reached ten million euros in 2020, 33% more than a year ago, when the figure stood at 7.5 million. With a staff of ten employees, the Catalan company has its offices in Barcelona and two warehouses, one in the ZAL of the Port of Barcelona and the other in the Port of Tarragona.

Created in 1994 by the chemical expert Salvador Aymí, who dedicated more than 20 years to cosmetics and perfumery, Special Chemicals is currently managed by his children, Gerard and Marta Aymí, who have been responsible for developing its export model. In addition to innovation, internationalization is the other pillar of this SME's business strategy. Ten years ago, Special Chemicals began to expand beyond Spain, with Europe and Latin America as its main destinations.

"We import and export raw materials to about thirty countries. Our focus is on consolidating South Korea and Indonesia, where there is a growing market," says Aymí. But they are also present in other geographical areas, such as the United States, China, Iran, India, and Singapore. "We have all kinds of material certificates, such as halal, kosher, organic production, and vegan, which has allowed us to reach more countries and clients," adds the company's deputy director, Marta Aymí.