Creating Custom Chemical Solutions
Mike Amicone, chief chemist, T&L Specialty
T&L Specialty’s ability to customize solutions is one of its most important industrial services.
For 24 years, chief chemist Mike Amicone has been developing those unique blends for T&L Specialty clients, tailoring products to each client’s needs.
“Manufacturers want to buy one product, not several,” Amicone said. “So we experiment to make sure a blend is possible, and then we formulate specific applications. We enjoy working with clients to solve problems, and we’ll custom formulate as long as it is within our scope of expertise.”
According to Amicone, perhaps the most successful solution he created was for a copper tubing plant. Before working with T&L, the plant had been cleaning the tubing with multiple products, including one containing cyanide. Amicone developed a new product that merged all the functions of the previous products into one cyanide-free solution.
“We formulated a blend that allowed the employees to do it all in only one step. Doing so not only reduced chemical and labor costs, but it also got the plant below required residue levels … with no cyanide,” he said. “That was over a decade ago, and they like it so much, they’re still using it.”
To begin creating a custom solution, potential customers fill out a few questionnaires so that Amicone can understand their current situation and desired outcomes. Based on these responses, he starts developing a product, which can take various amounts of time.
“Generally speaking, processing time is just a few days to a week,” he said. “But we stick with it until we get it right.”
That sort of partnership with customers has enabled T&L to grow and thrive.
“When you take the time to create custom solutions that take care of a business’s needs, they want to stay,” said Amicone. “That type of support helps cement a relationship with the customer, and it’s why several of our customers have been with us since 1983 when T&L began.”
Additionally, T&L often works with smaller companies when creating custom solutions, something he said helps the chemical company stand out from its competition.
“We’re more willing to take on smaller volumes than our competitors, who are pretty big,” Amicone explained. “Most of them are so large that they typically won’t do that.”
It’s an essential option that can significantly impact the bottom line.
“A lot of customers make do with stuff on the shelves and work around any issues they have with it,” said Amicone. “But if you can custom formulate something specific to them, it will have a lasting effect on their business, their quality, and their production.”
