Bruce L. Whetter - President, CEO

Bruce L. Whetter has a BBA in management from Eastern Michigan University and a “Masters in Experience.”  Whetter started his career in chemical sales with Ashland Chemical Company in 1976.  Whetter has held positions in regional sales, sales management and national sales management throughout the country with two major chemical companies, as well as regional Vice Presidential management.  Whetter also has experience in environmental compliance and environmental consulting.

Whetter purchased the assets of the old Americhem Corporation’s 20 acre site in 1998 and renamed the company Americhem Sales Corporation.  The previous owners of the old Americhem Corporation were not responsible chemical distributors and thus, contaminated a portion of the site. Whetter negotiated a Covenant Not To Sue (CNTS) with the State of Michigan, as well as the AG’s office, and then purchased the assets of company.

Whetter and the MDEQ then immediately began a comprehensive long term plan to clean up the site, managed by the MDEQ.  The employees of the old Americhem Corporation would have lost their jobs, the company closed and the City of Mason left with an environmental disaster, had the CNTS not been negotiated and granted to Whetter.  With the CNTS in place, Whetter then had the protection he needed to go forward with purchasing the assets of the old Americhem Corporation without assuming any environmental liability, thus a win-win situation was created.  The old solvents tank farm was removed, UST’s were removed and the beginning of the new company was under way.  A new bulk solvents state-of-the-art 500,000 gallon tank farm was built, a new state-of-the-art, totally inside and under roof,  500,000 gallon oils tank farm was built, as well as a totally enclosed, full containment, scale house with two (2) 100,000 pound certified scales was constructed.

Through Whetter’s chemical experience and his involvement with the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD), an organization made up of other chemical distributors of all sizes throughout the country, Whetter brought Americhem Sales Corporation to new heights. He then guided the company through NACD’s Responsible Distribution Process (RDP) quality program and obtained ISO-9002/QS-9000 registration.  Americhem Sales Corporation is currently registered to the ISO-9001/2000 standard, as well as constantly passing annual audits that are required for continued certification.  Whetter has chaired the NACD’s Professional Development Committee, served on its Membership Committee and is currently serving on the Responsible Distribution Process (RDP) Committee, as well as currently serving as the NACD’s Central Region’s Vice President.

As reflected in the August 2000 edition of the Chemical Distributor magazine, Americhem Sales Corporation may have been the only single site chemical distributor in the country to achieve registration to QS-9000, merge RDP, ISO-9002, and the QS-9000 process into one Quality Management System.

Whetter was asked to give a Keynote Presentation at the NACD’s 2004 annual meeting in California outlining the environmental accomplishments of Americhem Sales Corporation, saving jobs in a small community and how the old company was rebuilt.  More importantly, the dedication provided through a constant quality management effort, the dollars dedicated toward cleaning up the site to initially contain the contaminants, then eliminate and remove the contamination created by the previous owner’s irresponsible chemical handling, has been an on-going story in itself. 

ASC was paid the highest honor in September of 2006 at the annual NACD OPSEM meeting by being named the first award winner of the NACD’s Responsible Distribution Process (RDP) Excellence Award for demonstrating outstanding performance in chemical handling and distribution.  The NACD has over 250 member companies throughout the United States and other parts of the world.  This is quite an honor for a small company in Mason!  Americhem Sales Corporation is also a proud member of the Independent Lubricant Manufactures Association (ILMA) and the Chicago Drug and Chemical Association.  Whetter routinely attends annual and semi-annual meetings.

In summary, through Whetter’s leadership and long term vision, a company was saved in Mason, Michigan, the previous environmental problems on the site were contained, an on-going clean up plan was put is in place managed by the MDEQ, and Americhem Sales Corporation has grown to become a leader in responsible chemical distribution.

Americhem Sales Corporation 

(517) 676-9363