After receiving fantastic feedback over the past few years, ACD has decided to once again combine the Central and Southern Regions Meeting – this time bringing it down to Charleston, South Carolina, from February 26-28, 2024.
As we dive into the 2024 presidential election year, never before have I been so happy to be in one. 2023 was a rocky year, to say the least. It began with an unbelievable U.S. House Speaker election process for a position held for only nine months. Then, we experienced an appalling case of political malfeasance (think junior senator from Kentucky) that has jeopardized the future of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program. The year ended with heightened strains on the supply chain once again, attributed to pirates on the Red Sea and droughts in the Panama Canal.
At our Annual Meeting last November, the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) embraced a new era as the Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD). The organization’s rebranding creates exciting possibilities for our industry and the Alliance, offering a chance to expand our reach and influence, ultimately providing increased value for our current and new members.
It’s been a busy few months since we announced our rebrand and ACD is excited to showcase some great new resources that members can use to show their active participation in our organization.
Now that the holiday season is here, it inevitably means that so too is the wintry weather. Colder conditions pose all sorts of challenges for our membership and the continued supply of materials and products across the nation. But with careful planning and sensible precautions, we know your customers can always rest assured that it’s still very much business as usual.
During our Annual Meeting held last month, we proudly announced our new name – the Alliance for Chemical Distribution – and reflected on the incredible growth of the chemical distribution industry. We also recognized the professionals that were instrumental in ushering us into a new generation of distribution by announcing the recipients of the 2023 annual awards, which included the Lifetime Achievement Award, Distributor of the Year, Affiliate of the Year, and Employee of the Year. Today, I'm thrilled to capture these significant moments in writing, extending the announcement to friends and fellow industry members alike.
ACD’s Annual Meeting allows our amazing community to come together for powerful presentations, lively discussions, and networking opportunities. For those few days every November, attendees are no longer competitors, but united as an industry.
I had hoped this time last year that, when looking ahead to the 2023 holiday season, we would be celebrating the successful reauthorization of Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), and Miscellaneous tariff bills (MTB), and maybe even the passage of rail reform legislation. Alas, Congress has once again managed to accomplish so little that it is truly astounding. What Congress is becoming quite good at is kicking the can down the road.
Did you know that November is our Community Outreach Month?
Working closely together and supporting worthy causes is a key pillar of ACD’s Responsible Distribution program – and indeed, is central to the organization’s ethos.
Our industry had some exciting and important news to share at the 2023 Annual Meeting. As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) is now ACD – the Alliance for Chemical Distribution. I was delighted – as Vice Chair of the ACD Board and the 2023 Meeting Chair – to be the one to kick off the conversation about this change that is so critical to our industry’s future. But rest assured, there was a lot of other important work going on at Annual Meeting that is just as crucial to ensuring that our industry’s future is more dynamic, impactful, and successful than any of us could imagine.