Our always-popular spring Responsible Distribution Workshop is taking a brief hiatus from its usual home in the D.C. area and heading to Texas and Ohio in the coming weeks. The Alliance has decided to take this fantastic educational opportunity on the road, bringing it to cities with high concentrations of our member companies. There’s never been a better time to join us!
These day-long sessions will be conveniently located at Coast Southwest’s new headquarters in Irving, Texas, on March 11, with another hosted by IMCD U.S., LLC in Westlake, Ohio, on April 9.
If you haven’t already secured your place, there are still a few remaining spaces available.
Each Workshop promises invaluable insight into the intricacies of RD23 and best practices to help members prepare for their next verification with confidence.
For Coast Southwest, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary on the day of its Workshop, hosting the event provides the perfect opportunity to learn more about industry trends and RD23, meet new people, and share ideas.
“Although technically we may all be competitors in the marketplace, member to member outreach is so important,” says Jillian Cimo, Vice President, Community Outreach and Internal Audit at Coast Southwest. “The regulatory environment is particularly onerous at the moment and so that helpfulness, knowledge, and sharing of information is essential.”
In Irving, the program will open with an overview of RD23 and review of the prevailing trends from verifications and non-conformance data.
With internal audits an integral part of RD23, attendees will hear from Responsible Distribution Adviser, R&S Compliance Group, for a deep dive into Code X and suggestions on how to help improve your internal audit program. This will then be followed by an interactive session to apply what you’ve learned.
“For me, I’m particularly looking forward to the session on internal audits,” says Cimo. “Part of being a member in good standing is successfully passing the third-party audits and when ACD holds these Workshops, they focus on the major issues with non-conformances. ACD offers a nationwide perspective of our industry and which of the 12 codes of Responsible Distribution member companies are having the most problems with.”
“Many of the companies that are ACD members are very small businesses who may only have a few employees and don’t have a regulatory specialist or a regulatory department. That means they can struggle with finding solutions to all the new regulations we seem to be bombarded with. This is a really wonderful part of what ACD does.”
Later that afternoon, the focus will shift to Code VII: Emergency Response & Preparedness and the experiences of an emergency responder working in the chemical distribution industry, before Rinchem hosts a presentation on Supply Chain Sustainability and the company’s recent sustainability initiatives.
The day will conclude with a fishbowl/roundtable discussion, where everyone will break into groups to talk through the issues raised throughout the day.
IMCD U.S., LLC’s April 9 event in Westlake will follow a similar format, starting with an ACD update from President & CEO, Eric R. Byer, about what’s been happening on Capitol Hill and how legislative and regulatory changes may affect businesses in 2025.
“The world and regulatory environment on a federal, state, local, and even international level is ever changing, so having access to professional speakers that can share changes in the marketplace and regulatory requirements is key for us,” says Scott Weyant, Director of Health, Safety, Environmental, Quality and Regulatory at IMCD U.S., LLC.
“We have the highest respect for ACD and treasure our certification as a responsible distributor, so we support its programs and understand their value,” he says. “Any opportunity to collaborate with ACD on an event such as this and share best practices with other industry partners is really important for us and benefits everybody. We feel this is a way for us to give back a little.”
A review of RD23 – now in its second year – will be followed by an internal audit session hosted by Environment & Safety Solutions (ESS). There will then be a presentation from the Ohio Chemistry and Technology Council to highlight the top issues affecting companies in the region and the important work being done to support continuous improvement in environmental, health, safety, security, and sustainability practices in the chemical industry. Rounding out the afternoon, PVS Chemicals will offer a review of the key components of safely transporting chemicals through the supply chain.
“There are a lot of great speakers at this Workshop,” adds Tim Forthofer, Quality/regulatory specialist and lead auditor atIMCD U.S., LLC. “I'm an auditor, so everything in the program is really relevant to me – especially the session on internal audits with Pete Downing at ESS – who’s an awesome presenter and speaker, and very knowledgeable. Then there are the legislation updates from Eric and the RD23 non-conformance findings to help us learn from other people's mistakes and improve ourselves.”
Immediately following the Westlake Workshop, attendees are also invited to join ACD’s Byer for a free Town Hall meeting, which will offer updates on the latest industry news coming out of Washington D.C., some lively discussion, and more excellent networking opportunities. Registration for that event closes on March 19.
To find out more information about these events, visit the RD Workshops page on our website. Alternatively, if you have any questions, please reach out directly to Caroline Brooks, Senior Director, Responsible Distribution, via email at cbrooks@acd-chem.com.
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