Kemira Expands North American Presence with AquaBlue Acquisition

Finnish chemicals firm Kemira has completed its acquisition of Ohio-based AquaBlue, Inc., a privately owned company focused on water treatment needs of industrial customers.

The deal is valued at close to $10 million, but it strengthens Kemira’s position within North America and the global industrial water segment.

AquaBlue proves wastewater and industrial water treatment services for the food & beverage, manufacturing and healthcare sectors.

“This acquisition enhances our ability to deliver more value to customers by combining AquaBlue’s service expertise with Kemira’s technologies,” said Kemira’s Tuija Pohjolainen-Hiltunen, executive vice president of water solutions, said in a statement. “It’s the first acquisition since we purchased Water Engineering, Inc., which has provided us with a solid platform for organic and inorganic growth in industrial water treatment services in North America.”

AquaBlue will be integrated into Kemira’s Water Solutions group and continue operating from its current location.

The AquaBlue acquisition follows Kemira’s deal to buy Nebraska-based Water Engineering, Inc. for about $150 million in fall 2025. Water Engineering also was integrated into the company’s Water Solutions group.

Kemira is globally based in Helsinki. It is owned by members of the Paasikivi family. It was founded in 1920 and originally owned by the government.

The global industrial water treatment market is expected to grow 5 percent annually and reach $71 billion by 2033, according to a forecast by Grand View Research. The sector could advance to $80 billion in annual market size by 2035 through a variety of motivating factors including water scarcity and sustainability needs around specialty chemicals, manufacturing and other industries.