A Q&A With Theochem’s Marketing & Gov. Relations Director, Valentino Pine.

 

What logistics obstacles do you anticipate this flu season and how do they impact your distributors nationwide?

According to the CDC Flu Season actually begins in October and dies off in May, but peek infection rates occur between December and February. The challenge that Theochem and our distributors are facing here is two-fold. We’re dealing with escalating, increased demand on the supply chain and we’re also bracing for the increased holiday demand which is affecting the trucking lanes and subsequently our distributor’s bottom lines. With impending supply chain delays and rising shipping demands on the horizon, we’re implementing some proactive strategies starting December 1st 2022, that are designed to alleviate the pain points of our distributor networks.

 

What strategies are you putting into play and what can your distributors expect?

Show me the money, Right? Okay, we will! We’re going to eat some of those supply chain and shipping costs! Distributors who are in touch with seasonal demands might know which products will be in short supply over the next three months, and so do we. In fact, we’ve taken the guess work out of it by looking at our last 3 years of historical sales data to do the following:

Products with the highest Flu Season and COVID sales volumes, which are most likely to be impacted by the supply chain crunch are getting a 10% discount cut right off the top. Period.

This includes Theochem’s surface disinfectants, cleaners and hand care products, which are critical categories in reducing bacterial and viral contamination. Additionally, we’re letting our distributor networks know which products they need to order in advance to avoid the supply chain delays of the peek months of December through February.  All they have to do is add the key products to their normal December and January orders, and they’ll get the 10% discount automatically on those items. This will enable them to avoid the supply chain shortages of peak season demand. The Peak Season promotional discounts begin on December 1st and will be applied to all distributor orders until January 31st. We’re reducing prices and absorbing some of these elevated cost so that we can maintain profitability and competitiveness for our distributors.

 

What about government agencies and the impact they will have on the supply chain?

We’re ready for that. Post COVID we created a dedicated line of manufacturer and supply that is reserved for Federal and State government agencies. They will receive an uninterrupted, dedicated line of supply with expediated shipping on all orders. Some of these key products are also on the Defense Logistic Agency’s DAPA and ECAT contracting vehicles. Any agency can also order direct with a P-Card and we are ready and prepared for any DPAS rated orders issued by the government.

Anything else you want your distributor networks to know?

There is. My department has been working with IT and Operations to provide immediate access to Tech Sheets and SDS information which is now fully available on our website. Technical Information Sheets can be Downloaded Here and SDS Sheets can be Downloaded Here.

They can also be found under the Resources Tab in our Websites Navigation Menu.

Our mission objective is to make things as easy as possible for our distributors and customers. Our goal is to make it easy to order, easy to receive product, easy to communicate and easy to get the information they need, when they need it. We have dedicated customer service reps on Stand-By over the phone, email, web-form or live chat.

Customer Service can always be Reached at CustomerService@Theochem.com and I can also be reached at Vpine@theochem.com. We are already pre-planning with our shipping partners for peak season delays and this discount program is one of the tools in our tool-box which we are using to address them.

Relevant Industry Quick Reference Links:

The CDC has published it’s latest information on the impact from Flu Season, Found Here. The EPA has published their recommended protocols on disinfectant measures for schools and Government agencies which can be Found Here.