ROyAL TREATMENT - US Chemicals
ROyAL TREATMENT - US Chemicals
ROyAL TREATMENT - US Chemicals
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U.S. ChemiCalS, llC:<br />
Offering the<br />
rOyal treatment<br />
www.uschemicals.com<br />
CorporateProfile
U.S. ChemiCalS, llC:<br />
Offering the<br />
rOyal treatment<br />
As <strong>US</strong> <strong>Chemicals</strong> prepares for its 50th anniversary, President Carol<br />
Piccaro says the company has never lost sight of a simple concept –<br />
our success is directly related to our customers’ success<br />
Written by Ulrika G. Gerth & Produced by Sean Bakke<br />
At treated like royalty. “We’ve got lots of<br />
U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong>, LLC, the customer is<br />
king. Suppliers and employees are also<br />
kings and queens here!” says CEO and President<br />
Carol Piccaro with a laugh.<br />
That royal treatment of everyone involved in the<br />
success of U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong>, a chemical distributor<br />
based in New Canaan, CT, is key to the company’s<br />
longevity. Celebrating 50 years in business in 2010,<br />
the philosophy of Piccaro’s father and company<br />
founder Howard T. Von Oehsen – “if our customers<br />
are not successful, then we are not successful” – is<br />
December 2009 | www.ManufacturingDigital.com<br />
still in effect today.<br />
“It’s something we’ve never lost sight of,”<br />
Piccaro says. “My dad was a master at developing<br />
long term relationships. His customers and<br />
suppliers were treated royally,” Piccaro proudly<br />
states. “One of my dad’s first customers is still a<br />
customer today. This is a huge asset.”<br />
U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong> serves as a single source for<br />
chemical acquisition needs of many industries,<br />
including: paint, ink and coatings, chemical and<br />
textiles, cosmetic and personal care products,<br />
flame retardants, food and pharmaceutical, plastic<br />
and rubber. The company also maintains 12<br />
warehouses in the United States, one in Ontario,<br />
Canada, and another in Barcelona, Spain.<br />
WORKiNG aS a Team<br />
Ten employees with over 100 years combined<br />
experience in sales and service related to<br />
chemicals take part in every order. Uniquely, U.S.<br />
<strong>Chemicals</strong>’ census is 80% woman. In a male<br />
dominated industry this make up sets them apart.<br />
Turnover is low, allowing customers and suppliers<br />
to develop personal relationships with the staff.<br />
Manufacturing <strong>US</strong> <strong>Chemicals</strong> 3<br />
Customers know the entire U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong> team,<br />
most by name.<br />
“We love challenges,” she continues. “On a<br />
Friday afternoon, if a plant is going to shut down,<br />
we will all pull together as a team to ensure the<br />
customers’ needs are met so that plant continues<br />
to run. Working together to help others gives us all<br />
a sense of accomplishment.”<br />
“We all share our mission to provide<br />
extraordinary customer service. Even outside<br />
the office, our employees value philanthropic<br />
initiatives,” states Piccaro. This tight-knit group<br />
www.ManufacturingDigital.com | December 2009
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has volunteered on AmeriCares projects, on<br />
fundraising walks, and at local soup kitchens, to<br />
name a few.<br />
C<strong>US</strong>TOmiZeD SeRViCe<br />
The company’s omnipresent focus on building<br />
long-term relationships with suppliers all over<br />
the world have made even the rarest chemical<br />
obtainable. If the customer is in need of a certain<br />
ingredient, Piccaro and her team are immediately<br />
able to tap into this worldwide sourcing network to<br />
successfully satisfy the customer.<br />
“A couple of times in my career, we’ve been<br />
able to competitively source a product to the<br />
manufacturer of that same product. This situation<br />
does not occur very often mostly when a company<br />
December 2009 | ManufacturingDigital.com<br />
Alexander<br />
“Mick”<br />
Swain<br />
cannot produce enough product for its use and/<br />
or its customers. It is extremely satisfying to also<br />
be a valuable supplier to the big guys. We differ<br />
from other chemical distributors in that we don’t<br />
necessarily compete against other distributors,<br />
but will partner with them to service the customer,”<br />
Piccaro says.<br />
Sales volumes in the <strong>US</strong> are falling with the<br />
decline of <strong>US</strong> manufacturing, she notes, but the<br />
market for services is expanding.<br />
“This is one of the growth areas for our<br />
company”, says Piccaro. “The large manufacturers<br />
do not want to cater to the smaller requests for<br />
special packaging and physical properties and<br />
this is where we shine”.<br />
U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong> has expanded its service<br />
Trudi<br />
Leddy<br />
offering to include special packaging, particle size<br />
reduction, logistics and importation.<br />
emBRaCiNG The eNViRONmeNT<br />
Earlier this year, U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong> surprised<br />
its faithful base by giving away a Smart Car<br />
at the National Petrochemicals & Refiners<br />
Association event in San Antonio, Texas.<br />
The gift demonstrated both appreciation<br />
to their customer and supplier base during a<br />
tough economic year and the company’s<br />
commitment to the green movement. “The<br />
Smart car represents many of the same qualities<br />
U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong> offers: Value, efficiency,<br />
environmentally conscience, and uniquely<br />
designed. At U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong>, we know that we<br />
Manufacturing <strong>US</strong> <strong>Chemicals</strong> 5<br />
Carol<br />
Piccaro<br />
need to proactively seek out business initiatives<br />
that promote sustainability. U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong><br />
actively supports environmentally responsible<br />
manufacturers and distributors of chemical<br />
products and services,” Piccaro noted.<br />
From small steps at the office such as<br />
distributing stainless steel drinking bottles in<br />
partnership with Klean Kanteen to thoroughly<br />
evaluating suppliers for sound environmental<br />
practices, Piccaro says being environmentally<br />
conscious is not about profit, but a way of life.<br />
Dedicated to this goal, U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong> LLC<br />
is teaming up with Dow <strong>Chemicals</strong> in 2010 by<br />
co-sponsoring the ICIS Chemical Innovation<br />
awards. The international awards will recognize<br />
outstanding innovation in the chemical industry.<br />
ManufacturingDigital.com | December 2009
Innovation is increasingly recognized as a key<br />
driver of growth and profitability in the chemical<br />
sector. U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong> will be the sponsor<br />
of the Innovation with the Best Environmental<br />
Benefit category.<br />
This category is open to all chemical<br />
companies big and small, regardless of where<br />
in the world they are based. The judges will be<br />
looking for innovative projects that solve problems<br />
or provide solutions for its company and/or its<br />
customers. Carol Piccaro is thrilled with this<br />
sponsorship as “we want to reward companies<br />
who are making strides to improve the environment<br />
we live in. We are encouraging entries where<br />
the environmental aspects of the innovation<br />
are expressly designed into the innovation<br />
December 2009 | www.ManufacturingDigital.com<br />
process—vis a vie use of renewable raw materials,<br />
waste minimization, recyclability or energy saving<br />
manufacturing and/or use.”<br />
STaRTiNG OUT<br />
Piccaro started her career at U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong><br />
in 1984 as a sales representative. She arrived<br />
after moving up the ranks of a bond trading<br />
company until the only position left was to<br />
become a trader herself, a move the two male<br />
bond traders in charge would not let her make.<br />
Her father reluctantly agreed to give her a job,<br />
questioning whether she wanted to get married<br />
and start a family.<br />
Carol told her father, “Yes, I do, but I also want<br />
a career,” Piccaro recalls.<br />
She began her chemical career in Buffalo,<br />
N.Y., married her college sweetheart, and soon<br />
after became the company’s top salesperson.<br />
When her father passed away in 1995, she<br />
retained full ownership of the privately held<br />
company. Today Carol Piccaro helps students<br />
enter the industry by offering college internships<br />
to the local community college as well as partners<br />
with a co-op program at Northeastern University<br />
in Boston.<br />
As U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong> gears up for its 50th<br />
anniversary campaign, Piccaro says, “We always<br />
welcome new customers and suppliers, we would<br />
love double digit growth, but we must never lose<br />
sight of our core concept, to treat our customers<br />
like kings – or queens!”<br />
Manufacturing <strong>US</strong> <strong>Chemicals</strong> 7<br />
FaCTS aT a GlaNCe<br />
CoMPAny nAMe: U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong>, LLC<br />
PreSidenT & Ceo: Carol Piccaro<br />
oPerATionS: A chemical distributor and<br />
a source for rapid and efficient chemical<br />
acquisition, serving many industries,<br />
such as paint, ink and coatings, chemical<br />
and textiles, cosmetic and personal care<br />
products, flame retardants, food and<br />
pharmaceutical, plastic and rubber.<br />
eSTABLiShed: 1960<br />
eMPLoyeeS: 10<br />
www.uschemicals.com<br />
www.ManufacturingDigital.com | December 2009
U.S. <strong>Chemicals</strong>, llC<br />
280 Elm Street,<br />
New Canaan, CT 06840<br />
T: 203.966.8777 | F: 203.966.3577<br />
CorporateProfile<br />
www.uschemicals.com