Statement: Staying Agile, Adaptable, and Focused
The chemical distribution outlook report by Boston Consulting Group, outlined on the previous pages, presents six key findings that capture the strategic pressures and capability shifts transforming the chemical disgtribution landscape, setting the stage for four imperatives that will help distributors to win amid uncertainty. Madjar Navah, one of the authors of the report, introduced the most significant results of the study at the FECC Annual Meeting in Hamburg, Germany, in mid-September. Among the audience were executives of the largest chemical distribution companies, some of which we asked to share their opinions on the report’s conclusions with us.
The chemical industry is navigating a prolonged period of uncertainty and structural challenge. In this environment, success will belong to those who stay close to their customers and supply partners, while rewiring their supply chains for greater agility and reach and reducing the cost to serve through more efficient operations.
As a distributor, our role has never been more important. We stand at the center of global supply networks, connecting producers and customers, and ensuring cost-effective sales, reliability, safety, and compliance. To strengthen this position, we need to rethink and evolve our supply chain: making it more inter- and intra-regional, more local where diversification matters, more digital to enable speed and visibility, and more flexible to meet evolving customer needs.
At the same time, we must continue to simplify and optimize our supply chain network. Agility, consolidation, and operational excellence are essential levers for the interconnected chemical supply chain of the future to deliver scale advantages.
But it is not only about efficiency. It is also about building the competence and capacity to drive top-line growth by empowering our frontline teams and enhancing digital capabilities. At Brenntag, we have the fundamental strengths for continued success: our people, our unique ability to adapt to market circumstances, our market-leading positions, and strong value propositions in both divisions with unmatched scale and global reach.
We are not immune to the challenges around us. But by staying agile, adaptable, and focused on execution, we will continue to shape and strengthen the role of chemical distribution in an evolving global landscape.
“As a distributor, our role has never been more important.”
CEO, Brenntag
