Chemicals in Commerce Act under review - but what is it?

New legislation in committee that will affect ALL of the chemical industry:

The subcommittee for Environment and the Economy in the US House of Representatives is holding a hearing today regarding an updated draft of the Chemicals in Commerce Act (CICA). CICA, introduced by Illinois representative and committee chairman John Shimkus, is intended to replace and improve upon the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) from 1976.

What is it? 

According to the current draft of the bill, which can be found here, “The purpose of this Act is to promote uniform protection to human health and the environment through regulating chemical substances in commerce while minimizing undue burdens on commerce.”

The bill intends to standardize regulations for chemicals, sorting them into “low priority” or “high priority” categories. Low priority chemicals are “not likely to pose an unreasonable risk of harm to human health or the environment” and will be subject to little or no regulation. High priority chemicals will be assessed by the EPA, who may require information from the manufacturers or testing. The EPA can then determine what regulatory action to take regarding those chemicals.

The Good 

According to the February 27 Discussion Draft, the Act will benefit public health and the environment while stimulating the economy and creating “countless American jobs.”

The Bad

However, the bill faces some strong opposition. The Center for Environmental Health opposes it strongly, stating that it lessens the EPA’s regulatory power toward dangerous chemicals and allows chemical companies to conceal information about the chemicals they produce and sell. The Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition also released a document critiquing CICA for weakening the EPA’s regulatory power and allowing potentially dangerous chemicals into the marketplace with little testing or assessment.

What's Next?

The bill is still under review, though, so many of these details could change in the coming months. Red-Line will be watching CICA’s development closely, so follow our blog, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay updated! In the meantime, check out the sources provided below to see both sides of the issue:

•  The Bill - http://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF18/20140429/102160/BILLS-113pih-TheChemicalsinCommerceAct.pdf 
• Quick Facts Sheet - https://energycommerce.house.gov/fact-sheet/chemicals-commerce-act-cica
• Center for Environmental Health - http://www.ceh.org/stopcica/
• Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Coalition - http://www.saferchemicals.org/2014/02/house-chemical-bill-fails-to-protect-public-from-toxic-chemicals.html

The Inside Scoop on Red-Line

On this blog, we spend a lot of time talking about our facility, capabilities, and processes. But what about us, as people? Red-Line isn't some anonymous, mechanized corporation - we're a family-owned business that takes care of our customers and employees. Here's an inside look at what Red-Line employees say they like about the company:




"I like the casual atmosphere, and I like that it's a Christian, family-based company." - Sam (Administrative Assistant since 2011)





"The close-knit employees, family atmosphere, and the challenge of working with chemicals and customers every day." - Denise (Administrative, Logistics, and Lab Coordinator since 1996)








"The family atmosphere." "They really take care of their employees." - Blake (Chemical Operator) and Ray (Maintenance Coordinator)






"It keeps me busy and sharp at my age. I wake up at 6am every day ready to get up." - Maggie (Owner and President)








"They've been so friendly and welcoming since day 1. I'm always happy to talk to everyone here." - Sam II (Marketing Intern)

Red-Line - friendly, family-focused, and eager to work for you. So come on over! We'd love to meet you.

One Tank, Two Tank, Little Tank, Huge Tank - We've got them all at Red-Line!

We enjoy variety at Red-Line, from starting partnerships with new customers to producing new formulas for our old friends. We work with lubricants, surfactants, rubber additives, textile membranes, and plenty of other chemicals, AND we can produce any of it in a tiny pilot batch or fill a tank truck. Needless to say, we are proud to provide that level of versatility for our customers.

Our #1 tool in providing this versatility is our tanks. We have 17 mixing and storage tanks at our facility in Rock Hill, SC, from a 5 gallon Jaygo mixer to the 8,000 gallon insulated mixer tank we have outside, and everything in between.

To learn more about our tanks, capabilities, and facility, contact us to get more info or schedule a tour - we'd be happy to see you!

AICCSC 7th Annual Business Expo - April 4, 2014

We enjoyed an exciting Friday at the 7th Annual Business Expo in Rock Hill, hosted by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of SC (AICCSC). It was a very successful day-long event that provided networking opportunities, support, and advice for Native-American owned businesses like Red-Line Chemical.

Some highlights of the event:

• Keynote speaker Eric Henson, Harvard Research Fellow and expert on Native American Economic Development
• Many influential speakers and guests, such as Rock Hill Mayor Doug Echols, Chief Bill Harris of the Catawba Indian Nation, and Jerry Helms, president of the York County Chamber of Commerce. 
• Featured American Indian Business success stories
• Speed Networking activity
• Performances by the band Soulful Echoes and the Catawba Indian Nation Cultural Preservation Center

We hope to use our new contacts and knowledge gained at the Business Expo to better our business and ultimately to benefit all our customers. The 8th Annual Expo will be this time next year, and we look forward to it!

Secrets to Toll Blending Success

At Red-Line, our business is blending. Every day, our focus is on blending, blending, and more blending. What we do is referred to as toll blending: companies create their own chemicals, bring the recipes to us, and we mass-produce the chemicals accurately and efficiently. Unlike some other toll-blending companies, we don’t depend on any products of our own for revenue, allowing us to focus on the customer’s success instead of competing with them. Simply put, if we don’t blend others’ chemicals, we’ll close our operation. So what keeps our small business successful for 27 years? We perform all toll blending with accuracy. Sounds simple, right?

Actually, we rely heavily on many interactions working in harmony for our smooth and efficient operation.

Three elements drive our success at Red-Line:

1. Customer relationships: We interact openly with all our customers, support their products, and adjust to their customized needs.
2. Effective processes: Great people, reliable equipment, and invaluable know-how.
3. Quality and Product Service Delivery: We make our products the right way and meet all our delivery schedules.

All that to say that our focus is on YOU, the customer, and we are dedicated to meeting your needs with every product you bring to us. Let us do the dirty work – with a business to run, you've got enough to worry about. 

 

Why Work with a Small Business Enterprise?

Here at Red-Line, we are proud to be a small business enterprise that takes good care of our customers. Our long-time customers know that bigger is not always better in the business world, and our custom chemical blending services are complemented by our focus on partnerships.

Customer Care

As a small business, we guarantee that every customer will receive preferred attention from our salespeople and production crew. It is common for every one of our ten employees to know a regular customer by name. Customers can feel free to drop-in when needed, and we are available for more frequent meetings without a lot of difficult procedures. Also, if a customer has an issue, they can address it directly with the person responsible, and we guarantee we will find a solution quickly. Because we create a relationship with every customer, long-term partnerships are easier and more profitable, and chances are you will work with the same people every time you come back to us. Simply put, small businesses equate to better customer relationships.

Production Adaptability

Red-Line’s small business size also allows us to be more flexible in our toll production. We accept small and large batches with the same eager customer service. We can concentrate on what is essential to your production needs, and any decision-making is done quickly, typically with just one person. We also have the flexibility to easily change the product or procedure when needed and even to experiment with innovative new processes, with no bureaucratic hampering.

Pride in our Services

Small business owners and employees are dedicated to their business and immensely proud to provide their services to you. In order to efficiently run a small business enterprise, our owners mastered numerous disciplines, and they put all their financial and production knowledge to work to give you the highest quality product at the best price. We are passionate about helping your business succeed, and our passion is reflected in our products.

So if you need any toll blending or chemical manufacturing services, give Red-Line a try - we know you’ll be satisfied.