Anderson Chemical Co.
“Our heritage and legacy are extremely important to the strength of this company, but it is our people that make our success possible,” Vice President Bruce Anderson stresses. “We win with our people, who are very professional at what they do. This company is a team – there is a lot of synergism between the divisions, and we work together as a cohesive unit because of the mutual respect we all have for each other.”
Anderson Chemical’s tagline of “just the right chemistry” refers not only to what it does, but also “who we are and how we do it,” he says. The company provides comprehensive programs of professional products and services to meet clients’ cleaning, sanitation and water treatment needs. It has three divisions:
- Sanitation Technology provides professional cleaning and sanitation programs to food processors. Its clients primarily come from the baking and snack, beverage, dairy, egg, fruit and vegetable, and meat and poultry markets.
- Water Management develops and maintains water management programs for boilers, cooling systems, and water and wastewater systems.
- The Integra Program is Anderson Chemical’s marketing business to the institutional and industrial clients. It provides laundry, housekeeping and kitchen cleaning solutions through a national network of independent food, janitorial supply and specialty distribution firms.
“We sit at the crossroads of goods and services,” Anderson says. “We serve clients through more than 300 proprietary formulas and custom programs, including equipment packages and training. The divisions are supported by an equipment services department, manufacturing site and R&D and quality labs. With our products, 95 percent of what we sell is our own proprietary formulas.”
Addressing New Issues
With “challenging activity” happening in its markets, Anderson Chemical is finding a number of comprehensive solutions to customers’ issues, Anderson says. The company, for example, has been helping customers develop programs to improve water and energy conservation and better utilize their labor forces.
In the foodservice industry in particular, Anderson Chemical has helped food processors:
- Adapt their facilities to the needs of the organic market;
- Meet the standards of the Safe Quality Food Institute; and
- Comply with third-party audits commissioned by retail and restaurant chain clients.
“We provide clients with many of the products they need for these issues with our normal programs, but we also train our people to respond promptly to new problems as they arise,” Anderson says. “We supply products, training and signage to ensure our customers are compliant with the government regulations for their markets.”
Anderson Chemical also is working closely with its suppliers, such as TDI Inc., to develop new systems for its equipment line and to source new raw materials for use in its many proprietary formulas. Recently, the company has been creating innovative equipment designs for product dispensing, as well as new cleaning products that remove resistant stains. “We also maintain our own manufacturing facilities at a high level and have improvement programs so we are able to consistently respond to customers with high-quality products and services,” Anderson says.
Slow and Steady
Anderson Chemical is a privately held company with solid financials that uses its profits to further its growth, Anderson explains. With this strategy, as well as strong product and service offerings and a knowledgeable work force, he expects the company to go far past its 100-year anniversary.
“We offer programs and products of consistent high quality, but it’s our people who are most vital to our success,” he says. “The average tenure here is about 17 years. They meet customers’ needs because they communicate well, are technically competent and pay attention to detail.”
Anderson explains the company considers “each territory as a corporate asset,” and it has room to grow in each market it serves. It also plans to add new territories. Not all of its divisions have national coverage yet, but that is the goal, he says.
“This is a solid company, and we are focused on slow and steady growth,” he says. “The third generation of family ownership still has many years left. We brought the fourth generation on board because we have plans to pass the baton to them. The future looks promising right now, and we are excited as we look over the horizon.”