Focusing on the complex area of the market where chemicals are required at short notice and in fairly small quantities, chemical distributors have developed over time into important players in the value chain from producers to consumers in a broad role, serving as supply chain managers offering a wide range of logistics and value-added services.
This mid-sized industry, currently addressing a total world market of roughly EUR 70 billion, is estimated to show a healthy two to four percent growth on an annual average for the foreseeable future.
Three interrelated trends are currently shaping the industry. Chemical and chemical-consuming manufacturing companies are going global to tap into new markets and low-cost production and, at the same time, are facing the added complexity of meeting ever-higher QHSE (quality, health, safety, and environment) standards. Furthermore, the need for efficiency is driving them towards a focus on their core business, resulting in increased outsourcing of warehouse logistics, distribution, and related value-added services. These trends offer major opportunities for value creation and competitive differentiation, especially to the multinational and leading players in the still-fragmented distribution industry.
Distributors with sufficient financial resources, geographic scope and/or knowhow could benefit from these three trends and offer both chemical producers and customers significant value by handling outsourced business and services in a cost-efficient and market-effective way.
To do this, they have to meet all the key success factors for traditional efficient service in local markets while at the same time leaping to the next industry S-curve and becoming strategic partners for the chemical industry and for chemical-consuming customers.