Best Places to Work: ChemSpec stays true to roots as it grows in rubber industry

ChemSpec Ltd. treats employees with respect and like family. ChemSpec—and its parent entity, Paris-based Safic-Alcan—have decades of experience distributing chemicals, polymers and fillers into the American (and international) rubber manufacturing sector. As such, the company believes knowing its employees as family and treating them with respect is a large part of the company's success.

ChemSpec is a global leader in specialty chemical distribution, connecting leading manufacturers with customers through its solid product portfolio. The company acts as a link between principals and clients, and provides direct access to innovative solutions.

ChemSpec is based in Canton, Ohio, with affiliates in both Mexico (ChemSpec Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V.) and Canada (ChemSpec Canada Inc.), which are both heavily dedicated to the rubber manufacturing sector.

"Rubber compounding is a major priority for the ChemSpec team, and they are proud to be part of it," said Chris Wagner, ChemSpec's chief operating officer and law director. "The company stands out because we have been a partner of the rubber manufacturing sector for a long time and plan to be a partner for an even longer time."

Rubber compounding is the first market ChemSpec served and remains its largest customer base across North America. From these experiences has come wisdom that enables the company to understand the unique challenges and opportunities surrounding rubber compounding.

Because of this tremendous experience, ChemSpec has molded its sales team around the rubber production space, and more broadly around the polymer compounding sector, to support those customers with in-depth commercial knowledge of its product offerings, such as understanding pricing volatility and related supply-demand challenges—but also the technical know-how concerning overall rubber compounds themselves.

ChemSpec's sales and marketing team consists of seasoned rubber-oriented commercial people and academically trained chemists and engineers. Its sales and marketing staff has over 125 years of experience in polymer compounding and related chemistries.

While ChemSpec has grown to a company of currently just fewer than 50 employees, it started with just four people, so it was—and still remains—a relatively small company. The management team is family-oriented and tries to integrate those values into the corporate culture.

"Some really big companies in the world of chemical distribution can offer their employees larger salaries or other perks customary of large businesses," Wagner said. "ChemSpec does its best to be a family-run company and to know employees and their personal lives and treat them with the utmost respect. We offer a strong benefits program including a rich health insurance plan; gym membership reimbursement; flexible work schedules; and a generous amount of vacation days."

ChemSpec understands that retention of skilled, long-term employees is vital to a company's overall success. Employee turnover costs a tremendous amount of time and money, so the company prioritizes employee satisfaction and, by doing so, turnover is minimized. And the result is a great culture.

ChemSpec takes care of its people so they can enjoy coming to work. It does its best to hire folks who will be a good fit within the hiring departments. The team takes its time to think about factors such as a candidate's personality and the overall personality of the department before an offer is made. Liking the people you work with, and your direct supervisor, is a huge part of the battle—if an employee enjoys the staff around them, he or she typically will enjoy the job, regardless of the tasks.

The company also does its best to join its departments and teams in collaborative efforts through ongoing training, such as "lunch-and-learns" where people can voice questions and concerns about remote-work etiquette. It also holds large activities such as off-site team building efforts where employees may be navigating ropes or zip line courses, or white-water rafting. ChemSpec aspires to offer an inclusive, team-oriented atmosphere.

"Being a small company, ChemSpec certainly agrees that small companies make a big impact. The rubber production sector can be a versatile, price-driven market, but also one that needs in-depth technical support," Wagner said. "A company like ChemSpec—smaller but artfully trained in rubber goods production and rubber compound chemistry—can use agility to adapt and support varying and oftentimes unique customer challenges. The company feels they are in a good position to support the rubber industry today and into the future. As the industry changes, a company must adapt and its size and flexibility help achieve that."

Success in business certainly goes beyond the bottom line, and while profit is necessary and one way of measuring success, ChemSpec sees success in other facets of business.

"Like most aspects of life, relationships are key, both relationships with suppliers and, of course, customers," Wagner said. "But as discussed above, relationships amongst employees are also a major priority.

"Sustainability is a term thrown around a lot anymore—maybe the buzzword of the decade—but ChemSpec sees success in the sustainability of relationships. Sustainability is all about implementing repeatable, successful long-term procedures. If you can have sustainability in your relationships, such as long-term, successful relationships with your staff, customers and suppliers, then you will see success in your bottom line and the overall health of your organization. Success at ChemSpec means having positive, open and honest business relationships."