From serving customers in a soda shop to chatting online with manufacturers across the USA, from local deliveries via horse & buggy to overseas container shipments, from fertilizers for farmers to parts per billion chemistries for chip makers… the thread that connects Apothecaries Hall to Hubbard-Hall follows the evolution of American manufacturing and is strengthened by 6 generations of family stewardship committed to sustainable growth.
From before the Civil War
In downtown Waterbury, CT, a small shop opened its doors in 1849 under the leadership of Dr. Gideon Platt. Known as Apothecaries Hall Company in the manner of the old guilds, this shop served the local populace – farmers, families, merchants and builders, thus beginning a remarkable journey.
To the turn of the 20th Century
Through the Civil War and the turn of the 20th century, agriculture was the backbone of American economy, and Apothecaries Hall distributed fertilizers and animal care products under its Liberty Brand from Long Island to the Canadian border. As a local Apothecary, the company helped provide medical supplies during the Great Spanish Flu (1918 – 1920).
World Wars Impact
With the advent of World War I, America needed button and bullets and Waterbury became known as the Brass Capital of the World. Under the leadership of Isaac P. Kellogg, Apothecaries Hall developed chemistries and added anode capabilities to serve the rapidly growing industrial base of brass manufacturers.
The two world wars supercharged America’s transition from an agricultural economy to an industrial powerhouse and Apothecaries Hall morphed from fertilizer manufacturer to industrial chemical distributor.
Renamed “The Hubbard-Hall Chemical Company” in 1957 and now led by Frederic R. Kellogg, the company invested in greater distribution capabilities and increased its specialty product lines to support durable goods manufacturers working with metals and alloys of all types.
Geographic Expansion
As America’s industrial base moved from its birthplace in the Northeast to new sites in the South, so did Hubbard-Hall, establishing a manufacturing location in South Carolina in 1974. And when factories went international, so did Hubbard-Hall – serving customers with specialty chemicals for surface finishing from Mexico to Malaysia.
Turn of the 21st Century
Fast forward through another global pandemic to 2024 and an international industrial economy, Hubbard-Hall supplies specialty chemicals for surface cleaning, metal finishing and wastewater treatment to over 2,300 companies. Across industries from military to medical devices, aerospace and automobiles and hand tools to keeping high-tech fabs running up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Mix in strategic acquisitions over a century and meet the oldest independent chemical distributor in the country.
Chuck Kellogg (1931 – 2019)
Former Chairman/President
Continued Traditions
Now run by 6th generation family member Molly Kellogg, Hubbard-Hall holds certification for ISO 9001:2015, Responsible Distribution as certified by the ACD, and as a Women Owned Small Business. The company has also been recognized as a CT Top Workplace 8 times.
The company continues to operate with the spirit of innovation, resilience and commitment to community stewardship that reflects America’s great history and strong future.
