Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers

NAICS 4246 encompasses Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers, a category focused on the distribution and wholesale trade of various chemical products and related materials. These wholesalers primarily procure, store, and distribute chemicals for industrial, research, medical, and governmental applications. The category includes merchants handling a wide range of chemical products, from specialized laboratory chemicals to industrial cleaning agents and treatment solutions.

The federal contract awards within this NAICS code demonstrate diverse chemical procurement activities across government agencies. The U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and federal research institutions are frequent purchasers, with contract values typically ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 and durations spanning 12-48 months. Most solicitations are either unrestricted or set aside for small businesses, with a standard size threshold of 175-500 employees. Common performance locations include military bases, research laboratories, and federal facilities in locations such as Texas, California, Georgia, and Florida.

Recent federal contract opportunities in this category include specialized chemical procurement for water treatment, medical research, and industrial applications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has solicited hydrogen peroxide-based detergents and cage wash chemicals, while the Naval Research Laboratory sought dry ice procurement. The Air Force and Department of Justice have also issued opportunities for specific chemical products like solar salt, ammonium perchlorate, and HVAC water treatment chemicals. These opportunities consistently require vendor registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) and often involve precise technical specifications for chemical composition, packaging, and delivery requirements.