Jan
2
January 3, 2011
Shelli VanNocker promoted to Controller
Steve Quandt announced today that Shelli VanNocker has been promoted to the position of Controller effective January 1. Shelli was hired as a Junior Accountant in April, 2000. She was promoted to Accounting Manager in October 2008 “Shelli has made great contributions in accounting and finance by defining and improving processes, leading the annual development of the business plan and preparing detailed presentations to our board”, said Quandt. In addition to her accounting responsibilities, Shelli will oversee the IT and HR functions as well.
November 18, 2010
Judi Swain Elected President of CDCA
The Chicago Drug and Chemical Association founded in 1900 to support and encourage chemical education, today held their annual auction to raise funds for the purpose of providing financial assistance to worthy scholastic groups and for the sponsorship of several educational scholarships. The well attended event raised thousands of dollars in support of its programs, including “You Be The Chemist,” an educational program in conjunction with the National Association of Chemical Distributors. During the event, in addition to the announcement of the 2010 scholarship recipients, the organization elected Officers for 2011. Judi Swain, Columbus Chemical Senior Accounts Manager, was unanimously elected to the office of President. According to CDCA Administrator and ex-President Vern Karris, to be elected as an Officer, the individual must be “a member in good standing active in Association educational, promotional, and community programs. When Judi joined the association, she rolled up her sleeves and said I want to be involved and I want this to be successful. She has been active on many planning committees and is very good at what we do. Judi will serve as President in 2011 and is expected to further serve as ex Officio for one additional year.
September 1, 2010
CCI Awards Full Scholarship
In 2001, recognizing that CCI competes in a global marketplace where contaminants in products are measured in parts per billion or less, scientific excellence is a daily requirement in conducting company business. According to Richard Sheard, President and CEO, “To share our enthusiasm for excellence we created a Scholarship Program in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin to reward a local high school graduate in their pursuit of a BS degree.”
In addition to a full 4 year, full tuition grant, the winner is offered employment during break periods at CCI’s facility in Columbus, Wisconsin. “The qualifications for this award demand superior academic and leadership performance,” said Sheard. “We are looking for the best and brightest leaders of the future so the rewards are commensurate.”
This year’s recipient, Ms Molly Andler, a graduate of Columbus High School, enrolled in Biology but intends to keep her options open to pursue new interests if they develop. Molly also hopes to continue her athletic endeavors in one of the many intramural sports programs at the University and is very excited to see her first football game in Camp Randall Stadium. GO BADGERS!
September 2010
Columbus Chemical Industries Wins Major Contract
CCI announced that it has been awarded an Exclusive Supplier Contract valued initially at $2M. The award was made by a major supplier to the semiconductor industry following an exhaustive pilot test process which provided them with an objective method to compare the capabilities of multiple chemical distributors. “The pilot project gave CCI the opportunity to demonstrate our superior capabilities when it comes to robust Management of Change and Ship to Control programs demanded by the semiconductor industry,” said Judi Swain, Senior Accounts Manager. “The selection of CCI proves that our focus on total supply chain management and our global supplier relationships can be successfully leveraged to the immediate and long term benefit of our customers.”
CCI has been practicing Responsible Distribution endorsed by the NACD since 1991, is ISO9001-2008 certified and is in the process of obtaining cGMP certification. In addition to its considerable concentration in the semiconductor market, the company intends to leverage its core competencies in Quality and Supply Chain Management for the benefit of Medical Device and Pharmaceutical manufacturers throughout North America.
May 11, 2010
International Association of Arson Investigators Convention Presentation
With Attorney Russell Melton from the Law Firm of Meagher & Geer, Minneapolis, and Cory Davis, Environmental Technologist from the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Little Rock, AR, Steve Quandt, EVP of Columbus Chemical, participated in the presentation “Columbus Chemical Industries, Inc. — Fire and Explosions” at the Association of Arson Investigators annual convention in Orlando, FL on May 18. Quandt discussed the impact of the May 11, 2009 fire at CCI, the emergency response, remediation efforts and subsequent recovery. Davis and Melton detailed the benefits of cooperation between first responders, clean-up specialists and Origin & Cause investigators in assisting Columbus Chemical with their remarkable recovery.
May 11, 2010
Columbus Chemical Open House
Exactly 1 year after the devastating fire that destroyed the primary warehouse facility at CCI the company marked the event with an open house celebration. According to Steve Quandt, Executive Vice President, more than 300 customers, suppliers, and local residents turned out to see the newly constructed 30,000 square foot packaging and storage facility. “Our recovery is something we are extremely proud of,” said Quandt, “the dedication of our people, the assistance of top consultants and professionals, and the reinvestment by owner Richard Sheard brought CCI back bigger and stronger than before.”
The preparedness of CCI and swiftness of their recovery is a story sought after by several different agencies and organizations as a model of how to deal with extreme disaster. The celebration at their modern new facilities put an exclamation point to that story.
May 8, 2010
ANIQ Presentation
On May 7, 2010, Steve Quandt, EVP Columbus Chemical Industries, Inc. presented “Responsible Distribution, The Columbus Chemical Case” to the Association Nacional de la Quimica (ANIQ), the Mexican chemical trades association. The meeting was held in Cancun, Mexico and was attended by the leading Mexican chemical producers and distributors. Quandt’s presentation highlighted the application of the Codes of Management Practice in Responsible Distribution and their contribution to Columbus Chemical’s amazing recovery from a devastating fire on May 11, 2009.
May 6, 2010
WI DNR Gives CCI a ”Clean Bill of Health”
Less than one year after explosions and fire swept through Columbus Chemical Industries facilities, the State of Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources has ordered the monitoring wells closed deeming the site free from any ground contamination. According to Steve Quandt, Executive Vice President this is another important milestone in the companies amazing recovery from a disaster that would have destroyed many other businesses. With a thorough disaster recovery plan in place before the fire occurred, CCI was able to resume business within days and even shattered previous shipping records within one month of the fire. “The announcement from the DNR is also testament to the stewardship of CCI and our commitment to the Codes of Management Practice in Responsible Distribution. Located at this same site for 32 years we have kept our house clean and safe, something we will celebrate with our community next week,” said Quandt.
August 31, 2009 9:42AM
Columbus Chemical Industries rebounds after May fire
By NICK HEYNEN
Wisconsin State Journal
608-252-6126
nheynen@madison.com
Three months after a mysterious fire destroyed a Columbus chemical warehouse, the company that owned the building is not only back in business, it’s expanding.
Steve Quandt, executive vice president of Columbus Chemical Industries, N4335 Temkin Road, said the company was essentially shut down for two weeks while police, fire and insurance investigators looked into the cause of the May 11 blaze. The fire, which was punctuated by explosions caused when water interacted with sodium, closed two highways and prompted the evacuation of nearby homes and businesses, temporarily displacing 144 people.
The night of the fire, I left that night thinking we had lost everything, Quandt said Friday.The fire couldn’t have come at a worse time, because an uptick in sales in February meant the company had a lot of back-orders on file.
But a sturdy firewall in the nearly 30-year-old, 15,000-square-foot warehouse contained the fire, leaving five other buildings relatively unscathed.
After resuming full production using rented warehouse space on May 31, the company had its best month of sales in its 33-year history in June, Quandt said. July was near record highs, he said, and August is looking good as well.
As a result, he thinks the company might add three permanent jobs to the 60 it had before the fire.
Two weeks ago, the company broke ground on a new 36,000-square-foot, $3 million warehouse, which will increase the production capacity by about 50 percent.
The company’s two insurance carriers paid $1.4 million for the loss of the building, as well as third-party claims filed by area residents and a business owner, who were evacuated, Quandt said. Additional claims for lost business and wages are still being processed, he said.
The company held community meetings to update neighboring homeowners about what happened.
We’re real proud of the community that we’re in because they have supported us unbelievably he said.
The cause of the fire was never determined, and probably never will be, according to Columbus Fire Chief Randall Koehn because most of the evidence of its origin was destroyed with the building.
The site of the old warehouse is likely to become a parking lot, Quandt said.
Source: Wisconsin State Journal Sunday August 30, 2009
May 27, 2009 7:00AM
Exactly 14 days after our devastating fire, we are back in production.
We missed our goal by 7 days! We knew that if we ever had a serious first-responder call, we’d lose control. We honestly thought we’d lose control to the regulators, of whom there are many! We didn’t know that we’d lose control to a group who would investigate the origin and cause of our fire! Little did we know that the need for these folks to protect evidence, folks who legitimately act on our behalf, actually would stand in the way of our ability to resume production in facilities unaffected by the fire.
Because we can’t work while the hazmat response teams are re-mediating our site, we work from 8pm to 8am. And, we did that on Memorial Day with a group of volunteers who packaged, labeled and organized work stations. On Tuesday, from sites located across town and in Phoenix, AZ, we shipped product!
Tuesday night will be better than Monday night and Wednesday night will be better than Tuesday. Day by day we are making progress. We thank all our neighbors, friends, colleagues and customers who have helped us achieve these remarkable results. We will emerge stronger and better equipped to serve the needs of a thriving growing economy.
May 15, 2009 2:00PM
Steve Quandt: The Future Looks Really, Really Bright
COLUMBUS – Four days after a destructive and dangerous fire broke out at Columbus Chemical Industries on Temkin Road north of Columbus, the company’s focus is on re-opening and rebuilding.
Media from around the state gathered at Columbus city hall on Friday afternoon for a press conference called by the company.
Steve Quandt, executive vice president at Columbus Chemical Industries, spoke on behalf of the business, presenting a positive perspective on the unexpected tragedy.
May 15, 2009 2:00PM
Officials: Plant Retuned to CCI
Amy Nehls, an official from Dodge County had the following opening remarks during the Friday press conference.
As of 9 AM Thursday, May 14, 2009, the fire was extinguished and the smoke had ceased. Law Enforcement had completed their on-scene investigation. At that time, Unified Command of Dodge County Emergency Management and the Dodge County Sheriffs Department turned over the scene to Columbus Chemical Industries and their private contractors.
The three businesses and six households that had voluntarily evacuated on Wednesday were allowed to return to their businesses and homes and were expected to return to normal business functions. Thursday, the final community air monitoring continued to show particulate levels below action stage and was turned over by the EPA and their affiliates to BT Squared, a cleanup contractor for Columbus Chemical. BT Squared will continue to do air monitoring at regular intervals around the clean-up zone during the duration of the clean-up. They will be in direct contact with the EPA if anything changes, although no changes are expected. The Wisconsin DNR is now in charge of monitoring the clean-up process. DNR is also working with contractors from Columbus Chemical in testing 13 wells in the immediate vicinity of Columbus Chemical. DNR has been in contact with those well owners and as a precautionary measure, has advised them to use bottled water until the test results are known.
On behalf of Dodge County we would like to thank all the local, county, state and federal agencies that assisted with the situation, your time and assistance is appreciated. The fact that this situation was handled so quickly and accurately reflects on how well all the agencies work together to rectify emergency situations. We would also like to thank Columbus Chemical, their employees, and the affected businesses and residences; your cooperation and understanding helped make a difficult situation much easier for everyone involved.
May 14, 2009 2:59 PM
Rain Puts Out Fire, Smoke At Columbus Chemical Plant
EPA To Stop Air Monitoring Thursday
COLUMBUS, Wis. — The smoke and fire originating from the explosions at the Columbus Chemical Industries plant have finally subsided. The Dodge County Office Of Emergency Management said Wednesday night’s rain helped extinguish the final hot spots.
More from wisn.com
May 14, 2009 7:22 AM
Company hired for cleanup after Columbus Chemical fire
Columbus Chemical Industries will get back its still-smoldering chemical warehouse Thursday, and private contractors hired by the company will do the cleanup from Monday’s fire and explosions, Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls said late Wednesday
More from madison.com
May 13, 2009 12:17 PM
Bad Columbus fire could have been much worse; damage is limited
COLUMBUS A sturdy firewall between two buildings at a chemical company probably limited damage in a fire Monday night that prompted an emergency evacuation of 144 people and the shutdown of two highways, fire officials said” More from madison.com
May 13, 2009 8:00AM
CCI Fire–Toll Free Claims Center Established
Columbus Chemical Industries CCI has established a claims center for the public. If you have incurred damages or expenses as a result of the fire, please call 866 298-2658 to report your claim. Adjusters are in the area to quickly and efficiently resolve claims issues.
May 12, 2009 8:00AM
Fire at Columbus Chemical
On Monday, May 11, Columbus Chemical Industries experienced a fire in one of our five buildings at our Wisconsin facility.
Currently access to the facility is not available while we are working with local, state and federal officials to address this issue. CCI intends to resume limited operations as soon as we are able. We appreciate the support and concern from the community, our suppliers and especially our customers.
To keep the public and our business partners informed, we will update our web site as soon as new information is available. Thank you for your support as we work to overcome these events.
January 2009
Shelli VanNocker Promoted to Accounting Manager
Columbus Chemical Industries is pleased to announce the promotion of Shelli VanNocker to Accounting Manager. Shelli received an Associates Degree in Accounting from Madison Area Technical College in 1993.
She joined CCI in 200 as a Jr. Accountant and has applied her training, skills, and education in all areas of general accounting, serving most recently as Sr. Accountant and advisor to the Chief Financial Officer which has earned her this new position.
Congratulations to Shelli.
January 2009
Krystal Patros Promoted to Quality Manager/RDP Code Coordinator
Columbus Chemical Industries is pleased to announce the promotion of Krystal Patros to Quality Manager/RDP Code Coordinator. Krystal joined CCI in 2007 as a Quality Control Chemist, and has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.
Krystal has trained as a QAI Lead Auditor and has a background in LEAN principles which has earned her this new position.
Congratulations to Krystal.
April 2008
CCI Hosts Grand Opening for New Facility
Columbus Chemical Industries proudly hosted a grand opening at its new 44,000 square foot facility at 4034 West Washington St. in Phoenix, Arizona on April 29, 2008.
Seventy-six customers, prospects and suppliers were given tours of the new, fully automated, ultra-pure chemical processing, blending and packaging facility.
The new facility boasts licenses for flammables, corrosives, oxidizers, acids, solvents and blends in addition to Nitric Acid distillation units, Class 100 packaging cells and heat exchangers to control temperatures during exothermic operations.
The analytical laboratory is being equipped and staffed to decrease dependence on third-party, contract labs.
Contract Crystal Krueger at 888-Col-Chem, extension 144, to arrange a visit or to be introduced to one of our sales representatives who are especially adept at solving tough chemistry issues.
January 2008
Columbus Chemical Industries Opens New Facility
Columbus Chemical Industries, Inc. of Columbus, Wisconsin, announced on January 15, 2008 that it has opened its new 44,000 square foot, H3/H4 hazmat-permitted, ultra pure chemical processing facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
The facility has been designed and is fully permitted to package, process, blend and store high purity organic and inorganic acids, non-chlorinated solvents and wide variety of chemical salts in dry and liquid forms.
Automated, electronically-controlled dilution and blending equipment has been installed to safely and accurately manufacture blends containing chemicals such as Hydrofluoric Acid, Nitric Acid, Sulfuric Acid and others.
Blend capacities to 5,000 gallons are provided in HDPE and Teflon-lined tanks.
July 2007
Columbus Chemical Nominated for Environmental Award
Forty-one Wisconsin companies have been nominated for the prestigious Business Friend of the Environment Awards, honoring leadership in pollution prevention, environmental innovation, and stewardship. One local company that is among the nominees is Columbus Chemical Industries of Columbus.
The 2007 Business Friend of the Environment Awards are presented by the Wisconsin Environmental Working Group (WEWG), an affiliate of Wisconsin Manufactures & Commerce.
“Wisconsin businesses are the force behind some of the country’s most effective and innovative environmental initiatives,” said Scott Manley, director of the Wisconsin Environmental Working Group. “These awards recognize that industry is committed to reducing pollution, minimizing waste and pursuing cost-effective and market-based solutions to environmental challenges.
Nine awards based on company size, will be presented to businesses for their commitment and improvements in the areas of pollution prevention, innovative technology, and environmental stewardship.
Winners will be honored during the 18th Annual Environmental Policy and Awards Conference on Friday, at the Country Springs Conference Center in Waukesha.
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin will give the luncheon keynote address and will provide insight into global warming legislation and the overall policy debate at the federal level of government.
The conference will also feature presentations on the DNR’s implementation of federal and state air quality programs, climate change, and global warming. The conference is sponsored by Dewitt Ross & Stevens, Foley & Lardner LLP, and Michael Best & Friedrich LLP.
An independent panel of judges representing industry, an environmental group, the Department of Natural Resources and academia select the Business Friend of the Environment winners.
