Jeremy Stokes, Technical Product Manager at QualiChem, Inc. is featured in the summer issue of The Analyst. In this issue, Jeremy is interviewed in the CWT Spotlight section, an area of the magazine that inquires about various aspects of becoming a Certified Water Technologist. Read the full interview here.
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QualiChem is happy to announce that we recently opened a new water treatment manufacturing facility in Verdi, NV, located just outside of the Reno area. This manufacturing plant offers the same level of quality products as our plants in Salem, VA that QualiChem is known for and is managed by long term QualiChem staff that relocated from our Salem location. Since our last expansion, with a new facility in Salem, VA in 2017, QualiChem has had continued growth allowing for this West Coast expansion.
With this new location, QualiChem is the only nationwide blender for private label water treatment products, supplied from locations in Salem, Virginia and Verdi, Nevada. We are now better positioned to provide our customers with industry-recognized benefits and services coast to coast. QualiChem delivers these benefits to customers with our:
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The Association of Water Technologies (AWT) 2020 Convention and Exposition is rapidly approaching and will take place on Wednesday, September 30 through Friday, October 2. This event was scheduled to be in Louisville, KY but has been moved to an online interactive event for 2020. QualiChem is pleased to announce that we will be hosting a virtual trade show booth during the Exposition.
While the format of the trade show will be different this year, it will still contain all of the same content as the in-person events have in the past. The AWT Annual Convention is where over 1,200 water treatment professionals and industry partners gather to exchange time, resources, strategies, solutions, and more. There are over three days of learning, growing, and finding inspiration, as attendees are equipped with a year's worth of support in their daily responsibilities as leaders in the industry. Visit the AWT Convention website here. Visit the AWT Convention website here.Visit the AWT Convention website here.
Come visit us in our booth as we bring to you the latest news and updates from our business, and discuss the latest trends in our industry. The Exhibit Hall will have open hours all 3 days and our virtual booth will be staffed during these sessions, and also for private virtual appointments. Please see the full Convention schedule here. Please see the full Convention schedule here.
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QualiChem recently opened a new Research Center in Salem, VA. This new facility contains expanded Laboratory space as well as additional Executive Offices and Boardroom. The Research Center Lab allows the company to better separate the manufacturing lab support functions from the product development lab activities. The Research Center also provides additional Executive office space to support the overall growth of the company.
The lab space within the facility spans over 3,000 sq. ft. and over 150 linear feet of bench space. Our lab also houses many of the instruments used to support our business such as our IC (Ion Chromatograph), FTIR Spectrophotometer, Gas Chromatograph, and Microwave Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer, in addition to other lab equipment.
QualiChem currently operates three facilities in the Salem, VA area, with two housing manufacturing operations, plus the new Research Center offices. We also operate a manufacturing plant in Verdi, NV to support the Water Treatment Division’s needs to support growth across North America and globally.
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In an effort to keep you informed on the latest developments in the water treatment industry, QualiChem has summarized what you need to know to educate yourself and your customer in regards to the recently released Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) memorandum on Legionella Risk in Healthcare Facilities.
On June 2, 2017 the Director for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued Memorandum S&C 17-30 to State Survey Agency Directors requiring Medicare certified healthcare facilities “to have water management policies and procedures to reduce the risk of growth and spread of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens in building water systems.”
The memorandum applies to Medicare certified healthcare facilities. Specifically, the memorandum calls for the facilities to:
ASHRAE Standard 188 and the CDC toolkit provide guidance on managing building water systems and the minimum components of a water management program for minimizing the growth and spread of Legionella. The responsibility to perform a risk assessment, implement a water management program, and specify testing protocols falls to the healthcare facilities. Healthcare facilities may decide to take on the task of performing the risk assessment and forming a team to develop a water management program. Others will be looking to an external company for these services, possibly contacting their current water treatment provider, whether the provider manages the entire building water system or just the cooling and boiler water systems. It will be up to the individual water treatment company to decide if they have the expertise and are willing to take on the responsibility and liability of either performing the risk assessment and/or contributing to the water management team or program.
There are many publically available resources available regarding Legionella in building water systems, a few of which are linked below:
ASHRAE Guidance On Reducing The Risk Of Legionella
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QualiChem recently began construction of a new manufacturing facility which will serve as an expansion to our capacity in Salem, Virginia. The expansion, which totals approximately 24,000 sq. ft., will essentially double our footprint to allow for uninterrupted growth in our manufacturing well into the future. QualiChem will now have approximately 70,000 sq. ft. of office, lab, manufacturing, and warehouse space in the Salem, VA area.
Our goal is to have this new facility online in the coming months. It will contain warehouse and manufacturing space, as well as a Quality Control lab to support operations.
QualiChem wishes to thank you for your continued support. This expansion would not have been possible without our great customers, suppliers, and the AWT.
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I am pleased to announce that Jeff Hobday has joined the QualiChem Water Treatment team as a Regional Business Manager for the Water Treatment Division effective September 2, 2016.
Jeff is responsible for new business development within the Water Treatment Division working with new clients as well as existing customers of QualiChem. Jeff also provides technical and product application support, customer training and on-site support to clients as needed to support their needs in growing their business.
Jeff has over 26 years of experience working with water treatment systems. Jeff’s many years of experience has been with GE Water & Process Technologies (formerly Betz, Trevose, PA) and Buckman (Memphis, TN). He has provided sales, service and support to many industries, including Heavy Industries such as Power, Paper, Chemical and Steel, as well as Light Commercial & Industrial such as Municipal, Food, Beverage and Injection Molding. Jeff’s application experience includes extensive development and implementation of water treatment programs for boiler, cooling, ion exchange, wastewater, influent and other various water systems.
Jeff will reside outside of the Colombia, SC area with his wife and daughter.
Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Jeff as he joins the QualiChem family.
Doug Frassa
Director of Water Treatment
QualiChem, Inc.
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SALEM, Va. – Oct. 25, 2016 – QualiChem, an international manufacturer of water treatment chemicals and metalworking fluids, has been recognized as the Small Business of the Year by the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Roanoke, Va.
The selection criteria for the Small Business of the Year award are increased sales, employee growth, staying power, innovation and contributions to the community, according to the Chamber.
There were 11 business category awards given. QualiChem took the award in the manufacturing category and then went on to be the overall winner among the 91 companies nominated in the region.
QualiChem has achieved more than a 60 percent revenue growth over the last five years. The company employs 77 people, 52 of them in its Salem, Va., facility. QualiChem also has offices in Europe and China, with distributors around the world.
Three years ago, QualiChem re-invested in a major expansion of its headquarters, laboratory and manufacturing facility in a move to boost capacity and enhance customer service. The company increased its square footage by 70 percent, including a new state-of-the-art 45-seat training and conference center.
QualiChem has close working relationships with area high schools and universities to recruit and train students who have an interest in chemistry or manufacturing for internships and full-time employment.
“We have sustained a steady year-on-year rate of growth over the past 15 years and we expect the steep growth curve to continue for the foreseeable future. Our growth is driven by our management team’s focus on new product development, customer service and support for our distribution partners,” said QualiChem President Glenn Frank. “We make a substantial investment in R&D to keep on the cutting edge of technology in our core businesses and have a program of continuous improvement in quality, delivery times and product consistency.”
“The awards selection committee was impressed by QualiChem’s story of finding their niche markets and going from a small operation with mostly local sales to one of the fastest growing cutting and grinding fluids manufacturers in the world,” said Chamber President Joyce Waugh.
Established in 1989 with headquarters in Salem, Va., QualiChem develops and manufactures metalworking fluids and water treatment chemicals worldwide. The Metalworking Fluids Division produces next-generation cutting and grinding fluids, straight oils, rust preventives and metal cleaners. The Water Treatment Division formulates blends and private label chemicals used to control scale, corrosion and fouling in cooling towers, boilers and other industrial systems. QualiChem is a quality-focused ISO 9001:2008-certified company and a zero-discharge facility. The company is privately held. For more information visit: www.qualichem.com.
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We’re back from another great AWT show. We really enjoyed meeting new water treatment professionals, seeing many of our terrific customers, and spending time in beautiful San Diego.
This year’s AWT was truly special. We were incredibly humbled and honored to be recognized by our peers, customers, and the AWT as the 2016 Supplier of the Year.
So, what does it mean to be named Supplier of The Year?
When naming the Supplier of the Year, AWT looks for a supplier who not only provides great customer service and a quality product but also one that is especially dedicated to the business needs and goals of the water technology professional - a supplier who is an integral part of the water technology industry.
Our customers nominated us for the award based on the following criteria:
We see each of these areas as critical to our success as a company. That’s why we track against these benchmarks to ensure continuous improvement and as part of our ISO process.AWT_Supplier_of_the_Year_v1.jpg
In 1989, QualiChem was founded with a vision of being the best blender in the market by providing top technical support to our customers, and not just offering blending services.
We’ve always focused on supporting the small water treatment business owner. By arming these entrepreneurs with the highest quality of products and business support, we’re helping them compete, and beat, larger companies.
Along the way, we’ve built a business based on values that we think represent a Supplier Of The Year:
We’re dedicated to the AWT membership. Our team has the most CWT’s on staff of ANY AWT blender, currently 3 and are working on adding a 4th.
We do not sell directly to end users. We’re solely dedicated to water treatment sales and service professionals. No end-user, no brokers. QualiChem only grows as a company when our customers grow, it’s as simple as that.
We provide the best chemistry in the business by partnering with leading edge suppliers, both chemical and equipment. If our customers have access to the best products in the market backed up by the best technical support, they will win business, retain customers, and grow in the market.
To us, receiving this award validates that our customers experienced what QualiChem has always set out to do, and that the Blender really does matter.
Thank you, to our customers, our suppliers, and to the AWT for your continued support of our industry.
For our current customers, this award means that you’ve partnered with a leader in the industry. We’ll strive to uphold the values this award represents and continue to provide the best possible products and services available.
If you’re not a current customer, but you’re looking for a true business partner, we’re here to help. We’d love to hear about your specific goals and how we can help you achieve them.
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In our next post in this series, we want to discuss causes of microbiological fouling. This type of fouling occurs when planktonic, or free floating bacteria, attach to surfaces throughout the cooling system. As they attach, the bacteria will form a slime barrier that is used to protect the bacteria and to enhance the ability to stay attached to the surface. This environment they produce also helps with growth of the bacteria as it is a stable surrounding that can provide the food and protection needed for the bacteria to flourish.
One of the side effects of this slime barrier is that it also is very efficient at capturing any solids such as dirt, debris, or corrosion products that may be present in the bulk water. The net effect then is that what started as a small area of bacteria can grow into a sizable area of foulants that can impact cooling performance.
Let’s look at 3 common causes of microbiological fouling.
Biocide feed needs to be consistent to properly control bacteria. Bacteria are constantly growing at exponential rates so consistency is required. Depending on the biological loading of a system, oxidizing biocides are typically fed anywhere from constantly maintaining a positive residual to daily or several feeds per week. Non-oxidizing biocides are typically fed once per week and best practices are to alternate the types of biocide fed so that the bacteria do not get resistant to the biocide.
Some biocides are better at controlling some types of bacteria than others. The best example of this may be with systems that have a positive hit for sulfate reducing bacteria being present. These can be difficult to control and using a bioicide more targeted for this bacteria can be the difference between control and ongoing problems. Another example of this may be using the same non-oxidizer and not alternating as mentioned above. The primary biocide can become ineffective due to the bacteria becoming resistant over time to that biocides effects thus causing fouling.
Hydrocarbon contamination is most commonly thought of happening in refineries and other hydrocarbon process units. However, a gearbox contains lube and a seal failure can cause severe hydrocarbon contamination, leading to fouling in even the smallest of cooling systems. Hydrocarbons, or oil for example, are very good sources of food for bacteria and also can be very difficult to remove from a cooling system if not treated quickly and properly (which may be a topic for another blog post later). As the bacteria grows in response to the oil leak, fouling can take place.
As you can see, microbiological fouling can be more common than we think as it is relatively easy to occur in most any cooling system. With attention to some simple, but very important details, bacteria can easily be controlled in any cooling system. When fouling does occur, and it will sometime over your career, the proper response can be the difference between success and failure for your treatment program.
Fouling can have serious reprucussions on the effeciency of your cooling system. If you need a plan for limiting fouling in your cooling system, contact a QualiChem Water Treatment Expert today.
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