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Come join us in keeping the River Raisin Clean!
Posted in Community, Environment, Lenawee County, Sustainability
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Ecovadis Platinum Recognition 2021:
It was a very proud moment for Anderson Development Company (ADC) when we were awarded a Platinum rating for our 2021 assessment by EcoVadis, an independent 3rd party organization and the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. Our Platinum rating from EcoVadis covers a broad range of non-financial management systems, including Environmental, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement impacts. EcoVadis rates each company on material issues pertaining to their size, location, and industry.
In our previous assessment (2019) ADC was awarded the Gold rating; the newly introduced 
Platinum Rating allows for a more precise differentiation of companies’ performance and we are proud to have achieved the highest rating once again.
The assessment report provided by EcoVadis highlights our strategy and practices that positively impact ADC employees, business partners, the communities in which we operate, as well as the world around us. We are committed to continue working to the highest standards of corporate social responsibility by adhering to sustainable practices and offering products that can help our customers with their own sustainability initiatives.
“I’m proud of our team’s continued focus on operating sustainably, and that their progress has been confirmed through Ecovadis’ independent external verification. We will continue to invest our time and our financial resources in order to develop our business in a sustainable manner as we create value through the power of chemistry. Their verification affirms that while we continue to grow and develop our business, contributing broadly to society, we are heading in the right direction. Our team is committed to working with our customers to provide innovative solutions that solve social challenges, and enable responsible production, remaining harmony with the global environment.” — Mark Kramer, President and CEO
To further our mission and inform our constituents of our sustainable practices, we published our second Sustainability Report in 2021 providing an in-depth overview of our sustainability initiatives and framework of management practices. Built upon the foundation of integrity and ethical behavior, our sustainability strategy fosters our goals toward a more sustainable future. Our strategy guides our actions to develop our workforce, our marketplace, to protect our planet, and to create a more sustainable business environment.
To learn more about ADC’s sustainability initiative and view our sustainability report, please visit: www.andersondevelopment.com/sustainability
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Veteran Friendly Employer-ADC Receives Bronze Level Status
Over time we have come to realize that the training and experience that some of our employees have gained through their military service has prepared them for exceptional success at Anderson Development Company (ADC). We recognize the commitment that veterans have made to our country and the skills such as leadership, teamwork, and work ethic are invaluable to our organization. We truly believe that our veterans help us serve our customers, community, and organization better.
ADC strives to provide a great place to work for veterans, and their families. For that reason and for the programs that we have developed, we are proud to announce that ADC has been qualified as a Bronze level Veteran-Friendly Employer though the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA). The MVAA is an exceptional organization that provides support and services to veterans and their families and recognizes employers that commit to military recruitment, training, and retention practices. Their veteran-friendly program helps qualified organizations recruit and retain top veteran talent and helps provide a road map to improve recruitment efforts.
We are proud to say that currently 11% of the ADC workforce are veterans themselves and even more who are veteran spouses or children of veterans who have been proud to serve in the military. We appreciate their service to the Country and their continued contribution and service to our customers and organization. We hope to build on this success and grow our family by hiring more veterans and to continue supporting them by providing them a great place to work.
We are honored to help serve and support the veteran community and we are grateful to be recognized as a Veteran-Friendly Employer. Thank you to the veteran community for all you have done and continue to do, it is greatly appreciated.
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LV = “Low Viscosity” ADC Launches New Products: Andur® LV Series
Anderson Development Company, (ADC) has recently expanded our polyurethane product line. Through the diligent work and innovation of our R&D teams, we have been able to create highly competitive products that meet our customer’s needs. Recently ADC has introduced the Andur® LV Series containing four new products: Andur® LV 60 DPLF, Andur® LV 65 DPLF, Andur® LV 70 DPLF, and Andur® LV 75 DPLF, all indicated with “LV” meaning low viscosity; offering many advantages over standard products.
Andur LV products are low free TDI prepolymers based on PTMEG, which are lower in viscosity than our standard LFTDI PTMEG products, especially at temperatures closer to ambient. This makes it easier to dispense from the container with minimal heat and easier to pour during processing. The LV products also have longer potlife, which is especially helpful on harder durometer materials. Their tensile and tear strength is equivalent to our other standard PTMEGs as well.
The brittleness temperature on the LV products is slightly higher than the standard products, so for extremely cold applications our standard PTMEG products have a slight edge. From the processor side, these prepolymers have increased clarity when cast with MBOCA, which enables processors to pigment parts and attain minimal color change as the elastomer cures. Our standard materials have more of an opaque appearance, whereas these products will appear more translucent.
Posted in Andur, Lenawee County, Michigan, Research & Development
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LQ=Liquid- ADC Launches New Products:
Here at Anderson Development, our R&D teams are always looking to expand or improve our product lines. We aim to innovate and create products to meet our customer’s needs while making their products more competitive through ways such as improved processing or higher performance qualities. ADC has recently introduced two new Andur products denoted with “LQ,” meaning liquidity at room temperature. The liquidity offers advantages over some of the products that are a waxy solid at room temperature.
Andur LQ 9-5 APLF is a low free TDI polyester prepolymer which is a viscous liquid at room temperature. This provides an advantage over our other LFTDI polyesters which are a waxy solid at room temperature. This is helpful to processors because when initially heating the LQ 9-5 APLF, the material becomes flowable much faster, cutting time off from the preheat stage. The viscosity of the LQ 9-5 APLF is about 39000 cP at 86°F (30C°), and quickly drops to 6000 cP at 122°F (50°C). At processing temperatures, the prepolymer is well below 2000 cP and has a 5-6 minute potlife with Curene® 442 (MBOCA). Additionally, the Andur® LQ 9-5 APLF is also approvable for dry food contact per regulation 21CFR 177.1680.
As a result of the research and testing for the technical paper ADC presented at PMA and CPI in 2019, we have introduced a new Andur® Glide product. Andur® Glide LQ 25 and is named as such due to its active ingredient content of 25% as well as its liquidity at ambient temperature. The Andur® Glide LQ 25 is an abrasion resistance additive consisting of a proprietary modified wax dispersed in a universal plasticizer. This makes it compatible in all urethane systems. The polymer/plasticizer mixture exhibits minimal separation over time, an advantage over Andur Glide 4830 which separates into two phases fairly quickly. Also, when pre-mixed with the prepolymer, no agglomerations or other undesirable mixing phenomenon occur. Below is a graph that shows the abrasion resistance benefit of using the Andur® Glide LQ 25 in Andur® 8-5 APLF and Andur® 85 APLF at levels of 2% and 4%. The data demonstrates that from 0 %to 2% the volume loss (ASTM 5963, rotary drum abrasion) is substantially reduced to about one-third of the control and at 4% there is another reduction of 25-35% from the 2% addition level. This translates to better sliding abrasion resistance in the final part. Andur® Glide LQ 25 is available in 5 gallon pails and 1 gallon cans, quart samples (~2 lbs.) upon request.
Pack the Pickup 2019
Anderson Development Company( ADC) is pleased to continue our work with Daily Bread of Lenawee, an organization that has been working to provide nutritious meals for those in need for the past 18 years. This year, ADC was delighted to participate in our 5th annual collection drive for the Daily Bread of Lenawee. The collection saw a 14% increase over last year’s drive with 2,260 pounds of food collected, as well as a 3% increase in cash donations receiving a total amount of $390.
In addition to the donations, ADC has donated 10 food certificates, for meat and fresh vegetables, along with a check that will be presented to the Daily Bread of Lenawee for $2,650.
We would like to thank all of our employees for their support towards the community by contributing to the Pack the Pickup event year after year!
Sustainability Week 2019
At Anderson Development Company (ADC) we devote our efforts to being a sustainable company while continuing to improve processes, serve our customers, and invest in the community. Just recently ADC held our very first Sustainability Week which was a great success!
The purpose of Sustainability Week was to engage for not only our employees and visitors but local community members as well. Through the use of educational posters, social media platforms, and a company-wide interactive scavenger hunt, we were able to highlight our sustainability initiatives, goals for our 2020 sustainability agenda, along with displaying our contributions towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The week was a great success with participation from all areas of the company, as well as customers and suppliers.
The educational posters highlighted our wide range of products and how they are contributing to a more sustainable future. Each of our product lines contains different sustainability aspects. For example, Almatex® Bio-based PUD’s that are produced from a Soybean Oil Derivative or use chemical intermediates that were derived from recycled plastic bottles; our Almatex® Acrylic Resins have a very low carbon footprint, and nearly 100% of product is used by end-user resulting in little to no waste; and our Andur® Polyurethane product line offer a low-free TDI option that reduces emissions and safety concerns from TDI vapors. Additionally, ADC has many partnerships within the community and schools with sustainability as part of that focus. ADC provides real-life experiences for community members and local students through student internships & co-ops and through events like Payback for Education Program, and the annual Household Hazardous Waste Day Event which directly impact different community groups.
Sustainability Week 2019 was one way to communicate why sustainability is important to our company and how all stakeholders are impacted. ADC will continue to strive for excellence in developing a more sustainable future for our company, community, and world.
iChallengeU 2019
This year Anderson Development Company (ADC) was excited to continue the tradition of the iChallengeU event. ADC works in partnership with students across the county as they are presented with real world challenges that will generate educational feedback to benefit each student’s overall learning experience.
The two week educational program is provided to students throughout Lenawee County allowing them to work internally with local businesses. Anderson Development’s team consisted of Cheyenne Ely; of Adrian High School, Stephen Stump; of Sand Creek High School, and Trinity Bowen; of Hudson High School, along with their team leader Kelly Cichy; Madison High School faculty.
This year’s team worked hard, while being tasked with the goal of providing new ways to attract more highly skilled employees to Anderson Development Company. All information collected over the two week period was then presented by each of our team members at the 2019 iChallengeU competition, held at Baker College.
As the 2019 iChallengeU program came to a close ADC asked each student the following question, “How would you describe your experience at Anderson Development Company?
“My experience at ADC was nothing short of amazing. There was not a single moment where I didn’t feel welcome, safe, or that I wasn’t learning. Every single employee was more than happy to help us out, even though we are just a group of high school student’s brain storming on a project and stealing their printer paper. I wish I could come back to ADC every summer for iChallengeU. It’s truly so much more than I expected. I feel like there is a place for everyone here and I really hope that what we produced can help ADC get more employees. I mean who wouldn’t want to work at such a positive place?
– Cheyenne Ely
“I participated in the iChallengeU program because I am getting ready to go to college and could use some more scholarship money to help me pay for college. I also know that I need help with communication, public speaking, and critical thinking because I have autism. I figured that this program was the perfect opportunity to help me get better at that. I also figured that I could use the experience gained from the iChallengeU program in everyday life. The experience I had while participating in the iChallengeU program was able to help me better myself at communication, public speaking, and critical thinking.”
– Stephen Stump
“My experience at Anderson was more than I expected it to be. To be welcomed and supported in such good manner was amazing. Everyone here is so helpful, and they all show why Anderson has such a great environment. Doing this competition made me even more excited to go into the work force. Seeing how great the whole business side of the company is truly inspired me, especially to see females like myself in such prestigious positions. I’ll be forever grateful to ADC for this experience and what everyone taught about what makes a good company.”
– Trinity Bowen
Anderson Development Company is extremely proud of the work done by our iChallengeU team this year. They worked very hard and accomplished an incredible amount of work in the 2 week project time. ADC looks forward to implementing many of the recommendations made by the team as we look to improve our recruiting process. Moving forward into the year 2020, we are excited to continue the tradition of the iChallengeU program! 
Household Hazardous Waste Day 2019
The 2019 Household Hazardous Waste Day (HHWD) event would not have been successful without the help of Lenawee County and its local participants. Anderson Development Company (ADC), in partnership with Wacker Chemical Corporation, once again sponsored a highly successful Household Hazardous Waste Day event. Residents and businesses were given the opportunity to dispose of their unwanted materials properly.
This year’s event was held at Wacker Chemical Corporation on Saturday, May 18th, 2019 continuing with the tradition of alternating host sites. ADC wishes to extend our gratitude to Wacker Chemical Corporation and all of our community participants that volunteered their time to make this day a success. As in prior years, a large number of visitors brought their waste to the event to be disposed of properly.
The 2019 collection day saw incredible growth this year, with over 18% more waste being disposed of than 2018. Specifically, HHWD 2019 processed 573 cars, carrying a total of 53,461 lb of waste. This was an increase in both cars and total waste over 2018, which saw 550 vehicles and 45,005 lb of waste. The further growth and progress every year continues to show the positive impact HHWD has on the Lenawee community.
Playing a role in this year’s event was the Stubnitz Environmental Education Center
by hosting the SEEC Spring Open House, offering a variety of programs and presentations centered on positive environmental impact. Participants were treated to a guided, interactive, trail hike that provided a great educational experience. ADC is pleased to work with Stubnitz as we strive to live in harmony with our environment and community.
We are excited to announce that next years even will be held at Anderson Development Company! Be on the lookout for dates and details to come!
Payback for Education 2019
Anderson Development Company recently participated in the 2019, Payback for Education Event. Read more!
