History

Mathiesen was founded in Chile with the goal of supporting the local industries. Behind this initiative there was a great dream of innovation and growth for the Chilean industrial sector. Mathiesen was named in honor of the founder’s wife, Luisa Mathiesen.

In 1998, Mathiesen starts operations in Bolivia. Years later, the company would expand to other key locations in South America, including Paraguay (1992), Brazil (1993), Uruguay (1993), Peru (1994) and Argentina (1995). Besides its geographical diversification, the company has also ventured into many industrial areas, such as tanneries, resins, chemicals, cosmetics, home care, pharmaceuticals, food, paper, and others.

Its 10,000 m2 distribution center is located in Santiago, Chile. It is a modern and quality storage in compliance with safety standards for chemicals and food products.

Mathiesen has set up joint ventures in Chile with Solimpex and Sercoin. The first is a chemicals and solvents distribution company with 4,000 m3 of bulk storage capacity. The second is a company specialized in formulating, manufacturing and distributing chemicals for mining, paper and paint. In 2006, both companies were acquired by Mathiesen.

In 2005, the ALIMAT food ingredients manufacturer was established in Argentina, fitted with a fully-equipped laboratory for developing solutions for the entire region. That same year Mathiesen Colombia was opened, and Alba Quimica was acquired in 2006, positioning us in the Colombian industry. We also have construction businesses in Costa Rica and Ecuador. In 2006, Mathiesen closed a deal to acquire Tekra México, venturing into the visual communication industry for the first time.

Mathiesen has opened its first office in Shanghai, China, to ensure reliable supply of price-competitive raw materials for all customers. We have a specialized and professional team to select trustworthy, competitive, and quality-committed suppliers.

Mathiesen arrived in Europe in 2008, establishing in Spain with the aim of expanding across the old continent. This is how Leather Quimica was acquired, near Barcelona, looking to adapt our manufacturing capacity into the leather industry.

Mathiesen has set up chemical supply operations in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador to support our clients in these countries. The goal is for these markets to become a growth source for Mathiesen in the coming years.

We have positioned ourselves as leaders in the Chilean mining industry after several years of outstanding service, allowing us to go global in the mining business. Today we have a strong presence in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil, hoping to establish ourselves as regional leaders in this industry.

In Mathiesen, we acknowledge the strong impact that industrial activities have on water, an increasingly scarce resource for human consumption that is also used for industrial purposes. This is why in 2019 the company began the development of its line of water treatment products, looking to optimize water usage while caring for the environment.

In the last years we have become more aware of the constant challenges that the industry face, therefore, Mathiesen continues to develop markets and new technologies to support its customers and suppliers, and together build a better future.