As 2016 ramps up, Eco Chemical anticipates that this year will bring even more growth for our clients and the industry – and we’re continually on the lookout for innovative technology and processes to better serve you and your markets.
As part of that vigilance, Eco Chemical’s National Sales Manager, Mike Boone, recently visited with our California clients, including Western Wood Treating, Sierra Pacific, Conrad Wood Preserving, Pacific States, all Allweather Wood. We had the opportunity to catch up with Mike and ask him about what he’s hearing throughout the market.
A Look at the Landscape
According to Mike, Eco Chemical enjoys remarkably strong client relationships up and down the west coast, due to the rock-solid industry reputation they have built over the years. Lately, some other general wood products companies have begun to offer paint and stain solutions in our market area. How are we meeting this challenge?
“First, we make sure our clients know that wood stain is our primary line of business – as it has been for many years,” says Mike. “Many new contenders will need to shuffle priorities within their original customer base before they can provide reliable stain solutions.”
The Eco Chemical team has been repeatedly acknowledged for their willingness to roll up their sleeves and work side by side with clients when new problems and challenges arise. “That depth and breadth of service is hard to match,” says Mike.
Aside from service, Eco Chemical’s core product quality is complemented by our continuous search for better materials, chemistry, and process innovation to help all of our clients offer their customers better products at lower costs.
Color Challenges
The demand is growing for more color options on any given product. Clients want proprietary colors that represent their brand, and to open up color options for new products. When demand changes rapidly, surplus can become an issue.
On his trip, Mike worked with one of Eco Chemical’s clients to manage a surplus stock of red stain. He was able to offer a reduced restocking fee in addition to future shipping credit, allowing the client to meet their present challenges.
“Some of our clients are looking for a stain that produces better coverage and color on pine boards – a species of wood that’s tough to stain due to dense sugar concentrations and sap,” says Mike.
To help meet this unique challenge, Eco Chemical is developing various new stain solutions for clients all over the country, depending on the species of wood they prefer. For example, there’s recently been more demand for richer stains on white wood and western red cedar in the Midwest.
Industry Innovation
“One of our major clients is looking forward to substantial business growth this year after investing in new equipment to produce more material, more efficiently,” explains Mike. This expectation of growth is pretty consistent throughout the market, primarily because the housing market is also expected to grow.
What’s Coming Up?
“Eco Chemical’s new fence stains are going to be huge this year,” says Mike. Clients are looking for fence-specific stains, and Eco Chemical is already making moves to meet the needs of these clients alongside our long-standing partnerships with lumber treatment facilities.
To learn more about our new fence board stains, give us a call today! 1 (800) 677-7930
