Affiliations NACD

The National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD), established in 1971, is an international association of chemical distributor companies that purchase and take title of chemical products from manufacturers. Member companies process, formulate, blend, re-package, warehouse, transport, and market these chemical products exclusively for an industrial customer base of approximately 750,000.

All member companies are committed to product stewardship and responsible distribution in every phase of chemical storage, handling, transportation, and disposal. A member-voted condition of membership in the Association is a signed commitment to the NACD Responsible Distribution Process^SM (RDP), which requires members to continuously improve performance in protecting health, safety, and the environment.

The Responsible Distribution Process^SM is designed to be sensitive and responsive to community needs and public concerns. It embodies the commitment of each member company to the responsible management of chemical products. NACD members play a leadership role in their communities as technical and safety resources and are eager to provide the same assistance and guidance to local, state, and federal legislators on technical issues relating to the safe handling, storage, transportation, use, and disposal of chemical products.

A key requirement of RDP and a condition of membership in NACD is verification of members' RDP policies and procedures by a third-party firm. First, document verification of company RDP policies and procedures is required of Candidate Members. All Regular NACD members have fulfilled this obligation. Second, RDP Verification (RDPV) is required by all Regular Members. RDPV verifies member companies' implementation of RDP policies and procedures via a facility visit and personnel interviews. Members may also participate in Site Class Verification (SCV), which focuses on a member's facility operations and handling of chemical materials. SCV is a jointly developed program supported by NACD and a core group of chemical manufacturers. Parker & Associates, Inc. is the third-party firm designated to conduct the verifications.

Products and Industries Served:

Approximately $18 billion of U.S. chemical industry sales are through chemical distributors, who are also actively engaged in various phases of import/export trade that contributes significantly to the total chemical industry's annual positive balance of trade. The industrial customers served by chemical distributors use these materials to produce:

• Food, Flavorings, & Perfumes
• Paints and Coatings
• Cosmetics and Toiletries
• Detergents
• Automobile Parts
• Rubber compounds
• Pharmaceuticals
• Water Purifiers
• Computers
• Fiberglass
• Textiles
• Plastics
• Many Other Products

Chemical Educational Foundation:

The Chemical Educational Foundation (CEF) was originally founded in 1992 as the NACD Educational Foundation to establish a chemical product stewardship network to disseminate an important message to the NACD distributor members' 750,000 customers and their communities. Recognizing the evolving scope of the Foundation, as well as the coordination of various associations' product stewardship activities, the NACD Educational Foundation became the Chemical Educational Foundation in October 1997.

CEF is dedicated to serving the public interest as a primary national resource for conducting research and educational programs for proper distribution practices and the safe handling, use, storage, transportation, disposal, and recycling of chemical products. Through contributions from numerous contributors, the Foundation has made great strides in educating suppliers, distributors, customers, and the general public about the safe handling of chemicals. Children are a chief target audience for CEF. Projects are underway to create early interest in the study and appreciation of chemistry.