Our sincere congratulations to Donna and Jim Boldt of Deeks & Company of Stone Mountain, GA, for being selected by NACD as 2011 Distributors of the Year.

When you’re recognized as such by an organization with the pedigree and authenticity of the NACD, that’s a high honor indeed.  They’re both deeply involved with the Association and its good work on behalf of the industry and the community, which takes many forms.  As the article states,

Their service to the Association in many different leadership roles has been an outstanding example of their steadfast commitment to the chemical distribution industry.

They’re shutting down manufacturing plants, and that will probably include chemical producers as well as electronic and automotive makers: the terrible floods that have struck Thailand in recent days have disrupted the lives and livelihoods of millions, and impacted an economic chain that extends far beyond the country itself.

Just as with the Japanese earthquakes and tsunami of earlier this year, the disaster teaches us lessons about preparedness and safety that need to be heeded by every professional, especially in the materials handling and distribution industry.

Originating in Southern California certainly keeps us honest about safety and security from natural threats.   That’s why organizations like NACD, which has (again) posted an exemplary safety record from its membership, are critical.  Good stewardship and the willingness to invest in safety shouldn’t be back-burner priorities for any company, especially in our industry, and the lessons taught by the events of 2011 should really drive that home.

Member firms in the National Association of Chemical Distributors posted strong business gains during 2010, a testament to both their persistence in the face of a reluctant economy and — we’re sure — to the benefits of NACD membership.

The Association’s annual Company Productivity Report (CPR) shows NACD member companies achieved strong profitability in 2010. In particular, nominal dollar sales rose 12.9%, 24.0%, and 11.7% for the LIQ, FPP, and BPM groups* respectively. While physical throughput of pounds of chemicals moving through the warehouse (without 3rd party), sales were 7.9% lower in 2010 (as compared to 2009) for the LIQ group, the FPP and BPM groups saw a 16.0% and 13.4% rise, respectively.

The best practices espoused under Responsible Distribution and other NACD tenets are simply good, smart business that better enable a company to ride out rough seas.

“The recession had its effect on NACD’s members, as it did on all industrial sectors,” said NACD President Chris Jahn. “But on the whole, it weathered the storm better than other industries, due largely to a strong, conservative management culture backed by a commitment to Responsible Distribution, NACD’s management performance practice.”

Innovation begets jobs – just ask anybody in Silicon Valley about that, or any of the numerous communities springing up around the world, where engineers and chemists and other scientific professionals are applying themselves daily to the task of making better products and breakthrough strides in our knowledge of how they work.

A recent study by the American Chemical Society just reinforces that home truth as it says it’s economically imperative for the domestic chemical industry to drive innovation and entrepreneurship.   It says the industry should re-direct itself and focus on helping startups and entrepreneur firms fill the need for innovation that will drive more jobs in the future.

It’s unfortunate, but there’s been a steady decline in the number of jobs for chemists over the past two decades, and it’s the ACS’ contention that an emphasis on grassroots-level innovation will help stem those losses.  This doesn’t mean that big chemical companies are in the wrong in any way — they’re subject to the same competition and economic realities we all are.  We’re sure they’d agree that more competition and innovation, not less, is one route back to a healthier domestic job market for chemistry professionals.

George Whitesides, chairman of the ACS Task Force and a Harvard University professor, said that if the recommendations of the report are followed, it has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. chemical industry over the next 20 years.

…for keeping the bar high for everyone in the industry, as they were recipients of the NACD’s Responsible Distribution Excellence Award.

By committing to the 12 Codes of Responsible Distribution, they’ve earned our respect for having dedicated themselves to their industry, their community and the safety and education of their employees.  It’s an effort that’s acknowledged and emulated by all 400 NACD members, and recognitions like this are a real testament to the hard work and good intentions of every member!

We’re proud to be part of an industry that can claim a safety record like that cited in the NACD’s latest report, which shows that members had a safety record 30% better than that seen in all other manufacturing industries, combined.

That’s another tribute to Responsible Distribution, and to the efforts of chemical distributors to be mindful stewards.

“Every year I am more impressed with our members. They are a pivotal link in the U.S. chemical industry supply chain and this years report demonstrates once again, that they remain committed to safety day-in and day-out,” said NACD President Chris Jahn. “Responsible Distribution is a framework that our member companies and chemical handler affiliates use to not only manage their environmental, health, safety, and security (EHS&S) areas of operations but consistently improve them each year. Information gathered from our member companies in this report show a dedication to excellence.”

A leading trend in the packaging industry, one that’s already begun to affect health & beauty products, is what’s called the “Futurism Movement,” and it’s bound to influence consumer tastes and preferences for some time to come.

The Futurists of nearly a century ago have had their influence echo down through the decades, and that’s been apparent in popular culture and entertainment imagery.  Lady Gaga owes a lot to futurism — and her use of its tropes, like bold colors and textures, asymmetry and angularity and other touches, are influencing the tastes of her followers and beyond.

Fashion collections this season evoke a streamlined, technological futurism that’s attributable to this trend.  How it shows up in packaging is, as the BeautyPackaging.com article explains…

…avant-garde shapes and metallic finishes that embrace technology and innovation. She said sleek-touch packaging with soft finishes complements the heavy metal and gem like shapes of this ultramodern trend.

How long will the trend last?  Is it a deep-seated sea-change, or just a flavor de jour? Trendspotters are, as usual, investing a lot of time trying to polish their crystal balls on this.  The upcoming HBA Expo will devote a session to exploring the upcoming fashions that may well drive the design of tomorrow’s packaging…either for the moment, or profoundly and permanently.

Coast Southwest has a primary location in Southern California, so the events of the past few months in Japan have obvious relevance to us, as they ought to for anyone in the business of handling and transporting chemicals.  A disaster of the enormity and force of the earthquake and tsunami have the potential to wreak havoc…which is why taking advance safety and security measures is crucial.  It’s an object lesson in preparedness.

While there was seemingly mild impact on the chemical industry in Japan, the situation could have been more profound if the quake had happened in another region of the country.   The fact that TEPCO, despite its claims of preparedness, has seen so many difficulties with its nuclear plant is evidence of how dangerous and unpredictable circumstances can become.

No amount of regulation or intervention, however well-intentioned, is a substitute for the sense of responsibility and community that practitioners in the private sector bring to their work.   So we’d call on colleagues and competitors to be sure they’re following the best practices that are our best bulwark against disaster and mischance.

As members of NACD and practitioners of Responsible Distribution, we’re advocates of training and readiness to handle any contingency that might impact our employees or communities.

Impact Colors, Inc. of Newark, DE, announces Fiesta Color Effect Pigments, an innovative line of synthetic mica-based pigments that delivers energetic colors and effects, value, and advanced functionality without the risk of heavy metals.

“There are currently forty-eight Fiesta pigments available. These Fiesta products are brighter than mica-based pearl pigments and are available in silver, gold, interference, and metallic colors,” says Joseph F. Senackerib, co-founder of Impact Colors. “They are environmentally pure, being synthetically produced from pure minerals found in nature.”

The Fiesta line is appropriate for eye products, lipstick, facial makeup, and nail polish. The line meets all applicable FDA, EU, and Japanese Health Ministry requirements. These products are currently available through Impact Colors’ worldwide distribution.

Coast Southwest, Inc. distributes Fiesta Color Effect pigments as well as Impact Colors’ other lines of color effect pigments and products to the personal care marketplace in the western and mountain regions of the United States.

Using a synthetic mica substrate imbues the Fiesta specialty pigments with unique features that offer application and marketing benefits to manufacturers and formulators. The line is so-named because of its vibrant and energetic color pigment possibilities, thanks to a synthetic mica base.

Pearlescent pigments and cosmetics depend on reflected and refracted light to create much of their unique and dramatic effects.

“When we make the synthetic mica, it’s laid out, like you make paper on a belt dryer and classified into particle sizes,” Senackerib says. “The material is a single layer thick and less opaque than natural mica so light passes through. As you build substrates of these single layers, you get increased reflection and depth of field. This achieves brighter color, greater luster and accentuates the pearl effect.”

While the color of natural mica ranges from slightly yellow all the way to brown or black and must be carefully evaluated for consistency, synthetic mica’s consistent white color ensures (assuming no other variation in the process or ingredients) that the pearl pigment produced from a formula using a Fiesta product will be the same consistent color. Because the synthetic mica platelets are uniform, it is easy to control the particle size in applications.

The platelets also perform the same way each time. They disperse easily in liquid, oil, or gel and remain uniformly dispersed. They are more resistant to breakage because synthetic mica has a greater ability to flex than does natural mica.

The Fiesta Color Effect Pigments line is extremely versatile.

“If you are doing a completely new line, then you can change the colors as you want,” Senackerib says. “If you are changing a few colors in the line, you can also use these to create a regular color or add a pearlescent pigment to make a brighter color with a different feel. You can create red with a gold undertone or blue with a red undertone. If you are looking for bronze or copper, you can use the Fiesta pigments (iron oxide over synthetic mica) for a strong metallic effect.”

Fashion changes rapidly. “It’s rare that our clients’ colors last more than a couple of years without losing volume,” Senackerib says, “but one thing about it, pearlescent colors and effects never disappear.”

With the Fiesta Color Effect Pigments, formulators and manufacturers in the personal care industry now have brighter, cleaner, deeper looking, more consistent, and greener pearlescent specialty colors with improved quality at an equivalent price to natural mica-based alternatives.

The potential for exciting colors and dramatic effects just increased.

To find out more about Fiesta Colors and other Impact Colors lines, please contact your Coast Southwest representative. Coast Southwest represents Impact Colors in eleven western states from our California, Arizona, and Utah locations.

We’ll let the NACD press release say it best:

The National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) is pleased to announce that more than 119 Regular member and Chemical Handler Affiliate companies’ sites have successfully passed NACD’s 4th-cycle on-site Responsible Distribution Verifications since July 2010. These organizations continually demonstrate their commitment to the implementation of its Responsible Distribution’s environmental, health, safety, and security (EHS&S) requirements.

Where does NACD’s Responsible Distribution mandate belong in a blog about innovation?  Simple — it’s a pathfinding business innovation, an effort that was developed and instituted by member companies in order to protect the public, their communities, and ensure the long-term safety and security of all concerned with this industry.  That’s innovation in the best sense of the word, because it’s progress that delivers real, substantive improvement affecting a good many people.

Responsible Distribution has brought peace of mind and good business practices to every company that participates, and the knowledge that as good, reputable operators, they’re doing the right thing.   And in today’s legislative and security environment, it’s an initiative that allows them to better position themselves for long-term success, both here and in international markets…an example of how private sector altruism also delivers commercial dividends.