My grandfather served as a navigator in the Vietnam War in the 1960s. One phrase he used to share has stuck with me over the years:
“The cream rises to the top.”
In the military, it meant that the best enlisted personnel and officers would always find a way to rise — not because circumstances were easy, but because the challenges revealed who could truly perform. Just like when making butter from milk, the cream naturally rises to the top.
I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.
Because in many ways, that’s exactly what we’re seeing today across the chemical supply chain.
The current environment is putting real pressure on everyone — and it’s quickly revealing which partners rise to the challenge… and which ones struggle to keep up.
Over the past few weeks, the pace of change in our industry has been… a lot.
Since my last article, we’ve seen real impacts to jobs across our industry (and many other industries) due to AI. At the same time, geopolitical developments — particularly in the Middle East — are beginning to ripple through global supply chains in very real ways. Freight is tightening. Lead times are shifting. Information is changing daily.
And if I’m being candid — it feels chaotic at times.
Inside Teckrez, our conversations this week have centered around a simple but critical question:
How do we navigate an environment where not all information is equal?
Right now, data is coming at us fast — updates from our production plants, shipping lines, ports, and markets. Some of it matters. Some of it doesn’t.
Our job is to separate signal from noise, and then act decisively on what truly impacts our customers.
That means:
Building plans based on the best information available today
Being willing to revise those plans tomorrow
Communicating clearly and proactively with customers along the way
Not perfectly — but reliably.
I’ve also reminded our team of something important this week:
If we feel like we’re tripping up for a moment, we can be certain of one thing —
our competitors are navigating the same environment… and many are struggling more.
Because in times like this, you find out very quickly:
Who truly prioritizes customer service
Who communicates transparently
Who follows through
And who doesn’t.
At Teckrez, we’ve always believed that reliability is not something you claim —
it’s something you demonstrate, especially when conditions are difficult.
So while the market may feel uncertain, our goal is simple:
We want to be a point of stability in your supply chain.
A place where, when you see Teckrez next to a product in your system,
you can take a breath and know:
“This is covered.”
We’re not immune to the challenges in the market — no one is.
But we are committed to navigating them thoughtfully, transparently, and with you.
Because in times like these, that’s what matters most.
To those working with Teckrez today, thank you for your continued trust and partnership. For those who haven’t worked with us before, this may be the right time to connect — we’d welcome the opportunity to help reduce complexity and bring greater reliability to your acrylic monomers supply chain.
Talk soon,
Olivia