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Giving to Our Industry

At a recent conference, Anderson Development Company was asked the question of why we were willing to invest so much of time for our technical experts to lead different programs for the polyurethane industry–like leading an effort to create training materials for the safe, handling and disposal use of MOCA.   The person went on to say “These days, everyone has stretched their resources to the bone and will only help their biggest customers, and you’re out there helping other people who don’t even buy from you.”

Right to Left: Chris Goeloe (ADC’s VP Quality/Responsible Care) and Mike Kocak,  co-chairman of the EHS-Regulatory Committee, unveil the MOCA Safe Handling poster at the PMA Annual Meeting.

 

For Anderson Development Company, the answer to the question was pretty easy to answer.  This was just one of the many ways as a company that we can “pay it forward”. It is the same reason we are involved in our community, why we try to support our educators and schools, and why we share our wealth by supporting people with things like food drives. This is just another way. We strongly feel that if we can use our expertise to lead the effort to protect the health of people who handle chemicals, we should!  It doesn’t matter if they don’t buy from us–yet! It’s about doing the right thing; it’s about responsible chemistry. We strongly believe that chemistry can be performed safely if you understand what you are working with, have the right training, use the right tools and take the right precautions.

As a company, we’ve always believed that if you take care of people, whether they are your employees, your community members or the other people working in your industry, they will take care of you in the long run!

 

 

 

 

Posted in About ADC, Acrylic Resins, Andur, Borate Products, Business, Chemicals, commuinity, Customer Satisfaction, Engineering, Manufacturing, Polyurethane, Powder coating, Safety, Specialty Chemical Company | Leave a comment

Together for Sustainability

At Anderson Development Company we recognize the importance of being a sustainable company and are dedicated to devoting our organization to efforts aimed at fulfilling this purpose. As part of our journey towards sustainability we recently participated in a “Together for Sustainability” (TfS) audit in an effort to learn how we can become more sustainable, as we work to strengthen our ability to serve our customers. Anderson Development this wasn’t just about checking a box for our customers; it was an opportunity for our company to grow, and to demonstrate our commitment to being a sustainable company. Participating in the TfS audit taught us a few things and also validated that our efforts towards sustainability thus far have been successful and that we are doing great things.

TfS is an independent organization that was originally created by chemical companies with the goal of assessing, auditing and improving the sustainability practices within their global supply chains. After it was setup, TfS was “set free” from its founders, so that it can provide objective, independent insight into companies. The initiative is based on good practices and builds on established principles such as United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), Responsible Care Global Charter and more. In order to provide this insight, it audits and assess its subjects, covering topics relevant to sustainability including environment, health and safety, human rights and labor relations.

In preparation for the audit we conducted a gap analysis, and while we did discover some gaps we were able to close many of these during the preparation phase, and of course we continue to put efforts towards others. While we faired very well on our TfS audit scoring a 190 out of 200 possible points, we do not plan to rest on our laurels. We realize we are not perfect and we continue to focus on areas where we can improve as a company, and we continue to evaluate ways in which we can become even more sustainable than we are today.

Sustainability is often defined as “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” As a sustainable company, continual improvement is always on the forefront of our minds and actions. We look forward to improving and implementing new practices that can have a positive environmental or social impact on our local and global communities and to continue on in our journey of sustainability.

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Pack the Pickup 2018

This year Anderson Development Company participated in our 4th annual collection drive for The Daily Bread of Lenawee. Read more!

Posted in About ADC, Chemicals, Customer Satisfaction, Donate, Lenawee County, Michigan, Specialty Chemical Company, The Daily Bread of Lenawee | Leave a comment

Anderson Development Company Representative Wins Award at China Powder Coating Annual Meeting

Anderson Development Company employee Ruiling demonstrates excellence in GMA Powder Coatings at the Annual Conference & Exhibition on China Powder Coatings and Finishing Industry.

 

 

 

Posted in About ADC, Acrylic Resins, Award, Business, Chemicals, Customer Satisfaction, Manufacturing, Michigan, Powder coating | Leave a comment

Anderson Development offers new HT Products

Posted in About ADC, Andur, Business, Chemicals, Customer Satisfaction, Manufacturing, Michigan, Polyurethane, Specialty Chemical Company | Leave a comment

ADC Participates in Manufacturing Day 2018

“Open Doors, Open Minds. Inspire the next generation of manufacturers.”

This is exactly what Anderson Development is doing when we open our doors to the students of Lenawee County. For the third year, Lenawee County participated in Manufacturing Day. This year, Anderson Development welcomed several students on October 4th for Manufacturing Day. The students were provided a tour of our R&D facilities, production plant, and had the opportunity to meet with many chemists and engineers. It is part of Anderson Development’s mission to help students learn about the many opportunities within manufacturing. By doing so, students can see how we apply what they learn in school, the various types of materials we produce and the types of potential career opportunities that are available to them within the chemical manufacturing industry.

Did you know?

•For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another $1.89 is added to the economy.
•In 2016, the average manufacturing worker in the United States earned $82,023 annually, including pay and benefits.
•Manufacturers have one of the highest percentages of workers who are eligible for health benefits provided by their employer.
•Over the next decade, nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed, and 2 million are expected to go unfilled due to the skills gap.
•Taken alone, manufacturing in the United States would be the ninth-largest economy in the world.
•Manufacturers in the United States perform more than three-quarters of all private-sector research and development (R&D) in the nation, driving more innovation than any other sector.

To view more facts about Manufacturing, visit https://www.mfgday.com/resources/20-top-facts-about-mfg

Posted in About ADC, Business, Chemicals, Engineering, Manufacturing, Michigan, Specialty Chemical Company, Toll Manufacturing | Leave a comment

iChallengeU 2018

Anderson Development Company was eager to participate in the iChallengeU program through Michigan Works! Southeast again this year. This is Anderson Development Company’s fourth year of welcoming students into our facility and presenting them with a challenge to solve.

iChallengeU is a two week educational program, providing high school students the opportunity develop solutions to real world business problems. After the students have developed an answer to the given issue, they present a 10 minute pitch to a panel of 5 judges. The competition was hosted by Baker College in Jackson, Michigan on July 20, 2018.

This year, the students were tasked with the challenge of “How can Anderson Development make manual data entry, specifically expense reporting, more efficient?” The team representing Anderson Development Company, consisted of Lydia Lopez of Tecumseh High School, Destiny Smiddy, Mitchell, Sielsky and Keito Pifer, all Adrian High School. The students were led by educator April Platt of the Lenawee ISD. Jessica Vorhees, Accounting Associate, was the group’s primary contact from Anderson Development Company.

Over the course of the program, the students examined eight solutions. The team ultimately chose one solution to present to Anderson Development Company and for their presentation. The solution could save the company a significant amount of time and money. Overall, the team successfully eliminated a great deal of time in the data entry process and Anderson Development Company will most likely implement some of their ideas in the near future.

Posted in About ADC, Business, Chemicals, Co-op, Internships, Manufacturing, Michigan, Specialty Chemical Company | Leave a comment

Household Hazardous Waste Day 2018

On behalf of Anderson Development Company and Wacker Chemical Corporation, we wish to extend our gratitude and thanks to all the county and city participants who took time on Saturday, May 12, 2018 to bring their household waste to Anderson’s Facility on E. Michigan Street for proper handling and disposal. Anderson has been providing this service to the community for many years. Despite the weather, residents and volunteer workers from Anderson and Wacker remained enthusiastic about making sure that hazardous materials from their homes and community were handled properly. In order to better provide this community service, Anderson and Wacker joined forces and offer the community the opportunity to bring unwanted materials to our respective sites for proper handling and disposal.

“Household materials can be an overlooked and misunderstood source of hazardous materials which could damage the environment. As part of the community, our companies are happy to help our neighbors by taking in these materials and making sure that they are disposed of properly to keep our community safe. We are proud of how we have been able to provide this service to the community each year and look forward to being able to help our community with this in the future. Proper disposal of these household waste materials not only prevents them from entering into our environment, it helps make our community a nicer place to live.”

-Mark Kramer, President & CEO of Anderson Development Company

“Wacker is pleased to collaborate with our partner Anderson Development Company by co-sponsoring the 21st Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day.For the residents of Lenawee County, providing this service as a way to dispose of hazardous household waste in an environmentally responsible manner brings community and business together to achieve our common goal: protecting our natural resources. In conjunction with the Stubnitz Environmental Education Center, our community friends and families have the opportunity to also enjoy the great outdoors and experience Mother Nature at her best. I am truly impressed with each year’s turnout. Thanks to our volunteer employees for doing such a wonderful job of hosting and working the event. And to our community members, thank you for doing your part to help protect our environment.”

-David Wilhoit, President and CEO, Wacker Chemical Corporation

Nicole Collett, Anderson Environmental Manager reported that we collected materials including, flammable liquids, paints, propane, spray cans, fire extinguishers, products containing mercury, pesticides, acids, bases, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and other materials. A total of 45,008 pounds of material was collected during this event.

This community-wide event coincided with two weeks of similar disposal opportunities of other materials sponsored by Lenawee County Solid Waste Coordinating Committee, the Lenawee County Solid Waste Department, Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County, Cobalt Holdings, Greenjak, Dart Industries, and other valued supporting organizations. Anderson and Wacker also sponsored an event at the Stubnitz Environmental Education Center featuring free flowers for special contributors, nature walks, and an animal demonstration for children.

Thank you to all the Lenawee County Residents for bringing in their household waste, program sponsors and co-sponsors and especially all the employee volunteers who worked this event in making it such a huge success.

Mark Kramer
President & CEO
Anderson Development Company

David Wilhoit
President & CEO
Wacker Chemical Corporation

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Anderson Development Offers New Product: AndurGel 00 50

Anderson Development continues to expand our product offerings.  Our newest product is AndurGel 00 50, a room temperature curable, plasticizer free system with many possible applications. Read more below:

Be sure to download AndurGel 00 50 Info Sheet for your own records.

Posted in About ADC, Andur, Business, Chemicals, Manufacturing, Michigan, Polyurethane | Leave a comment

Anderson Development 2018 Scholarship Opportunities

Supporting students as they pursue STEM careers is critically important to Anderson Development Company and to the future of manufacturing in our area. In order to help students pursue their dreams, Anderson Development Company sponsors a number of scholarships for graduating seniors who are interested in pursuing science and technology degrees. The deadline for two of these scholarships are approaching, so if you are interested and meet the qualifications, please get your applications in. The scholarships are funded by Anderson Development, but the Lenawee County Educational Foundation (LCEF) administers them, so please submit your applications to LCEF by following the links below by February 28, 2018.

Anderson Development Company – Adrian High School Scholarship

Overview
One Anderson Development Company – AHS Scholarship for $1000 will be awarded to a graduating senior from Adrian High School who plans to study chemistry or engineering.

Qualifications
• Applicant must be a graduating high school senior.
• Applicant must be graduating from Adrian High School in Lenawee County.
• Applicant must be applying for the scholarships through LCEF (link attached)
• Applicant must be planning to study chemistry or engineering.

Follow this link to apply:
ADC -Adrian High School Scholarship

Anderson Development Environmental Science Scholarship

Overview
The Anderson Development Company Scholarship was established in 1998. Two $1000 scholarships will be awarded to Lenawee County graduating seniors, who are pursuing a degree in Environmental Science.

Qualifications
• Applicant must be a graduating high school senior.
• Applicant must be graduating from a high school in Lenawee County.
• Applicant must apply for the College Scholarships through LCEF (link attached)
• Applicant must be pursuing a degree in Environmental Science.

Follow this link to apply:
Anderson Development Environmental Scholarship

Or for further information or to apply, contact:
Kristy Suiter
[email protected]
Assistant to the Director
Lenawee County Education Foundation
(517)265-1626

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