“The government’s tacit recognition that it needs lots of private investment is already a step in the right direction.”
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How was 2025 for First Quality Chemicals (FQC)?
2025 has been a busy year for us, during which we have participated in many trade fairs, such as UTECH, where we represented UBE Corporation, the global leader in hot-cast polyurethane. We also had a fabulous participation in the Latin American Coating Show, Plastimagen, and Expo Cosmética.
FQC also hosted its Color Circus, where we hold technical conferences for our clients for one full day and bring the best global experts. This year, we had 170 technicians and executives from our customers. We have a solid technical service and our own applications lab, which allows us to assist our clients when they have a problem, want to optimize costs or product performance, or need to develop a specific new product.
What has been the relevance of the personal care market in 2025 for FQC?
Personal care has grown in 2025 by double digits. In it, we represent multinationals such as Lamberti, Gobiotics, Sudarshan, Borregard, Argenol, and we have just started working the Evonik hydrogen peroxide product line. Likewise, we are also developing a Fischer-Tropsch wax for Shell. We offer a wide range of products, like pigments, prebiotics, emulsifiers, capillary agents, waxes, resins, surfactants, antimicrobials and others, and we expect this sector to continue growing by double digits in the coming years.
Is the sectoral drive toward specialty chemicals benefiting FQC?
The commodities market is characterized by large volumes with small margins and lots of competition; it is difficult to forge longstanding relationships with customers, as price is the main driver, and for these reasons, many players aspire to move toward specialties. Moreover, it requires close collaboration with customers, it creates opportunities to partner with them, because they know of the value we add.
What does Mexico need to reposition itself in the global market?
If the Plan Mexico becomes a reality, this will mean more companies will be producing materials in Mexico, and therefore, there will be more potential clients for us. The government should be more proactive in attracting foreign companies, which implies improving security and providing legal certainty. The government’s tacit recognition that it needs lots of private investment is already a step in the right direction. To further attract investment and increase competitiveness, the bottlenecks in ports such as Manzanillo and the power generation in Mexico must be addressed. Finally, the USMCA renegotiation should be concluded as soon as possible, as many investments are waiting until the negotiation process settles.
What is the advantage of FQC in navigating the current environment?
We are fast and flexible, allowing us to respond rapidly to our clients’ needs. If we receive an order in Mexico in the morning, it can be delivered that same afternoon. This agility is almost unrivaled, especially by the big players, which might take a week to fulfill the same request. It also allows for faster technological adoption.
However, our main asset is people. We want the Lionel Messis of the chemical sector to work with us. Once they join, we train them across several areas, so they can succeed in the challenges our industry presents. In return, we offer them a friendly and enjoyable work environment, which provides us one of the lowest rotation rates industrywide.
What are the First Quality Chemicals’ plans for the future?
In the past, we tried to get distribution agreements with excellent companies. Today, many manufacturers worldwide want to work with us, and we turn most of them down because our focus is on innovation and performance, and to achieve it, we only collaborate with the perfect strategic fits who are, at the same time, the best in the world.
Next year, we will begin distributing a line of products within Lamberti’s portfolio. Wanhua, the global leader in polyurethane, offered us to work with them on their thermoplastic polyurethane segment. As aforementioned, we will start working with Evonik regarding personal care hydrogen peroxides. Last year, we began collaborating with Baerlocher, the global leader in heat stabilizers and lubricants for PVC, and that portfolio is now starting to consolidate. All these deals come after many years of hard work, so we expect to continue our awesome growth.
How was 2025 for First Quality Chemicals (FQC)?
2025 has been a busy year for us, during which we have participated in many trade fairs, such as UTECH, where we represented UBE Corporation, the global leader in hot-cast polyurethane. We also had a fabulous participation in the Latin American Coating Show, Plastimagen, and Expo Cosmética.
FQC also hosted its Color Circus, where we hold technical conferences for our clients for one full day and bring the best global experts. This year, we had 170 technicians and executives from our customers. We have a solid technical service and our own applications lab, which allows us to assist our clients when they have a problem, want to optimize costs or product performance, or need to develop a specific new product.
What has been the relevance of the personal care market in 2025 for FQC?
Personal care has grown in 2025 by double digits. In it, we represent multinationals such as Lamberti, Gobiotics, Sudarshan, Borregard, Argenol, and we have just started working the Evonik hydrogen peroxide product line. Likewise, we are also developing a Fischer-Tropsch wax for Shell. We offer a wide range of products, like pigments, prebiotics, emulsifiers, capillary agents, waxes, resins, surfactants, antimicrobials and others, and we expect this sector to continue growing by double digits in the coming years.
Is the sectoral drive toward specialty chemicals benefiting FQC?
The commodities market is characterized by large volumes with small margins and lots of competition; it is difficult to forge longstanding relationships with customers, as price is the main driver, and for these reasons, many players aspire to move toward specialties. Moreover, it requires close collaboration with customers, it creates opportunities to partner with them, because they know of the value we add.
What does Mexico need to reposition itself in the global market?
If the Plan Mexico becomes a reality, this will mean more companies will be producing materials in Mexico, and therefore, there will be more potential clients for us. The government should be more proactive in attracting foreign companies, which implies improving security and providing legal certainty. The government’s tacit recognition that it needs lots of private investment is already a step in the right direction. To further attract investment and increase competitiveness, the bottlenecks in ports such as Manzanillo and the power generation in Mexico must be addressed. Finally, the USMCA renegotiation should be concluded as soon as possible, as many investments are waiting until the negotiation process settles.
What is the advantage of FQC in navigating the current environment?
We are fast and flexible, allowing us to respond rapidly to our clients’ needs. If we receive an order in Mexico in the morning, it can be delivered that same afternoon. This agility is almost unrivaled, especially by the big players, which might take a week to fulfill the same request. It also allows for faster technological adoption.
However, our main asset is people. We want the Lionel Messis of the chemical sector to work with us. Once they join, we train them across several areas, so they can succeed in the challenges our industry presents. In return, we offer them a friendly and enjoyable work environment, which provides us one of the lowest rotation rates industrywide.
What are the First Quality Chemicals’ plans for the future?
In the past, we tried to get distribution agreements with excellent companies. Today, many manufacturers worldwide want to work with us, and we turn most of them down because our focus is on innovation and performance, and to achieve it, we only collaborate with the perfect strategic fits who are, at the same time, the best in the world.
Next year, we will begin distributing a line of products within Lamberti’s portfolio. Wanhua, the global leader in polyurethane, offered us to work with them on their thermoplastic polyurethane segment. As aforementioned, we will start working with Evonik regarding personal care hydrogen peroxides. Last year, we began collaborating with Baerlocher, the global leader in heat stabilizers and lubricants for PVC, and that portfolio is now starting to consolidate. All these deals come after many years of hard work, so we expect to continue our awesome growth.
