Please join Chase Plastics in welcoming Chris Baker to our sales team serving Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Sonora, Mexico. Chris is based in Mesa, Arizona, and has a wide range of field expertise in all aspects of plastics molding, specifically in the medical market.

“I’ve known Chris for four years, working closely with him as one of our customers. I’m very excited to have Chris as our newest member of the West Coast team. He is a true sales professional,” said Mike Nielsen, regional sales manager. “I’m confident that his broad experience and technical background on the injection-molding side of the business is going to allow him to be a valuable resource to our existing and potential new customers.”

Chris is a native of Arizona, having spent the last 28 years in the Phoenix area. He brings with him 25 years of plastics experience in tooling, processing and engineering of new and existing projects.

“Chase Plastics is known throughout the industry as a company with great core values and one that goes above and beyond to deliver customer satisfaction,” said Chris Baker. “I look forward to joining the team/family and representing the over 6,400 varieties of specialty, engineering and commodity thermoplastics we have to offer our customers. I am committed to and passionate about helping our customers troubleshoot projects to find a product match that is best for their needs and improves their bottom line.”

Chris Baker

Account Manager

mobile 480.229.1961
fax 248.620.7670
orders 800.232.4273

cbaker@chaseplastics.com

How do you justify a robust travel budget? Can’t you do the same thing with conference calls or Skype? Not really. As this credit management veteran shows there’s nothing quite like personal visits for solving problems with struggling customers and building volume with stronger ones.

For her first 12 years heading up the Chase Plastic Services’ credit operations Debbie Sexton was your typical, office-bound credit manager. But in 2012, when Chase’s management decided the company could benefit from more credit-customer contacts, she was raring to go. And, by 2014, she was making 50 customer visits a year all across the country.

“Initially, travel was targeted at struggling customers,” she says. “We figured face-to-face meetings would help and they certainly did. Then I decided that, since I was out there, I might as well visit other stronger accounts as well”.

“I have a Customer Visit Form I fill out before I visit the customer, listing their recent payment history, ADP, Limit, Terms, etc.,” she continues. “Then there’s a list of questions I need to ask the customer. This form keeps me on task and ensures I get the most out of the meeting. After the meeting I complete the form by adding who I met with, their titles, personal information (children/hobbies) and the goals we developed during the meeting.

“I’ve been able to help some accounts grow with us. As well as enabling me to get to know people, I get to see their facilities and equipment. That helps you know what questions to ask, and your interest wins their appreciation.”

Another major advantage of the visits is that she often gets to see customers’ financials. “They’re almost all private companies so they’re very leery about sharing financials,” she points out. “With the financials, I can dig in further so that I’m more comfortable giving them a higher credit line or better terms. That’s helped accelerate some customers’ growth rates.”

One account she had visited several times was slow pay but not a worry. “But it was always nice to go in and talk with them and continue to build the relationship,” she says. “Then last year they developed cash-flow issues and extended their terms with us. Because of our relationship I was able to bypass the AP person and talk directly with the owner. We got a strong payment plan in place, and I could see that he was very committed to it. He stuck to the plan, got caught up and now they’re doing great”.

Was AP miffed that she had gone around them? “Not at all.” she says. “They were relieved that they didn’t have to be in the middle anymore.”

She has a dedicated credit specialist assigned to monitor certain accounts. When the specialist feels that Sexton should get involved–or when she gets concerned­-she calls someone higher up to see what is going on. If she’s met them it’s easier to make that phone call.

Sometimes when customers start running late, it’s because they’ve produced too much inventory or their customers have pushed back their PO shipment dates. This causes our customer to experience some cash flow issues. And some customers may experience a general slowdown in the field, which again can cause cash flow issues.

October tends to be a slow period in certain industries, so she likes to contact customers at that time to see how they’re doing. When they admit that they “might have a bit of a cash flow problem”, she’ll consider working out a payment plan.

Normally she won’t allow open orders to go out without prepayment in these situations. But if she’s gotten to know the customer she may be flexible. “If they’re current on their payment plan I’d release product as long as they don’t go crazy,” she says. “In these cases they don’t need much material because they’re already sitting on inventory.”

Recently there was a high balance with one of their larger customers and there were indications they were struggling. “Management agreed that I should get out there and meet some of the principals so that I could start working with them immediately trying to figure out how to get their AR balance down,” she says.

In this case there were three owners and they recently hired a controller. She had already met one of the owners, and now she met with the other two and the controller.

“They were great people in a bad situation,” she says. “We agreed to hold weekly conference calls, which we did for three months. We talked about payments and what kind of materials they would need, playing it super close and safe until, unfortunately, they had to close their doors. But we had been able to reduce the balance down significantly so that our bad debt write-off was minimal.

“We thought that was a win, even though we did lose some money. We felt that working with them and helping out was the right thing to do.”

DSO has not changed much in the three years since she began travelling (“We’re always on target,” she says.). But bad debts have dropped substantially, something she attributes not so much to tougher credit standards as to the relationships she had developed with customers.

“I’m lucky to have a strong support team in upper management,” she says. “They trust my decision making. It has a lot to do with why they send me out on the road to build rapport with owners.” I also have a strong credit team who backs me up when I’m on the road. I couldn’t travel without my team’s outstanding credit skills or professionalism.

Debbie Sexton

Credit Manager

Office 248-620-2120 x 305

dsexton@chaseplastics.com

Please join Chase Plastics in welcoming Ryan Williamson to our sales team serving North Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Ryan started his career with Chase Plastics as a sales intern at our corporate headquarters in Clarkston, Michigan, gaining extensive knowledge by working in cross-functional departments such as customer service, sales, credit and logistics.

“This is a strategic market for Chase Plastics and Ryan is up to the challenge of bringing unmatched customer service and cost-effective solutions to our customers in the Southwest,” said Bill Guenveur, regional sales manager. “Ryan brings energy and enthusiasm to his new role. This, coupled with his thermoplastic and business development knowledge, will ensure that our customers receive the high level of customer service Chase is known for.”

Ryan is originally from Saginaw, Michigan, and currently lives in Dallas, Texas. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan University, where he majored in political science while minoring in professional sales and marketing.

“I am excited about the opportunity to get to know and work with our customers in the Southwest as I join a team of professionals at Chase who have guided processors to improved profit margins for more than 20 years,” said Ryan Williamson. “I am committed to helping our customers anticipate and address evolving business demands using my knowledge of Chase’s unmatched product line of quality, cost-effective material solutions that will improve their bottom line and elevate them above the competition.”

Ryan Williamson

Sales Associate

mobile 214.587.6744
fax 248.620.4028
orders 800.232.4273

rwilliamson@chaseplastics.com

Please join Chase Plastics in welcoming Chris Sypitkowski to our sales team serving our customers in Illinois and Northern Indiana. Chris started his career with Chase Plastics as a sales intern at our corporate headquarters in Clarkston, Michigan, gaining extensive knowledge by working in cross-functional departments such as customer service, sales, credit and logistics.

“We are excited and fortunate to have Chris on our Chase Plastics team,” said Eric Walters, regional sales manager. “Chris’ education and technical skills will be integral in providing our valued customers with the outrageous service and dedication that we pride ourselves on.”

Chris is a native of Huntington Woods, Michigan, and currently resides in Aurora, Illinois. He holds an associate’s degree in polymer science and a bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering technology from Ferris State University. Chris is eager to use his technical expertise to guide processors to improved manufacturing productivity and profitability.

“I am very blessed and excited to be part of the Chase Plastics team,” said Chris. “Our core value of outrageous customer service is something I cannot wait to deliver to our customers to help them improve their profit margin and efficiency.”

Chris Sypitkowski

Sales Associate

mobile 773.420.6894
fax 248.620.4050
orders 800.232.4273

csypitkowski@chaseplastics.com

Solvay Specialty Polymers, a leading global supplier of high-performance polymers, announced today that it has appointed Chase Plastics, a stocking distributor of specialty, engineering and commodity thermoplastics, as its newest U.S. distributor of Amodel® polyphthalamide (PPA) resin. Chase Plastic’s comprehensive North American sales coverage and more than 2,500 buying accounts will expand market access and technical support for Amodel® PPA customers. The appointment went into effect on Oct. 1.

“Solvay Specialty Polymers is pleased to have Chase as part of our team and we look forward to working with them to meet rising demand for our Amodel® PPA in high-growth end-markets,” said Tom Wood, senior vice president and head of Crystalline Products for Solvay Specialty Polymers. “We welcome Chase who, along with Nexeo Solutions, will further strengthen our ability to support the design goals and competitive growth of our customers in North America.”

The addition of Chase Plastics will not affect Solvay Specialty Polymers’ order fulfillment policies. Solvay will continue to accept and fill direct orders that meet the company’s established minimum order quantities. Small lot orders of Amodel® PPA will be available through Chase Plastics and Nexeo Solutions. Both companies will continue to distribute Solvay’s Ryton® PPS products, as they have for many years.

Solvay’s Amodel® PPA product portfolio contains well over 100 different grades of the semi-crystalline thermoplastic, which offers excellent mechanical properties, outstanding dimensional stability, exceptional elevated thermal performance and good processability. Solvay was the first company to commercialize PPA and it developed its Amodel® PPA family to meet stringent application demands in wide range of industries, including automotive, transportation, industrial equipment, water handling, telecommunications, electrical/electronics, coatings, composites, food service applications and consumer goods.

Click here to register for the MAPP Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference!

Please join Chase Plastics in welcoming Peter Cureton to our sales team. He will be serving our growing customer base in the Midwest, specifically processors in Minneapolis and Iowa. Peter started his career with Chase Plastics as a sales administrator at our corporate headquarters in Clarkston, Michigan.

“Peter brings strong technical and material knowledge from his years working internally at our headquarters in Clarkston, Michigan,” said Eric Walters, regional sales manager. “We’re fortunate and excited to have Peter on our team and are confident he’ll continue to deliver the ‘outrageous’ service we pride ourselves on.”

Peter is a native of Howell, Michigan, and holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration with a minor in criminal justice from Saginaw Valley State University. He currently lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with his wife and son.

“I’m very excited to join the Chase Plastics sales team serving our customers in the Midwest,” said Peter. “We’re a uniquely qualified team that offers technical skill and world-class customer service that’s unrivaled in our industry. I look forward to helping our customers improve their business’ bottom lines and to delivering the ‘outrageous’ customer service Chase Plastics is known for.”

Peter Cureton

Sales Associate

mobile 612.590.0637
fax 248.620.7692
orders 800.232.4273

pcureton@chaseplastics.com

Click below to get a complimentary pass to PLASTEC Texas and be sure to stop by our booth (#739) in Houston!

Seoul, Korea, June 30, 2015 – Korea Engineering Plastics Co. Ltd. (KEP) became a bluesign® system partner in April, 2015, making it the first polymer manufacturer to meet rigorous criteria for sustainable chemistry. KEPITAL® copolymer POM is used by the global Textile industry to produce buttons, clips and zippers.

“KEP is dedicated to being a sustainable company through its ‘green management’ system and the continuous development of environmentally friendly processes and products,” said KEP CEO Chong-Won Chin.

“Being the first polymer manufacturer to earn certification as a bluesign® system partner validates this commitment to help our customers in the Textile industry manufacture sustainable products without compromising functionality, quality or design,” Mr. Chin
explained. “We apply the same high standards to every KEPITAL polymer we produce for every industry we serve. This certification recognizes the excellent work of our KEP team and validates our brand promise … ‘for a better future’.”

The bluesign® system

Headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland, bluesign technologies ag developed the bluesign® system as an independent approval system for the Textile industry. Other industries are considering adopting this approval system. A commitment is made by bluesign partners to apply its system to the entire production process to maximize quality and minimize environmental impact. Chemical products carrying the “bluesign® approved” label must meet strict ecological and toxicological requirements.

“As a solution provider to the global Textile industry, bluesign technologies is pleased to welcome KEP as the first polymer producer to earn bluesign® certification”, said Peter Waeber, CEO bluesign technologies. “We appreciate the dedication of KEP to meet our high standards of quality and sustainability in their manufacturing processes and believe Textile manufacturers worldwide are equally pleased to be able to include bluesign® approved copolymer POM in the manufacture of their products”.

A Global Leader

For more than 25 years, KEP has invested in the finest people and facilities to become a global leader in the production of copolymer POM. KEP operates one of the largest POM production facilities “under one roof” in the world. With the ability to run six production lines at a nameplate capacity of 140,000 MT (300+ million pounds), KEP offers more than 200 grades of KEPITAL POM to customers in more than 100 countries.

Please join Chase Plastics in welcoming Devin Fuller to our sales team, serving our customer base in the Northeast. Devin, a Chase Plastics veteran of more than seven years, recently relocated to Pennsylvania from western Michigan, where he spent the past three years. Prior to that, he served customers in Southern California for four years.

“Devin will play a vital role in our continued growth in the northeastern U.S. and in our team’s ability to continue to elevate the level of ‘outrageous’ customer service our customers have come to expect,” said Adam Paulson, regional sales manager. “He has tremendous product and technical knowledge, and a proven track record of exceeding customer expectations. His insight will serve our customers well as we continue to grow with them.”

Devin is a native of Clarkston, Michigan and joined Chase Plastics right out of college. He graduated from Northwood University with dual degrees in international business and business management.

“Chase Plastics’ Northeast team is a shining example of our company’s commitment to providing customers with industry-leading technical support through experienced, dedicated sales professionals,” said Devin. “I look forward to using my experience working with processors across North America to help processors in the Northeast operate more profitably and gain and maintain a competitive advantage.”

Devin Fuller

Senior Account Manager

mobile 424.200.0414
fax 248.620.4040
orders 800.232.4273

dfuller@chaseplastics.com