Brainerd Chemical’s CARE Program Strengthens Communities

Brief: Brainerd Chemical Company’s CARE Program—Community, Awareness, Respect, and Engagement—turns corporate responsibility into measurable community impact. Across all our facilities, Brainerd employees actively support education, safety, and well-being through partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and first responders. From sponsoring STEM scholarships and serving meals with the City Lights Foundation to hosting emergency-preparedness tours and supplying thousands of students with school essentials, CARE reflects Brainerd’s deep commitment to the people and communities.


Building a Culture of Community, Awareness, Respect, and Engagement

At Brainerd Chemical Company, giving back isn’t an afterthought — it’s a guiding principle. Through our CARE Program — Community, Awareness, Respect, and Engagement — Brainerd employees across all six U.S. locations dedicate time, talent, and resources to support the people and places that make our work possible.

From classroom visits to first-responder preparedness tours, the CARE Program demonstrates how a values-driven company can make measurable, human-centered impact — locally and nationally.

Strengthening the Places We Call Home

United Way Tulsa-Area Volunteer Event
In partnership with the Tulsa Area United Way, Brainerd employees recently joined dozens of community volunteers to sort supplies, assemble resource kits, and support local nonprofits. The event reflected Brainerd’s belief that lasting success begins with helping people thrive where they live and work.

Back-to-School Resource Fair Support
Brainerd also contributed thousands of school supplies — scissors, erasers, and activity sheets — to the 8th Annual Back-to-School Resource Fair in Tulsa, ensuring more than 2,000 students started the year with the tools they need to learn and succeed.

Family & Community Festivals
At events like Tulsa Tough, Brainerd turns corporate sponsorship into family fun — hosting games, inflatables, and community activities that connect employees, neighbors, and families in celebration of local pride.

Awareness: Investing in Education and the Next Generation

Seaford Central Elementary Visit
At Brainerd’s Seaford, Delaware facility, team members visited Seaford Central Elementary School to engage with students and teachers — sharing encouragement, delivering classroom resources, and fostering early curiosity in science and technology.

STEM Scholarships Through FOSSI
Brainerd also supports the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) — an American Chemistry Council partnership that provides scholarships and mentoring to underrepresented students pursuing STEM degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Events like Swings for STEM help fund those programs and open pathways into chemical industry careers.

Respect: Serving with Compassion and Integrity

Volunteer Work with City Lights Foundation
In Tulsa, Brainerd employees joined City Lights Foundation in serving meals and providing direct assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness. The effort reinforced Brainerd’s respect for every individual’s dignity — and the belief that businesses can be agents of compassion.

Inclusive Sports & Community Events
Brainerd volunteers also supported Special Olympics Oklahoma by officiating cornhole challenges and cheering on athletes. Through this involvement, employees demonstrated how simple acts of presence and encouragement can create lasting connections.

Engagement: Empowering Preparedness and Safety

First-Responder Safety & Preparedness Tours
Each year, Brainerd opens its facilities to local fire, EMS, and law-enforcement agencies for site walkthroughs and safety briefings. The goal: to ensure responders are familiar with site layouts, equipment, and materials before an emergency ever occurs.

At the Tuttle, Oklahoma plant, these tours have become an annual tradition that strengthens trust between Brainerd and its surrounding community. It’s a model being replicated across all Brainerd sites.

Why CARE Matters

For Brainerd Chemical, CARE isn’t just a program — it’s part of the company’s DNA. Each initiative connects directly to core business values:

  • Safety and Stewardship — embodied through first-responder outreach and community education.
  • Empowerment and Education — shown through STEM partnerships and school engagement.
  • Compassion and Collaboration — reflected in volunteerism and human-service partnerships.
  • Transparency and Trust — built through open communication and consistent presence in local communities.

Brainerd’s CARE Program turns corporate citizenship into meaningful action — demonstrating that the same precision and accountability driving chemical excellence can also drive positive community change.

Join the CARE Movement

Brainerd Chemical invites community partners, educators, first responders, and nonprofits to join the CARE mission. Together, we can create safer, stronger, and more connected communities — one act of care at a time.

👉 Learn more or partner with us: brainerdchemical.com

About Brainerd Chemical Company
Brainerd Chemical Company is one of the nation’s leading chemical manufacturers and distributors, supporting industries from energy and agriculture to water treatment and manufacturing. We combine proven expertise with innovative packaging, logistics, and service solutions to help our partners achieve efficiency, safety, and long-term success.

Supporting STEM Learning

Lansdowne, VA // June 24, 2024 — Brainerd Chemical Company is thrilled to champion STEM education as a proud sponsor of the first-ever Swings for STEM golf tournament. Today’s event hosted by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD supports of the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI).

Lucinda Shofer, Chief Operating Officer of the Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD) commented, “Special thanks from the ACD team to our members, Brainerd Chemical Co., Inc., Brenntag and Catalynt™ (formerly TRInternational) for supporting this event. Your generosity will fund several scholarships for Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) scholars. Looking forward to next year!”

Brian Miller, President of Brainerd Chemical, shared his enthusiasm, stating, “Supporting students in their pursuit of STEM education is a cause close to our hearts. These future innovators will drive us towards a more sustainable, inclusive, and forward-thinking world. We’re eager to see the remarkable contributions they will make.”

The tournament saw nearly 100 participants, including professionals from the chemical industry, affiliated associations, Congressional staff, and representatives from Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). The event was a hub for meaningful discussions about the importance of STEM and its critical role in the future of the chemical industry and our nation. Eric R. Byer, President & CEO of ACD, remarked, “This week’s event represents an important step in investing in the future of our workforce so that we can continue to demonstrate the value of our industry among students nationwide.”

In today’s competitive global economy, fostering growth and creating opportunities for diverse, young talent is more crucial than ever. FOSSI is dedicated to bridging the STEM workforce gap in the chemical industry by supporting scholars who would otherwise not have access to a STEM education by eliminating financial barriers. Thanks to the generous support Brainerd Chemical Company and over 20 sponsoring organizations, the event successfully raised $75,000 for this powerfully impactful scholarship initiative.

About the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI)

Launched in 2020 by the American Chemistry Council, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), The Chemours Company, and the HBCU Week Foundation, FOSSI is a national initiative that offers scholarships to students pursuing degrees in STEM at HBCUs. With funding from over 70 chemical industry stakeholders, the program has supported more than 600 scholars through 2025 with scholarship recipients representing 30+ states, with students attending 42 HBCUs.

Since its inception, thousands of high school students across the nation have applied for FOSSI scholarships, demonstrating both the urgent need for this program and the enormous pool of untapped talent.

FOSSI will welcome 150 new scholars in the fall of 2025 providing program recipients with a four year scholarship as well as leadership development, mentoring, and internship opportunities. For more information, visit futureofstemscholars.org

About Brainerd Chemical Company

Brainerd Chemical Company is one of the largest independent suppliers of chemicals and related services in the continental United States. They specialize in manufacturing, blending, packaging, and distributing chemical products across a diverse range of industrial sectors.

Media Inquiries:

Brainerd Chemical Company:  1+ (918) 622-1214

SOURCE: Brainerd Chemical Company, The American Chemistry Council, The Alliance for Chemical Distributors and the Future of Stem Scholars Initiative (FOSSI).