News

As we enter our 60^th Anniversary year, we discuss with MD, Simon Hewitt what’s driven Chem Resist’s longevity and ongoing success.

“We have 3 foundation stones at Chem Resist; our understanding of thermoplastics, experience of corrosive and aggressive chemicals and our ethos, best explained by ‘Built with Integrity’ which despite being relatively new, is fundamentally what we’re all about.

“In the early days of Chem Resist we were very, almost too entrepreneurial, investigating and trying new and different things. Some of which worked, but many of those early ventures came to nothing other than to bring us back to our core focus, which has always been, safely storing and moving chemicals. We’ve learned to harness our curiosity and use our skills and expertise to solve the challenges and problems our customers face, so the advancements we make and technologies we develop are relevant to both them and the wider market.

“Looking back, we aligned our build technology for Packed Tower Fume Scrubbers in the 1990s based on customer and market challenges and in the same decade we developed a thermoplastic system to dilute Sulphuric Acid for Univar. That went on to be operational for 27 years and became the model we refined and built upon, but the fundamental principles remain the same today. Recently we adapted our technology to create a compact effluent treatment system for Resomation, which can be easily transported around the world. So, our core remains but solving customers problems whilst challenging the convention is what drives us.

“We hold a really strong position in the market, able to draw upon products and services across all divisions, Process Plant, Fluid Transfer and Pipework Systems combined with our vast knowledge & experience to provide solutions. If we do make a breakthrough we share that knowledge to the wider market, our Technical Manager, Stephan Menzer regularly speaks at TUV Conferences. And if something does go wrong, which sometimes happens, customers know that we stand by our work, which probably explains why we’ve got relationships with the likes of Nufarm, Johnson Matthey and Unilever going back decades.

“One thing we’ve always done is work with the best, be that an individual or group. We learned very early on that you can’t achieve anything without the right people, having the right attitude and approach is fundamental; skills can always be taught. We invest in the best tools, equipment and training available and also make sure we support our future workforce through apprenticeships and opportunities for young people.

“On a wider scale we’ve made the best partnerships and been part of the most relevant and effective working groups. We worked with Cambridge University to develop our unique spiral wound manufacturing method during the early 90s, which we then pioneered in the marketplace. Seamus led the working party with TWI (The Welding Institute) to develop the weld standard (BS EN 13067) for thermoplastics, and he was also part of the group of leading European manufacturers and influential bodies to develop the industry standard for designing thermoplastic chemical storage tanks, BS EN 12753:2000. Both these standards give everyone involved in the industry, guidance and references that have improved consistency and ultimately safety.

“Our Fluid Transfer division has been wholly created around working with the best. There are numerous pump and valve brands, but we make sure we offer the best performance and chemical compatibility across a range of technologies and price points, so work with a small select group including; Almatec, Munsch, World Chemical, Pan World and Plast-O-Matic.

“The next 60 years? Who knows that far ahead! But for the foreseeable, we’ll continue to specialise in thermoplastics within the chemical industries and be curious and solve customer challenges. One thing is for certain, we’ll continue to grow. Coincidentally, our headcount will reach 60 next month, so we’ll be bigger than ever before, plus we’re now part of RSE so there’s even more opportunity for future growth.”