When Superior deepened our investment in our heat transfer fluid (HTF) business earlier this year, we promoted Kevin Spitler as HTF’s dedicated business manager. Spitler’s innate understanding of this market made him a natural at assisting and training our sales team to support mechanical contractors and HTF customers.
Spitler has found success in the HTF market by promoting onsite solutions for industrial and commercial heat transfer services and fluids, such as:
- Profiling and removing spent glycol waste
- Utilizing our SC-130 chiller/heat exchanger and loop cleaner
- Discussing our full line of inhibited glycols: Supercool, Supertherm, and Superchill
- Explaining our ability to sample and report pH, reserve alkalinity, and glycol percentage to protect the life of commercial and industrial cooling loops and equipment
Education is the Ultimate Goal
Education is a priority for Spitler, who is working with Superior’s sales representatives to promote our umbrella of solutions.
“My highest priority is to educate mechanical contractors within our large geographic footprint throughout the Midwest and Southeast and build long-term business relationships with them,” he said.
One step in getting Superior’s name out in the mechanical contractor world is through professional organizations and networking.
“We’re associate members in the Mechanical Contractors Association of Indiana and Missouri, and plan to join other associations within our entire geography,” Spitler said. “These professional organizations have facilitated our goals of educating and supporting mechanical contractors, enabled us to be value-added partners in the HTF world and provided our sales force with a way to introduce themselves within their respective territories. Each of our salespeople serves as a point of contact for this important group, and I’m always a quick call away to offer support for both our sales team and customers. I can be reached any time at (317) 619-1307, or kspitler@relyofsuperior.com.”
and solutions at the 2021 MCAI golf outing at Chatham Hills Country Club)
Market Conditions for Heat Transfer Fluids
Those working in the chemical industry are aware of the many challenges presented over the last year and a half. Within HTF, these challenges include:
- Limited back-up supply to start 2021 after the pandemic and market uncertainties caused many suppliers to cut back on glycol manufacturing
- As supply manufacturing was ramping up to normal levels, Texas experienced a freeze in February, which dramatically disrupted ethylene glycol and propylene glycol production
- Other supply-chain issues, including freight shortages and fewer long-haul truckers
Despite this, Superior has been able to supply glycol to our customers. For instance, Supercool, an inhibited ethylene glycol heat transfer fluid for high efficiency, hasn’t experienced shortages. With Supertherm, an inhibited propylene glycol HTF for higher levels of safety, this product is typically bought on an as-needed basis. By utilizing our long-term relationships with a network of excellent suppliers, we’ve been able to protect existing customers with needed supply and help others that we haven’t done business with in the past.
Superchill, an inhibited NSF food grade propylene glycol used in food plant systems, is harder to come by due to a tighter supply chain.
“Our first priority is to protect our existing customers who buy Superchill on a monthly basis and with whom we do consistent business,” Spitler said. “We make sure they know we’re their partner in this and we’ve positioned ourselves to be a company they can rely on. Prospective Superchill customers are hearing a similar message so they know we’re protecting our current customers. When Superchill supplies make it possible, we welcome their business and will protect their allocation in similar market situations.”
