Celebrating 75 Years of Excellence: Clariant Cargo & Device Protection’s Californian Team named “Best of the Best” by AGM Container Controls

Delivering on Clariant's purpose »Greater chemistry - between people and planet.«
This story is an example of how Clariant delivers on its purpose-led strategy.

For the seventh time in eight years, AGM Container Controls (AGM) has recognized Clariant Cargo & Device Protection (CDP) Colton, California team with the “Supplier of the Year Award” for 2023. Of 295 active AGM suppliers, only five were honored with this prestigious award. Clariant’s supplier success is rooted in its Colton, California manufacturing facility, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023.

AGM is a major manufacturer of environmental- and moisture-control solutions designed to protect essential products from damage caused by shock, pressure, moisture, oxidation, corrosion, and other environmental hazards. Given the critical nature and value of these products – which include military, aerospace, and avionics components, industrial equipment, measuring and detection instruments, and more – AGM deploys multiple capabilities. This includes advanced engineering, technical expertise, manufacturing excellence, and rigorous environmental controls to ensure optimal protection and performance.

For moisture control and humidity indication, AGM relies on suppliers like Clariant Cargo & Device Protection. AGM has recognized the excellence of our team in California with its “Supplier of the Year” award for seven of the past eight years.

In a congratulatory note accompanying the award, AGM Container Controls President and CEO Howard Stewart praised the recipients, including Clariant CDP, as “the best of the best.” Clariant was one of only five suppliers to meet all of AGM’s stringent supplier qualifications, including the number and value of orders shipped, component quality, and on-time order delivery.

Clariant made the grade by supplying AGM with 554 orders, with a 98% component quality rating and a 97% on-time delivery rating. “Therefore,” said Stewart, “I am pleased to inform you that such achievements qualify Clariant as a seven-time recipient of AGM’s Supplier of the Year award.”

The Colton site produces humidity indicator solutions used in applications worldwide. The facility’s history dates back to 1948 when Rear Admiral Welford Blinn (USN Ret. Dec.) founded the Humidial Company in 1948. Blinn envisioned a simple “go/no-go” humidity indicator. Today, these "button" indicators are built into ammunition cartons and cases, alerting crews if ammunition or other vital military supplies have been exposed to damaging humidity levels during transport or storage.

Fun fact: Today, Blinn’s granddaughter, Michelle Martin, heads the Operations Business Segment for CDP NORAM, Adsorbents Americas. She states, “AGM Container Controls has been Clariant CDP’s longest-running customer relationship for over 50 years. We are proud to continue to supply AGM and all our customers with solutions that protect essential products and commodities worldwide.”

Paul Gusman, Site Manager at the Clariant CDP Colton facility, added that Clariant CDP’s values hold the key to ongoing success: “Our commitment to innovative chemistry, customer focus and dedicated employees, paves the way to continued excellence. We look forward to continuing, and further enhancing our relationship with AGM and all our valued customers in the years ahead.”

Photo taken in 2022: Celebrating a 48-year working partnership are (at center) Jim McCorry, Director, Key Accounts for AGM Container Controls and Michelle Martin, Head of Operations CDP NORAM, Adsorbents Americas. The pair are flanked by Eric Zuercher, AGM Vice President of Engineering (left) and Blake Koomar, AGM Quality Manager

Learn more about Clariant CDP’s solutions here.