CLEVELAND—Rubber chemical distributor ChemSpec Ltd. came to the International Elastomer Conference in Cleveland Oct. 8-10 with new customers and a new division.
The news that Uniontown, Ohio-based ChemSpec unveiled at the IEC included:
- An exclusive distribution agreement with Kolkata, India-based Himadri Specialty Chemical to be exclusive distributor of Himadri's ASTM and specialty carbon blacks in the U.S. and Canada tire markets, and the U.S. rubber market;
- A distribution agreement with DuPont to be exclusive distributor of DuPont's Vamac ethylene acrylic elastomer in the U.S. and Canada; and
- The establishment in Ontario of ChemSpec Canada Inc. and the hiring of Andrew Jackson as sales and marketing manager there.
ChemSpec was the natural choice for Himadri as a U.S. and Canadian distributor, according to Chris Wagner, ChemSpec law and marketing director.
"Himadri was looking for someone very specific to rubber and chemical distribution," Wagner said. "We focus on that. We had not yet partnered with a carbon black (company) before this, but it has worked out well.
"We are well known in the industry for supplying the tire industry and supplying materials in large volume. We're a good fit with Himadri."
Himadri offers a full portfolio of quality carbon blacks, including its Klarex "clean" specialty carbon blacks designed for more demanding rubber applications, according to a ChemSpec press release.
ChemSpec became Himadri's U.S. distributor effective Sept. 1, and is looking to expand that distribution into Canada and Mexico, according to Wagner.
"It's always been our goal to vertically integrate with our customer base and be a one-stop shop for chemicals and rubber agents," he said.
As for Vamac, ChemSpec always has had a close relationship with DuPont's elastomer operations, according to Wagner. ChemSpec will become the exclusive U.S. and Canadian distributor of Vamac effective Jan. 1, ChemSpec said.
ChemSpec's parent, Safic-Alcan, already is the Pan-European distributor of Vamac, ChemSpec said.
"We did so well with Vamac in Europe, and there was an opportunity for them to align with us here," Wagner said.
ChemSpec's Canadian Division opened for business Sept. 1, representing about 85 percent of the company's total product line, according to Wagner. The company established a Mexican division about three years ago, he said.
"There are some things we do in Canada that we don't necessarily do in the states," Wagner said. "We've always been very active in Canada, but we wanted to do a better job of inventory management in Canada. We wanted better transport relative to our customers in Canada."
After the IEC, ChemSpec announced another new exclusive distribution contract, with Chinasun Specialty Products for its Enox range of organic peroxides.
Chinasun's portfolio of nine Enox products will be available on a dry-liquid carrier or in paste form, ChemSpec said.