Ottwin Schmidt founded Horizon Chemicals Ltd. in 1983. After starting out as a family business with Ottwin and his wife Inge, the company has grown to become a national distributor of raw materials to the coatings and composite industries as well as supplying water treatment services. Recently Horizon Chemicals Ltd. has undertaken the distribution of wood adhesives for Specialty Polymers Inc in Canada. Schmidt and his sales staff all have technical experience which helps to provide value-added service to its clients. Today the company maintains warehouses in Vancouver, BC, Edmonton, Alberta, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Toronto, Ontario and Montréal, Quebec. The head office is located in Delta, BC with a sales office in Brighton, Ontario as well.

Through its suppliers, Horizon Chemicals Ltd. believes it can deliver high quality products and service. This is done by establishing strong relationships with its customers and suppliers. Horizon Chemicals Ltd. staff is active in many industries and associations such as the Federation of Societies for Coating Technology, BC Paint Manufacturers Association, BC Wood Specialties Association, NACE (National Association of Corrosion Engineers, and CHES (Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society).

The company is also a charter member of CACD (Canadian Association of Chemical Distributors), which is committed to compliance within the Policy on Responsible Distribution and its guiding principles that insure distribution of chemicals safely and within standards set by the association and government regulations.