Business View - October 2015 89
we’re looking for acquisition opportunities. We own a 27-
acre site in Fort Mill, S.C., and we have plenty of room to
grow. We’re not looking to become the next DuPont. We
experience growth of about 10 percent every year and
that’s what we’re looking for in the future. We grow by
earning the business from new and existing tolling cus-
tomers and by looking for smart acquisitions. We’ve got
90 employees and we’ll probably be at 100 or 110 next
year.”
Dickson adds that during a technology transfer, NFC is al-
ways interested in improving efficiency when appropriate.
“When we transfer a product from older plants to our Fort
Mill facility, we do a great job on improving the production
processes,” he notes. “If a company has been making
the product a certain way for many years, we can usu-
ally make an improvement by adding computer control
or even recommend chemistry modifications. And if a
large company is shutting down a plant, and there’s still a
product that’s being made in that plant that’s profitable,
we will consider producing that product.
In addition, NFC is well-known in the industry for its stellar
environmental and safety record. The company has been
recognized by ChemStewards Performance Improvement
Program each of the last five years. Sponsored by the So-
ciety of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA),
it recognizes members of the batch, custom, and spe-
cialty chemical industry in five core areas: Stakeholder
Communications; Product Stewardship; Environmental,
Health, Safety and Sustainability in Planning and Opera-
tions; Employee Training and Engagement; and Resource
Management and Waste Minimization.
Thirty-eight years ago, John Dickson saw a need and filled
it. Since that day, Nation Ford Chemical has successfully
carved out an important and profitable niche in the spe-
cialty chemical industry. Now, NFC proudly continues to
expand the vision that John Dickson created.
PREFERRED VENDORS
Mechanical Supply Company
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Jay Dickson
MANUFACTURING
