As the 2026 midterm elections approach, conversations about the policies that will shape the next Congress are happening across the country. For the chemical distribution industry, there is no better time to make sure elected officials and candidates understand exactly what is at stake for our businesses, employees, customers, and communities.
One of the most effective ways to tell that story is also one of the simplest: invite them in.
Site visits give lawmakers and candidates an opportunity to step beyond briefing papers and policy discussions and see chemical distribution firsthand. They can walk through a facility, meet the people who keep essential products moving, and better understand how decisions made in Washington affect businesses in their own communities.
In recent months, ACD members have opened their doors to elected officials and congressional candidates across the country.
At The Whitaker Company’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, facility, staff from the office of Congressman William Timmons (R-SC) saw how chemical distribution supports local businesses, strengthens supply chains, and helps keep American manufacturing moving.
Congressional candidates Alex Mealer and Carlos De La Cruz recently visited Brenntag facilities in Texas. Mealer toured the company’s Houston facility to learn more about the industry’s role in supporting local jobs and critical supply chains, while De La Cruz visited Brenntag/Coastal Chemical in Elmendorf for a firsthand look at the important role chemical distributors play in their communities and across the broader economy.
ACD member Univar Solutions has also demonstrated the value of these conversations in Ohio. Representative Emilia Sykes (D-OH) recently toured Univar’s Twinsburg facility, where discussions included regulatory certainty, trade and transportation policy, Toxic Substances Control Act implementation, and tax competitiveness. Earlier this year, Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH) visited Univar’s Evendale facility, where the conversation focused on transportation infrastructure, freight rail competition, and the federal policies affecting the movement of essential products.
These visits demonstrate why face-to-face engagement matters. Chemical distribution operates at the intersection of countless industries, from manufacturing and agriculture to water treatment, healthcare, food production, and infrastructure. Seeing those connections firsthand can turn an abstract policy issue into something tangible: local jobs, local investment, essential products, and businesses operating in a lawmaker’s own district.
With the midterm elections approaching, members of Congress are spending more time in their districts, candidates are meeting with businesses and constituents, and conversations are taking place now that can help shape priorities for the next Congress.
That creates an important opportunity for ACD members.
Hosting a site visit gives you the chance to tell your company’s story, introduce policymakers to your employees, and explain how federal policies affect your day-to-day operations. Just as importantly, it begins or strengthens relationships that can continue well beyond Election Day.
ACD makes hosting a site visit easy. Our team can help connect your company with elected officials or candidates, coordinate schedules, prepare you for the visit, and provide information on policy issues affecting chemical distribution.
As November approaches, now is the time to open our doors and make sure the people who will shape the next Congress understand the essential role chemical distribution plays in their communities and across the country.
Interested in hosting a site visit? Email me at tfarrar@acd-chem.com or visit Host Capitol Hill - Alliance for Chemical Distribution to get started.
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