ACD’s Annual Meeting allows our amazing community to come together for powerful presentations, lively discussions, and networking opportunities. For those few days every November, attendees are no longer competitors, but united as an industry.
I had hoped this time last year that, when looking ahead to the 2023 holiday season, we would be celebrating the successful reauthorization of Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), and Miscellaneous tariff bills (MTB), and maybe even the passage of rail reform legislation. Alas, Congress has once again managed to accomplish so little that it is truly astounding. What Congress is becoming quite good at is kicking the can down the road.
Did you know that November is our Community Outreach Month?
Working closely together and supporting worthy causes is a key pillar of ACD’s Responsible Distribution program – and indeed, is central to the organization’s ethos.
Our industry had some exciting and important news to share at the 2023 Annual Meeting. As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) is now ACD – the Alliance for Chemical Distribution. I was delighted – as Vice Chair of the ACD Board and the 2023 Meeting Chair – to be the one to kick off the conversation about this change that is so critical to our industry’s future. But rest assured, there was a lot of other important work going on at Annual Meeting that is just as crucial to ensuring that our industry’s future is more dynamic, impactful, and successful than any of us could imagine.
As you might have heard, the National Association for Chemical Distributors (NACD) has announced that the organization is now the Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD). Yesterday, when we announced this exciting news at our 2023 Annual Meeting, I looked around at our new top-notch branding and the audience, including faces of long-time industry veterans and those representing the next generation of chemical distribution, and was reminded what a distinct honor it is to be the FIRST Chairman of ACD.
There have been countless studies that suggest diversity makes companies more innovative, profitable, and a more inviting place to work.
Although our industry is already diverse in terms of gender or ethnicity, it hasn’t always done all it can to make everyone feel welcome and included. In the last few years, I’ve seen that begin to change for the better.
NACD is committed to supporting and representing our membership to ensure the chemical distribution industry – and indeed, your businesses – can thrive. But we can’t do this without your help.
NACD will soon invite applications for the next class of our Emerging Leaders program.
Those selected will be part of a close, trusted group of peers learning topics essential to the next generation of leaders, such as critical thinking, advocacy tactics, industry insights, inclusivity, communication, technology, and more.
The chemical distribution industry is constantly changing. From regulatory updates to complex supply chain challenges, and even new sustainability requirements our customers are now requiring, it’s clear that resources and connections are more important than ever.
I get it. You’re probably tired of me constantly pointing out how Congress can't seem to get things moving. But hey, anyone with a pulse can recognize the dysfunction happening on Capitol Hill.