Chemico, one of the largest veteran-owned, minority-owned chemical management firms in the United States, has been awarded the prestigious Overdrive award by General Motors (GM). The award was presented during GM’s 31st annual Supplier of the Year awards event held in San Antonio, Texas.
Out of the 16 companies that received the Overdrive award for 2022, Chemico was recognized for its exceptional achievement in sustainability, innovation, relationships, total enterprise cost, launch excellence, and safety. Chemico was praised for its commitment to nurturing a lasting collaborative relationship with GM, and for its “out of the box” solution to helium shortages.
Chemico has previously been named a GM Supplier of the Year seven times, from 2009-2015 and again in 2020. The company’s president and CEO, Leon C. Richardson, expressed his gratitude for the award, stating that it was an honor to receive the recognition from GM. Richardson attributed the award to the company’s unwavering commitment to service, quality, and excellence demonstrated by its team each day.
Jeff Morrison, GM vice president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, said, “We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding suppliers after yet another challenging year in the automotive industry. They overcame countless obstacles and exemplified what it means to be resilient, resourceful and determined. Beyond that, these suppliers demonstrated their commitment to sustainable innovation and to driving advanced solutions in collaboration with the GM team.”
The recipients of the Supplier of the Year and Overdrive awards are selected annually by a global, cross-functional GM team based on their performance in criteria such as Product Purchasing, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services, Customer Care and Aftersales, and Logistics.
Founded in 1989, Chemico specializes in integrated solutions for the entire chemical lifecycle, from procurement to on-site inventory management to environmentally conscious disposal. The company’s broad portfolio is used in customer facilities across the automotive, aerospace, electronics, and healthcare industries, as well as the defense sector. Chemico has 50 locations and over 450 employees across the US and Mexico, and is poised for significant growth.