“The View from Jamestown” Chemical Podcast

Hosted by The Chemical Company

Episode 128| July 2025

Episode 128 of The View from Jamestown Podcast Edition is an update on summertime business, with a mix of vacation time and plant turnarounds as well as emergency orders and an uptick in business in some industries.

Featuring:

President Robb Roach

VP Sales & Marketing AJ Petrarca

Inside Sales Manager Nicole Iannuccillo

Customer Service Manager Jill Goldstein

Host: Marketing & Sales Manager Ben Sawicki

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Produced by:

Kettlebottom Creative

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Summary generated with AI: This episode of "The View from Jamestown" podcast features TCC's July 2025 business update with a full team including customer service manager Jill Goldstein, inside sales manager Nicole Iannuccillo, AJ Petrarca (recently back from an Achilles injury), and company president Robb Roach. The discussion centers heavily on the ongoing challenges of navigating tariffs and trade policy uncertainty, with team members noting that constantly shifting deadlines and conflicting information make business planning extremely difficult. They observe that customers are increasingly operating on a "just-in-time" basis rather than building inventory, leading to more emergency orders as companies avoid holding excess stock due to unpredictable policy changes.

The team reports that while business has been slower during the typical summer period, they're seeing signs of potential pickup in August, particularly for agricultural products like dicyandiamide, BPT, and urea that are needed for spring planting seasons. Ocean freight and port operations are running smoothly with minimal delays once shipments reach US ports, though this is partly attributed to overall reduced demand. They discuss how Chinese suppliers have responded to tariffs by lowering their prices significantly, essentially absorbing much of the tariff impact while maintaining market share.

The conversation also touches on the company's commitment to in-person collaboration, with Robb Roach emphasizing their decision against remote work and their focus on hiring and training young talent. The team promotes their upcoming appearance at the Chemicals America show in Savannah, highlighting their "people, not portals" philosophy that emphasizes personal relationships over automated systems. TLC's Joe Hassenfratz provides a logistics update, noting challenges in the LTL sector and recommending rail transport for longer hauls as a cost-effective solution, while emphasizing the importance of forecasting to help carriers plan capacity and pricing.