A conversation between professionals at competing chemical distributors reveals why developing leaders across company lines strengthens the entire industry.
Why would an executive invest in developing someone who works for a competitor?
In chemical distribution, where companies compete fiercely for business, the answer reveals something distinctive about the industry’s culture.
Jason Jacobus experienced this firsthand when he met Mat Brainerd following an Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD) Emerging Leaders session. Although Jason worked for a competing distributor, Mat took the time to challenge his understanding of leadership—emphasizing the standards industry leaders must uphold, the positive impact they can have, and the lasting consequences when they fall short.
“There was no business reason for him to spend time with me, but he did,” Jason recalls. Just an experienced leader investing in the future of someone who might remain a competitor.
Nearly a decade later, when Jason and his wife considered relocating their family so he could join Brainerd Chemical, that exchange returned to him. But its significance reaches beyond where Jason ultimately went to work. It illustrates a principle he has encountered throughout the chemical industry: leaders investing in people even when another company may benefit.
That is a compelling way to understand the “together” in ACD’s 2026 Annual Meeting theme, “Creating Value, Together.” Not simply partnership between customer and supplier, but a shared responsibility among companies and competitors.
Where Competition Ends
Chemical suppliers compete on service, capability, price and performance. They should. But responsible handling, safety leadership and a well-prepared workforce matter beyond any single company’s balance sheet.
“Competition affects a P&L. Safety and stewardship affect people, families and communities. They affect lives,” Jason says. “That’s why safety and stewardship are where competition ends and collaboration begins.”
For Jason, reciprocity is woven into the industry’s culture. Professionals at competing companies have made themselves available when he needed advice or perspective, just as others once made time for them. Those relationships do not replace sound operating procedures or individual accountability; they strengthen the community of professionals entrusted with both.
As Jason puts it, “When one of us gets better at handling chemicals safely and responsibly, every customer, community and company benefits.”
The Infrastructure You Cannot See
Chemical distribution runs on facilities, equipment, logistics and technical expertise. It also depends on relationships that rarely appear on an organizational chart: peers willing to exchange ideas, learn from one another and engage on challenges that extend beyond company lines.
Jason points to regulatory advocacy, workforce development and operating practices as priorities where that exchange matters. ACD gatherings such as ChemEdge, the Washington Fly-In and Annual and Regional meetings bring different roles and perspectives into the same conversation. Jason calls these events a “relational springboard”; their value continues long after participants return home.
“Creating value starts with understanding the challenges our customers and our industry face,” says Mathew Brainerd, Chairman of Brainerd Chemical. “The ACD Annual Meeting brings industry leaders together to share ideas, challenge conventional thinking and explore how we can better serve the businesses and communities that depend on us.”
That collective mindset ultimately matters to customers, too. “The value of a chemical distributor extends well beyond delivering the product,” says Brian Miller, President of Brainerd Chemical. “It comes from understanding our customers’ operations, anticipating challenges and finding practical solutions that improve performance, reduce risk and help their businesses succeed.”
The Next Leader May Work Somewhere Else
For Jason—an alumnus and now a mentor in ACD leadership development—the lasting lesson is about people. He has watched experienced professionals invest in others who may never join their teams. Brainerd is part of that wider commitment, with three current employees having participated in ACD leadership development programs.
“One of the hallmarks of great leaders is that they know they’re part of something bigger than themselves,” Jason says. He credits the many people across the industry who invested in his career, not just one mentor or one company.
He believes leaders need three mentoring relationships: a peer who shares their present challenges, a seasoned mentor who can offer perspective, and a mentee whose potential they can help develop. The first two help leaders keep growing. The third is how they pass that investment forward.
A Challenge for 2027
Jason puts the next step plainly: “Do you have a peer, a seasoned mentor and a mentee? If one is missing, go find them.”
The person an executive helps today may someday become a colleague, lead a competitor or contribute somewhere else in the industry. What matters is preparing the next generation to lead while strengthening the industry’s shared standards of safety, stewardship and professional responsibility.
The conversation Mat and Jason had years ago was one example of a practice larger than either of them. That is the promise of creating value together: investing in an industry whose future no single company can build alone.
