E-Commerce Network Posts Profit, Holds First Conferences

Elemica, the virtual supply chain management network for chemicals, has reported $50 billion worth of transactions for the fiscal year just ended—its second profitable year. Elemica also will hold its first Supply Chain Collaboration Conference at the Ashland Inc. facilities in Dublin, Ohio, on Oct. 9. Next month, the partnership holds its first roadshow in Frankfurt, Germany, on Nov. 29.

At the close of its 2006-2007 fiscal year, Elemica reports that its annual EBITDA was "once again clearly in the black, showing a more than 100-percent gain over the previous 12 months." Under the terms of its partnership, the group does not disclose exact figures other than a top line of $50 billion of annual transaction value. Partners include major chemical producers such as Air Products, BASF, Dow Chemical, Lanxess, Rohm & Haas, and Shell Chemicals. There are currently 22 supplier members of the partnership. Elemica stresses that it is a collaborative, neutral network.

"Dow is using Elemica all over the world to help get closer to customers and provide them with ever better and more reliable service and logistics," says Darrell Zavitz, senior director of customer service and international trade at Dow. "Elemica is an important part of how we are making good on our commitment to using innovative technology and work process systems to generate value by enhancing productivity and increasing the ease of doing business."


Stressing the collaborative nature of its partnership, Elemica will hold its inaugural Supply Chain Collaboration Conference, sponsored by Ashland and Wacker Chemicals. The one-day event opens with a general session, with discussions by Dow, Bayer, Air Products, and Wacker. An order management session covers how integrated clients are driving efficiency and profitability. A supply chain session focuses on inventory management to reduce working capital. And a logistics session looks at streamlining and automation, supply chain visibility, and accelerated billing to support financial compliance.

On the international front, Elemica will hold a half-day roadshow at the Mövenpick Hotel Frankfurt-Oberursel. The concepts will be similar to the Ohio conference: reducing manual processing to reduce errors, increasing transparency and visibility, and speeding cycle times. There will also be a look at supply chain automation as it can be applied to smaller buyers, with an emphasis on case studies.

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