As we all have experienced both personally and professionally, 2020 has presented many trials beyond what anyone could have imagined. One of the places we felt that with particular impact was our supply chain. Not surprisingly, COVID-19 as well as numerous hurricanes put significant stress on our supply chain at various points in the year, particularly with certain raw materials. So we did what we do at Superior: We got creative in our problem solving, so we could keep our customers supplied and respond to needs quickly.

One raw material, in particular, Lauryl Amine Oxide, experienced a global shortage as a direct result of COVID-19. Because of Superior’s technical capabilities and ability to respond, a solution was quickly identified and implemented. Our knowledge of functional equivalents and, thankfully, an available supply of them, allowed us to meet customer requests. However, just like with our normal processes, the equivalents had to meet our strict quality standards and performance before we could use them as alternatives.

In addition, lab work needed to be performed to verify compatibility within the formulation and maintain quality specifications of the finished products. Because of our strong and reactive technical staff, this was quickly and effectively accomplished. We are now substituting a Coco Amine Oxide into certain formulations—and the flow of our supply chain continues forward.