Meet the Team: Mike Bonn
Each individual on the Soltex team contributes to driving the company toward further achievement. The sales team in particular plays a large role in doing so through their continuous efforts to maintain strong relationships with existing customers while building new relationships with potential customers. Technical Sales Executive Mike Bonn, who is based out of Canada, has found continued success in sustaining and forming connections with Soltex partners.
Bonn joined the Soltex team after working previously in electrical transformer manufacturing. With such a background, it’s no surprise that he describes the most interesting project he’s worked on as the development of HyVolt C50A liquid for the Canadian Market. Playing a key part in its consumer rollout, his deep knowledge of the product became a major factor in the success of the product.
Now in his fourth year with Soltex, Bonn credits many of his accomplishments within the company to his strong communication skills and helpful attitude. The “genuine desire to help customers get what they need” guides his actions and the sincere communication he provides daily. He also explains that customer needs are treated as urgent saying, “When customers call, we answer the phone and get them the solutions they need to help their businesses run more smoothly.”
His strong communication skills have vastly contributed to the customer satisfaction which he believes leads to more new customers and overall higher sales revenue. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic created additional challenges in getting out in the field to meet new prospective customers, his commitment and knowledge have driven success.
When not tending to current Soltex customers or driving new business, Bonn prefers to spend his time outside. From fishing to camping, hunting, woodworking, and even gardening, he is no stranger to the great outdoors. The Rocky Mountains have a place in his heart as his favorite vacation spot and he even co-hosts a podcast about ice hockey called the ScuttlePuck.
Your Fumed Silica Source
Have you ever painted something and watched disappointedly as drips started to fall during the drying process? Soltex can help prevent reliving this experience by adding fumed silica to paints, thickening, and giving structure, without compromising opacity.
Fumed silica is considered an anti-settling, anti-sagging agent in paint and coatings because it improves thixotropic and rheological properties. In other words, fumed silica impacts how the paint’s viscosity reacts to temperature and applied stress, like being shaken or stirred. Furthermore, fumed silica aids in the prevention of corrosion by preventing the migration of water through the film onto the substrate below while strengthening film hardness and adhesion to surfaces.
In addition to paint, fumed silica can be found in a wide array of products including lubricants, powders, and elastomers. Lubricants and greases can be thickened (much like paint) by improving thixotropic and rheological properties and preventing drip too. Fumed silica can be added to powders to enhance free-flow and anti-caking characteristics, or to elastomers as reinforcement filler.
Fumed silica is extremely light and fluffy, but can be difficult to handle as it is a pure and relatively reactive source of silica in powder form. Often, the level of reactivity causes a shortage in supply even when the demand for fumed silica is high. However, Soltex is committed to building stock of fumed silica to support our customers, reducing lead times to better manage inventories.
Soltex is not only the industry leader in fumed silica stock but also in quality. Soltex fumed silica is unique because it is produced to high standards under ISO9001 Quality Management Systems. Product batches are tested during manufacturing and prior to shipment to ensure high-quality standards. So, the next time you grease a squeaky door or complete a satisfactory paint job, perhaps you can thank fumed silica for keeping your hard work and materials in place.
Meet The Team: David Collins Steps Up to Lead Business Development at Soltex
As Soltex continues to grow, we welcome new, talented individuals to our team. Filling a particularly essential role as business development manager is David Collins, whose leadership will be paramount to nurturing and cultivating continued company-wide success.
Collins explains that as the manager of business development, he has the opportunity to “look vertically within the organization to identify new in-organic business segments, products and additional opportunities that will strategically benefit” Soltex as a whole. Having joined the team just over three months ago, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the chemical and lubricant industry. He explains that his diverse background gives him a broader perspective than most and allows him to think outside the box.
In speaking with Collins, it’s evident that he has already found a rhythm in his work. Between coordinating with multiple parts of the company to review market trends and identifying opportunities to propose new business ideas, his focus on improving the company’s revenue is clear. While navigating partnerships can be tricky, he explains that he is able to operate in a way that ensures “growth opportunities are still aligned to core philosophies” at Soltex. Soltex’s differentiation comes with its robust and quality product lines. The service-oriented approach to business additionally makes Soltex stand out among competitors.
As he continues to settle into the Soltex team, Collins details what it means to be successful to him, saying, “I see success as a moving target. By continually updating and stretching my goals, I am able to stay on track and motivate myself to keep working towards long-term objectives.”
Happily married with “three fully grown and independent children,” you can find Collins exploring many unique hobbies and interests outside of work, including blue water sailing and golfing. A big rugby fan, he’s also an avid follower of the Irish Lions. Soltex is thrilled to have him on board and looks forward to much continued success with his leadership.
Soltex Flies into Washington DC with NACD
Soltex recently had the opportunity to meet with Members of Congress and regulators as part of the NACD gathering where chemical distributors and their supply chain affiliates from around the country educate and advocate for important policy goals. Meeting in person with those who shape and enforce our laws is the most effective way to get your message through to Capitol Hill and federal agencies.
Two key Soltex team members, John Grimes and Bryan De La Rosa attended NACD Washington Fly-In, speaking on behalf of the chemical industry alongside NACD members. Grimes and De La Rosa on trade issues affecting responsible distribution and supply chain restrictions. During the congressional meetings, each attendee was led by group leaders to round-robin discussions about the companies and issues involving Superfund Tax, Generalized System Preferences (GSP) renewal, Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB), and China 301 Tariffs.
Soltex acknowledges federal government participation in benefiting our trade operations with our Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District represents our Soltex headquarters. Representative Brian Babin of the 36th Congressional District represents our warehouse and technical laboratory in Baytown, Texas. The reminder of active communication with our politicians offers our voter voices to be heard and acts in support of our communities.
Overall, the NACD Fly-In event opens the doors of our policyholder offices to understand the needs in the chemical industry. We believe that the time shared reflects the values of our company and allows a stronger presence on Capitol Hill, federal agencies, and industry associations.
Soltex Connects with Canadian Industry Leaders at EDIST
Soltex was thrilled to attend the Electricity, Distribution, Information Systems and Technology (EDIST) Conference & Exhibition in Toronto earlier this month. The conference and exhibition addressed critical engineering, operational, IT and management issues faced by Ontario’s LDCs, suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers. The theme for EDIST 2022 was “Leading a Bold New Narrative” and attendees were encouraged to share timely industry insights and innovative new products.
Two key Canadian members of our sales team, Mike Bonn and Bob Harper attended EDIST, capitalizing on the chance to network and showcase Soltex’s existing and new products. Bonn and Harper focused on introducing the Ergon Esters. Furthermore, they were able to reintroduce and expand on C50A offerings and the line of dielectric fluids, which continue to be paramount in the Canadian market.
Explaining the sheer importance of Soltex’s presence at this conference, Bonn says “We have established Soltex as the most reliable source for transformer liquids. Most Ontario customers and prospects for dielectric liquids attended EDIST, so maintaining our presence as a key player in the market was important.”
Harper and Bonn both additionally described that there was ample discussion of supply chain issues in the industry. They were able to further grasp that “everyone in the industry has heavy and healthy backlogs”. Many of the other conversations went back to the widespread need and interest in Soltex’s secure transformer oil offerings.
Overall, EDIST proved to be a worthwhile conference to attend. The time to re-engage with current customers and prospects was invaluable and we look forward to attending the next one to maintain our strong presence in Canada.
Meet The Team: Blaine Wiles
Soltex is so pleased to have Blaine Wiles as a member of our Customer Service team.
Blaine brings several years of logistics and customer service experience to Soltex, which benefits our overall operations. Blaine has been in the customer service industry since 17 years of age. He started in the food industry working his way up from a bus boy, to a waiter, then becoming a snow technician at Bahama bucks finding himself entering the logistics field. He enjoys the daily challenges of working through and discovering efficient ways to help the team. He believes in maintaining standards and going beyond the expectations of customers.
These are the comments from, Alicia Baltazar, our current Customer Service Manager, “In getting to know Blaine better, we have learned that he really enjoys, and has tremendous talent in, computer coding. In the short three months that he has been with Soltex, he has made suggestions both inside and outside of his department to increase efficiencies in our workflow. Customers appreciate his can-do attitude, and he is always willing to lend a helping hand to other team members. When serving our customers, Blaine intuitively takes steps to go above and beyond to help make their experience with Soltex as pleasant as possible.”
Blaine’s current hobbies are health and soccer. His devotion to the sport of soccer, starting at age three, has been a lifelong passion. He actively engages in video games such as FIFA and is involved in his community church.
We are happy to have Blaine on our team!
Soltex in the Sunshine State for STLE
Soltex recently made a visit to the sunshine state to attend the STLE (Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers) annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. STLE attracts members of the tribology community from around the world. This year saw more than 1,350 industry professionals from 30 countries come together for five days of technical presentations, professional development, and business networking. As one of the 90 exhibitors displaying the latest products and services at the trade show, we were thrilled to travel to Florida with eight knowledgeable and accomplished members of our team to share our work and explore the future of the industry.
Senior account manager at Soltex, Chic Degler, describes his experience at STLE, saying, “The mixture of academia, technical professionals, and of course people like us on the commercial side is the most dynamic I have seen in quite some time.” He also added, “The opportunities for networking were also robust as attendees were hungry for connection after the last couple of years without conferences because of COVID.” Degler explains that he reconnected with seasoned relationships, and established new ones. Potential suppliers with Soltex presented a genuine desire to engage. These touch points are important drivers for future business, creating overall energy of encouragement and hope in the industry.
Discussion of the predominant tightness of supply in the industry arose which allowed for conversation forecasting the future supply chain in tribology. Another rising concern was electric vehicles. With companies solely focused on electric vehicles gaining popularity and other more established brands also branching into electric vehicle production and sales, there is concern surrounding chemicals previously relied upon in the automotive industry becoming obsolete in the distant future.
While the location of the Soltex booth was not ideal at STLE, the general open floor plan proved beneficial alongside the sheer volume of traffic at the conference. The seminars also allowed our team to learn from other industry leaders. Over the course of the conference, we were able to hold important meetings about collaborations between Soltex and other companies in the lubricants industry.
Overall, STLE 2022 proved to be a successful undertaking for the Soltex team and we look forward to returning again next year to continue strengthening our partnerships and connecting with other industry leaders.
Strong Showing for Soltex at IEEE 2022
Soltex employees recently exhibited at the IEEE conference in New Orleans where power and energy professionals gathered to learn about the new technologies and products shaping their industry. Collectively, the Soltex team was exceptionally satisfied with their maximum visibility booth location which they believe helped with consistent traffic. The results showed as networking and reconnecting with customers and colleagues in person again became a highlight of IEEE 2022. Throughout the conference, attendees demonstrated interest in new products, concern for product delivery logistics, and optimism for growth.
One of the new products generating buzz was Ergon Esters. Multiple attendees met with Soltex representatives to ask questions and learn more about this much anticipated product about to enter the market. While the industry is clearly eager for Ergon to be available, Soltex has set the expectation that prior to launch it will have to go through a highly rigorous qualification process, which is pending.
According to attendees, it appeared that there were concerns across the board with the ability to deliver products on time. Challenges in the supply chain have caused multiple delays for many vendors, thus lengthening the delivery times for products. Clearly, those suppliers who can guarantee on time deliveries will have an advantage in this market. [How Soltex is resolving delivery logistics issues]
Despite the concern over delivery logistics, the general sentiment around the IEEE 2022 tradeshow was this industry is ready for growth. Not only did exhibitors present numerous new technologies and products, but attendees seemed particularly interested in the ability by Soltex to supply core products such as dielectric fluids (DF), resulting in many new connections made in the DF market for Soltex. Another theme was the desire for vendors to develop new partnerships to collaborate on the creation and delivery of new solutions, poising the industry for future growth.
The Soltex team enjoyed the opportunity to participate in IEEE 2022 and look forward to exhibiting again in 2024 when the conference will be held in Anaheim, CA.
COVID Supply Chain Limitations Impact on Chemical Distribution
The modern supply chain crisis brought about due to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact numerous companies and industries around the globe. From shipping to trucking, rail and infrastructure, nearly every aspect of the supply chain is affected. As a provider of high-quality base components, chemical intermediates, chemical additives and functional fluids, our commitment to each customer remains solid even as we face our own ongoing challenges as a supply chain partner. We are nimble to solve problems that arise and confident in the strength of our partnerships to deliver the care to our customers that we stand by.
Supply Chain Disruption
It’s important to understand that there are numerous parts to the overarching issue within the supply chain over the past two years. Corporations’ product processes have recently been exposed to new risks and vulnerabilities resulting in global factory closures and manufacturing slowdowns. With numerous reports of low or no stock on products also dramatically impacting the overall supply chains, issues in transportation to both suppliers and consumers have arisen as the globe appears to be stuck in “undersupply.” These conditions require all market participants, including us, to be ever more flexible on budgets and expectations, and committed to finding creative solutions.
The US has seen a record number of container ships sitting idle waiting to dock at various ports. was an average increase of delays among NACD members (National Association of Corporate Directors) of over 11 days in summer 2021 alone with delays only getting longer from there. There was simply not enough global ship capacity to handle the demand for existing space. The trucking industry has continued to face a driver shortage with vaccine mandates and the CA AB-5 (California Assembly Bill) precluding carriers from using independent drivers unless classified as employees. Issues within the railways also picked up speed with declining service and pricing issues alongside failure of the proposed merger of key providers; Kansas City Southern and Canadian National Railway.
Logistics Costs
Although the precise supply chain issues of 2020 and 2021 are likely to fade, there will still be new challenges. The costs associated with the supply chain are growing rapidly across chemical sectors due to the aforementioned factors and the recent rise in oil prices. Global logistic costs face additional increases too, including never-before-seen surcharges being applied by container shipowners to oceangoing containers at the time of loading. In response to these various challenges, Soltex is focusing on our strong partnerships who understand and are able to accommodate customer needs. We are also staying informed so as to anticipate, plan for and get ahead of such issues.
Soltex’s Partnerships
As a company, we are focused on taking action along with our team of partners, to alleviate and ultimately entirely diminish negative impacts of global supply chain issues. It’s essential in forging future success that we sustain our level of customer service commitment throughout. Diverse Trucking, out of Chicago, for example, is an incredibly reliable and important partner to Soltex as they work with us to assist customers with potential short lead times. Their ability to get product from point A to the customer is especially noteworthy in this current age. Maintaining a dependable carrier like Diverse Trucking has allowed our team to respond in a timely manner and has kept our grid functional. Our production plant in Belleville, Ontario also continues to be a key player in providing the highest quality and efficient care to our customers. There are no scenarios in which their product is not precisely what needs to be delivered.
Things are additionally looking up nationally as The Bipartisan Infrastructure bill, which in large part is focused on the efficient transport of goods and produce across the country, was also passed last fall. While the impacts of this bill have yet to be felt, it bodes well for necessary changes in national supply chain issues. And though the reality of the situation has not been largely promising, Soltex is committed to working hard to deliver value to our customers and remain a superior, reliable supplier and partner.
The Soltex Philosophy: 32 Years of Adding Value to Your Formulations
Since 1990, Soltex, a privately held Houston-based chemical company, has been offering high-quality base components, chemical intermediates, chemical additives, and functional fluids that improve the performance of products used in industrial, automotive, and consumer applications. Initially called Synthetic Oils and Lubricants of Texas, then a few years later changed to Soltex, the company was founded with the purchase of Chevron’s RF & DF, and has seen multiple expansions since. Exporting and selling products to South America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, the Soltex philosophy to provide high-quality products, exceptional customer support, and innovative problem solving over the last 30+ years remains a guiding force behind our continued success as a company.
Acquisitions Spur Growth of Quality Products
From additional services offered to new markets and products, our momentum has been strong and steady. In 1986, Soltex began selling refrigeration fluid (RF) for compressor lubrication, dielectric fluid (DF) for power transmission cables and specialty branched alkylbenzene (BAB) for agricultural emulsifiers. Just a few years later starting in the 1990’s Soltex began sales and marketing on behalf of Chevron Chemical for its polybutene plant in Brazil. As the polybutene product continued to show strong sales, Soltex purchased Chevron Phillips Chemical’s (CPC) Shawinigan Black business in 2004. Later this product became known as Soltex’s Acetylene Black (AB) as CPC pursued more profitable returns on direct sale of their acetylene gas. Although Soltex had never sold a product in powder version, the team met the new challenge of storage issues and significant new inventories all while identifying alternate sources and working on new product approvals. Recognizing that AB had synergies with other core Soltex lines of products, it became a very strategic product for overall company growth.
Two years later in 2006, Soltex purchased a major competitor in North America, H&R (heritage Dussel Campbell), leaving only two competitors of DF in North America. This opened doors for new customer relationships, particularly in Canada. H&R manufactured products in Belleville, ON, and as a result, they had a majority of the business in that area. Building on these acquisitions, Soltex saw consistent growth, and in 2012 expanded its product line to include synthetic base oils, refrigeration fluids, base components, and chemical and performance additives for industrial and consumer applications. This added another slate of products to offer existing accounts while also targeting new business.
A big milestone was reached in 2015 when Soltex Canada was established through the purchase of OMG Belleville, putting Soltex in ideal proximity to the major market of the Northeast thus shortening transit times and reducing logistics costs. After the acquisition of OMG Belleville, Soltex acquired Petroleum Chemicals expanding its Chemical Additives/PCA line. Following the Petroleum Chemicals buy, Soltex secured an opportunity to purchase Tabler in 2018, giving Soltex additional products that were primarily directed to the paint and coating business.
Exceptional Company-wide Customer Support
Manufacturing for Soltex occurs in the US and Canada. Specifically, most of the performance chemical additives (PCA) are produced in the US. Made in Canada are dielectric fluids, refrigeration fluids, cable flood, fill and gels, metal carboxylates as well as some of the performance additives.
Soltex manages and operates warehouses and packaging operations in Houston, TX, along with toll manufacturers in Canada and US. With high quality products and a fair price, customer service is among the highest of priorities. Soltex employees are driven by their desire to support and connect with their customers and prospects. From initial sampling to formulating and logistics, you’ll encounter the utmost responsiveness and agility from all of our staff. By bringing knowledge about the chemical supply chain and an eagerness to share that knowledge, Soltex employees are able to help customers with their chemical product and application needs in a thorough, professional and highly personal manner. As a supply chain partner, our logistics and distribution resources enable our team to also provide efficiencies in warehousing and transporting products worldwide.
Innovative Problem Solving
Soltex exports and sells products to South America, Europe and Southeast Asia. Our wide range of products serve numerous customers, each with different needs and goals. We want to be our customers’ first call and even if it isn’t our area of expertise, we find a way to help solve the issue. Equipped with an in-house laboratory and expertise, we are able to provide reliable technical support and jump in to serve unique needs as they arise. Our close relationships with carriers coupled with a strong supply chain group make our logistics stand out above competitors. Distribution resources at Soltex also enable efficiencies in warehousing and transporting products worldwide via our primary sites of distribution including multiple domestic locations in the US and Canada.
With business acquisitions and product expansions over the years, Soltex remains committed to the philosophy of providing high-quality products, exceptional customer support, and innovative problem-solving. Our sights continue to be set on additional growth through continuous product portfolio expansion and new business partnerships.