Recipe for success

Every business has its own recipe for success. However, as markets continue to evolve and competition increases, business sustainability is typically the result of a few crucial characteristics — innovation,
diversity, scalability and a key differentiator.

For George Hill, strategic diversification has been instrumental in achieving success. Hill’s corporation, Diversified Chemical Technologies Inc., has facilities in the Detroit area, Germany and Mexico, and the firm is actually comprised of five different organizations including Adhesive Systems Inc., Coat-It Inc., Diversified Chemical Technologies Paperworks Inc. and Recycled Polymeric Materials.

Finding focus
Since 1971, Hill and his team have focused intently on the development, manufacture and distribution of specialty chemicals. Today, the company offers chemicals in three categories: organic, inorganic and polymer. On the organic side, the firm produces mostly process chemicals for the automotive industry
such as cutting oils. Inorganic offerings include janitorial as well as process chemicals. In this category the firm provides Wendy’s with chemicals to clean and sanitize its stores. The process chemicals would be the type provided to Coors Brewing Co. to clean its holding tanks for aging beer.

Another core chemical business for the company is also very active in the polymer sector where it has roughly 35 chemists from India, Ghana, Korea, Nigeria, Russia and China. They focus on developing and perfecting an array of automotive- and packaging-based adhesion solutions that provides structural
integrity for automobile and consumer products that one might buy from grocery retail stores.

With its RPM subsidiary, the firm has introduced a number of sustainable seals and gaskets to replace traditional rubber products in certain automotive situations. The office supply distribution entity, Paperworks, taps into a strategic alliance with Corporate Express to provide comprehensive services to companies like Procter & Gamble, The Kroger Co., Ford Motor Co., etc.

People power
Hill founded Diversified Chemical Technologies in 1971 with his high school friend and current company president and COO, Arnold Joseff. In addition to Hill and Joseff, the firm has a dynamic and highly experienced executive management team at the helm including James House, CFO; Julius Gray, vice president of sales and marketing; Rajan Eadara, vice president of research development; and business unit managers, Brian Benjamin, Mike Kaid and Dylan Hill.
“It is truly the people who make Diversified Chemical an innovative supplier,” Hill explained. “When you are a minority company you need to be able to match your talent with aspects critical to
core operations or you will not last,” he said. “Fortunately because of our creative staff and our strategic alliances, we have been able to properly position ourselves for success.”

Future focused
Even as a solid organization capable of meeting numerous industry challenges, Hill is well aware of the need to always keep an eye on the future. “We are very fortunate because we are a small company, but we have a strong ability to be innovative,” he explained. “It was this dedication to innovation that
inspired P&G to take a gamble on us early on to address some problem areas for them. We have really been very fortunate to have them as a customer not only because of the business they provide us but the fact that they have introduced us to their supply base.”

As a result of the firm’s ability to develop desirable products, Hill is confident the business will double its size within the next five years, by pure numbers alone. “We will also embrace a much more significant international presence,” Hill said.