THE LEADING CHEMICAL SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS PROVIDER
STREAMLINING THE CHEMICAL SUPPLY CHAIN
Chemicals are essential to modern life and used in many industries, including agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, and more.
Chris Sower, Senior Vice President and COO, tells us how Rinchem ensures safe, compliant, and efficient chemical supply chains
Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: David Knott
Managing the chemical supply chain, which involves transportation, storage, and distribution, is a complex and challenging process.
Rinchem, the leader in chemical supply chain management solutions, has tackled these complexities for almost five decades.
“What’s unique about Rinchem is we’re really the only third-party logistics (3PL) and fourth-party logistics (4PL) provider that focuses solely on the chemical supply chain,” acclaims Senior Vice President and COO, Chris Sower.
Indeed, whereas many other 3PLs may include the chemical supply chain as a subsect of their overall operations, Rinchem’s entire organization consists of experts in navigating the complexities and challenges of chemical supply chain management, with deep expertise in governmental and regulatory compliance as well as safety protocols.
“We’re involved in complex chemical supply chains, so we’re not just talking about imports and exports of commoditized chemistries,” he adds.
Sower himself quickly recognized the complexity of chemical supply chain management and developed a passion for the space, which resulted in him spending almost the entirety of his career in the industry.
TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED SOLUTIONS
Because many chemical products often require temperature-controlled solutions to remain within a specified temperature range, maintaining the integrity of the supply chain is critical. Specialty chemicals, for example, can degrade or react unpredictably if
Rinchem Surprise, AZ Hazmat warehouse simulation
exposed to temperature fluctuations, leading to costly and potentially hazardous consequences, while compromised pharmaceuticals can have serious public health consequences.
Rinchem brings the utmost performance and value to each of its clients’ supply chains through a diverse network of temperaturecontrolled, hazmat-compliant warehouses, trucks, and trailers.
“In many instances we manage temperature-controlled products with strict customer requirements to maintain their temperature range within just a few degrees throughout the entire supply chain, so you can imagine some of the logistical challenges we regularly face,” outlines Sower.
“We support a variety of industries, such as semiconductors, life sciences, and pharmaceuticals, so there’s a litany of customer bases we supply, and a lot of their needs can be incredibly complex and specific. That creates challenges for those that are not acutely specialized in meeting those requirements.”
The company has been investing
“WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT RINCHEM IS WE’RE REALLY THE ONLY 3PL AND 4PL PROVIDER THAT FOCUSES SOLELY ON THE CHEMICAL SUPPLY CHAIN”
– CHRIS SOWER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND COO, RINCHEM
heavily in new warehouse locations that include temperature-controlled areas such as hot and cold rooms.
In February 2024, Rinchem opened a custom-built 123,000 square foot chemical warehouse in Surprise, Arizona to strategically support the booming semiconductor industry in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
This state-of-the-art facility features several key elements to ensure the safe and efficient storage of dangerous goods, including an expansive International Organization for Standardization (ISO) container yard that offers ample room for secure containerized storage.
It also has a dedicated gas pad with 48 storage bays to further enhance the safety and segregation of highpurity chemicals and gases, and dedicated temperature-controlled storage catered to various hazard classes and chemistries.
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
Mitigating against the risks of temperature-controlled solutions and ensuring chemicals stay within a specified temperature range can be achieved through technology.
Rinchem utilizes sophisticated technology that allows it to monitor temperatures in real time and adjust them remotely if needed.
Additionally, all temperatures are recorded so clients know their products are being safely transported.
“We need great technology to help us manage which chemistries can be shipped together and which ones have to be segregated from a safety, compliance, or temperature requirement standpoint,” Sower informs us.
“There is a great deal of technology integration between ourselves and our customers to ensure that the required level of service and compliance is met.”
For example, the company can host and/or interface with differing customer enterprise resource planning (ERP) or inventory management systems to increase visibility and seamlessly transition data across the supply chain.
Rinchem’s warehouse and transportation management system, Chem-Star®, likewise enables inventory visibility across its network of warehouses.
Rinchem Surprise, AZ Hazmat warehouse drone video
The system also utilizes GPS tracking to ensure visibility of customer loads and shipments across the Rinchem fleet.
“Chem-Star® is our portal and a gateway for customers to see what’s happening with their materials,” states Sower.
RINCHEM AT A GLANCE
Rinchem, the largest network of chemical and gas distribution centers globally with over four billion pounds (lbs) of chemicals and gases safely handled annually, sets the standard in creating and managing safe and efficient supply chains for high-purity, prepackaged chemicals and gases.
The company applies four decades of expertise, industry thought leadership, and logistics transparency in order to provide the most reliable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions for its customers. The primary industries that Rinchem serves include pharmaceuticals, BioTech, semiconductors, and aerospace.
“Due to the specialized nature of the chemical supply chains that we manage, customers want to understand where their materials are, when they will arrive, and what their inventory position looks like. All of that is available to them through the Chem-Star® platform.”
Through its material requirements planning (MRP) system, the company additionally provides consultative services to help customers understand when they should order and how much inventory is in transit or at the warehouse.
“We can provide a lot of different insights into their overall supply chain management, not just tracking and tracing materials across the networks we serve.”
SAFETY PERFORMANCE
Rinchem is also an industry leader in the technology it deploys to increase its safety performance.
For instance, dash cams are used to strengthen the safety of the company’s transportation operations by better protecting its drivers and further establishing safe driving practices.
The dash cams enable real-time incident detection, preventative coaching, worker safety scores, and more. These features can help Rinchem to enhance safety practices that prevent crashes in addition to
exonerating drivers and lowering insurance premiums.
Thus, the adoption of this technology helps the company maintain the integrity of the complex chemical supply chain that it manages.
Rinchem has also integrated artificial intelligence (AI) technology in all of its warehouses, leading to significant safety gains.
Installed on forklifts in Rinchem’s warehouses, the system uses machine learning (ML) and AI sensors to detect, record, and prevent risky behaviors and accidents.
It additionally factors in safety, productivity, and the skill levels of the technicians operating the forklifts to provide actionable coaching opportunities.
“We’re utilizing technology to minimize the number of at-risk behaviors that take place and manage them before an incident happens, rather than after,” notes Sower.
From a safety and compliance standpoint, because Rinchem handles volatile chemistries with such a high degree of specificity, everyone at the company is aligned with the same safety protocols.
As a result of this, the company has an impressive total recordable incident rate (TRIR).
“The 3PL industry has a TRIR of close to 6, whereas ours is less than 1 over the last 12 months,” Sower prides.
Rinchem end-to-end chemical supply chain solutions
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At AN Enterprise Inc we take safety to the extreme.
Safety is a matter of primary importance exceeded by no other consideration. Safety shall take precedence over expediency or short cuts.
The safety of all our employees, the public and the operation of the company is our main concern. Every effort will be made to reduce the possibility of accidental occurrences. Each contractor is required to actively participate in the safety program. Each contractor should attend the safety meetings, submit suggestions and ideas, and follow the Loss Control Program.
The company will comply with all safety regulations, laws and ordinances of the U.S Department of Transportation, OSHA and of the States in which we operate. We believe that safety is the responsibility of all levels of management, starting with the president.
Hazardous Loads
A dangerous good (also known as hazardous material or hazmat) is any substance or material that is capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce.
All classes Hazmat we are capable of hauling:
class 2 – all subclasses
class 3 – all subclasses
class 4 – all subclasses
class 5 – all subclasses
class 6 – PG II and PG III
class 8 – all subclasses
class 9 – all subclasses
Miscellaneous Loads
General freight trucking handles and transports a wide variety of goods in a container or van trailer. The general freight trucking industry provides services such as local pickup, local sorting, line-haul, destination sorting and local delivery.
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“That tells you all about the safety and compliance culture we’ve ingrained into the company.”
Safety and compliance start and end with Rinchem’s employees, who take them to the highest level.
Staff members also maintain ‘showcase standards’ by ensuring the warehouses are safe, clean, organized, and presentable.
“Each warehouse technician is assigned particular aisles to make sure they’re clean, compliant, and that things are put away in the right place,” elaborates Sower.
“There’s all sorts of personal ownership that everyone takes, and I think that’s the key to us being safe. It’s not just the technology and operating procedures that we have; it’s every person buying into and owning the piece that they’re responsible for.”
POSITIONED FOR GROWTH
Currently, Rinchem is positioning
itself for the growth that is expected following November’s US presidential election.
“Regardless of the party that wins, it’s typically a good economic growth period, so we have to be ready for that,” Sower emphasizes.
Therefore, the company’s key aim is to make sure it is providing efficient chemical supply chain
TAILORED SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS
“Chemical supply chains are incredibly complex to navigate, particularly with the various safety and regulatory compliance requirements across different countries and even companies.
“To solve these problems for customers, it really requires a partner that takes the time to provide a solution that really fits their business. That’s one of the things Rinchem specializes in as we can meet our clients’ requirements and adapt our systems and processes to support them.
“One of the most interesting things we find is other 3PL and 4PL partners who are more volume-based shippers or more diversified than just the chemical or dangerous goods space will create challenges for customers and their supply chain network.
“What’s intriguing is some customers come to us to solve those problems once they’re already in place, so not only are we solving unique, challenging, and complex problems, which is what we’re here to do, but we’re also gaining loyalty from customers that never would have faced this problem or difficulty if they had gone to Rinchem in the first place.
“We understand the chemical supply chain and all the different regulatory requirements there are, so that is incredibly fulfilling.”
- Chris Sower, Senior Vice President and COO
management to ensure its customer base is well-placed for the projected economic recovery and increased return of volumes in 2025 following the election.
“It’s a delicate balance to ensure you’re not making decisions that are going to negatively impact you in a growth period,” he continues.
“The efficiencies that we and our supplier and customer base have gained are going to make us much more resilient going forward because we have eliminated some cumbersome elements of the supply chain.”
Rinchem is better prepared and more resilient than most entering into this anticipated recovery period having continued to maintain its core knowledge base, improved its technology, and refined its processes.
“As we enter a recovery period, we’re going to be able to do more and ramp up the need for additional personnel and resources as needed,” concludes Sower.
Tel: 1-888-3PL-CHEM
customersolutions@rinchem.com
www.rinchem.com
Meet Chem-Star®, Rinchem’s innovative proprietary web-based application for supply chain management
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