Innovation - Laying the Groundwork for Success

Since the beginning, Americhem has been an innovator with a keen focus on providing high-quality products and services. Americhem has built a very compelling reputation and global brand. This is evident when speaking with our customers.

As we plot our business strategy for the coming years we ask ourselves, “What made Americhem stand out for our customers over 73 years and what can we do to build upon that legacy of innovation?” I have made some observations that I hope you can take and apply to your own business strategies.

Do what you do well. Build a foundation to strengthen and expand your core competencies.
Americhem’s core competencies in color science, dispersion, formulation, weathering and technical bench strength, together with our willingness to tackle big challenges lead us to our greatest opportunities. Identify what makes your business stand out. Take these core competencies, use them as building blocks and infuse them with everything your business does.

Be well connected to the market.
A close customer connection provides a great springboard for innovation. Unfiltered technical-to-technical relationships are instrumental to a growing organization. They provide the opportunity to better listen, observe, problem-solve and anticipate future trends.

Build a strategic technology roadmap and an innovation portfolio that promotes concepts.
By building customer needs into a strategic technology plan and innovation portfolio, there is a higher probability that you will engage customers early and be market leaders.

Ideas + Commercialization = Innovation
Ideas are only ideas without our ability to bring viable products to market. At Americhem, we introduced a development process to help teams navigate the complexities of product development and launch. What kind of ideas have been mentioned around your office? Maybe now is the time to gather ideas and brainstorm how to bring them to market.

Developing an innovation mindset.
Good innovators connect dots, challenge the way things are done and understand that experimentation is vital to gaining new insights and new knowledge. Curiosity, sharing, documenting and experimenting are all traits of an innovative organization.

Innovation is at the forefront of any business growth strategy. I’ve shared with you some of the key initiatives that can bring innovation to the head of your business strategies. The world is always looking for something new, something creative and something that shows how your company is innovative.

Wendy Shuttleworth

Director of Research and Development, Americhem Inc.

In-Vehicle Color Harmony – Forming a Dynamic Equilibrium

In her blog, Kate Smith, chief color maven for the website Sensational Color says, “Harmony is nature’s way of saying that two or more things together make sense. Color harmony represents a satisfying balance or unity of colors.” She continues, “The human brain distinguishes the visual interest and the sense of order created by the harmony and forms a dynamic equilibrium.”

Ms. Smith is speaking of color harmony in general, but at Americhem, we have been promoting the very same concepts in a multitude of industries where color is of the utmost importance. There is no industry in which the concept is any more important than in the automotive and transportation industry.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), plastics and synthetic fiber processors have to strike a balance between the various elements of a car’s interior. They are faced with the very difficult challenge of harmonizing colors across many different resin types and applications within the vehicle. With so many variables to deal with, and with color being only one aspect of a vehicle’s overall performance, OEMs would like to rely on one supplier who can take the variation out of the interior components and let them focus on the other important features and capabilities of that vehicle.

At Americhem, we specialize in managing color harmony within a vehicle. With over 73 years’ experience in managing color, in industries from building and construction to synthetic turf, we’re sensitive to the fact that different materials and applications perform in very different ways when it comes to color. We are color harmony specialists because of our technical expertise in the disciplines of color science, performance and process technology, polymer and additive expertise. When it comes to making sure your dashboard console, floor liners and head rest look harmonious and have a satisfying balance with one another, Americhem is up to the challenge.

This concept applies across all geographies, as well. When Americhem creates color for vehicle components, the same technologies and standards are transferred to our plants in Europe and Asia, ensuring that colors appear the same no matter where in the world the car is manufactured, purchased and driven.

So when it comes to in-vehicle color harmony, consider Americhem a partner you can count on. With decades of experience in thousands of materials and applications, we’ll make you breathe easy about color harmony. The colors in your vehicles will be in balance and aesthetically pleasing to your customers in the showroom as well as on the road.

Bill Myers

Account Manager, Americhem Inc.