Viridis Chemical Wins ICIS 2023 Best Product Innovation Award in Small-to-Medium-Sized Enterprise Category
Houston, TX, (July 26, 2023)
Viridis Chemical, a manufacturer of renewable, biobased, low-carbon chemicals, announced that its commercial scale biobased ethyl acetate is the winner of the Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS) 2023 Product Innovation Award in the SME category. This award is another validation of the technology Viridis Chemical is bringing to the chemical industry. Its winning product, 100% biobased ethyl acetate, demonstrated environmental benefits that enhance sustainability by delivering a high-quality, high-performance commercial product with lower GHG emissions.
“We are humbled to receive this prestigious award, which is the result of the hard work and dedication of our employees and partners,” said Carl V Rush, Jr., CEO and co-founder of Viridis Chemical. “Viridis is a leader in decarbonizing the chemical industry. Our proprietary technology offers a revolutionary approach to circularity for chemical manufacturing, which is greatly needed today. With renewable feedstocks, reduced emissions, and a measurable impact on the Scope 3 emissions for our customers, our ethyl acetate, and future products, deliver on our sustainability promise, without compromise economically or otherwise.”
ICIS awards are open to companies in the chemical industry who have successfully launched innovative projects that provide solutions that drive progress toward sustainability for companies, their customers, and society.
Viridis uses proprietary manufacturing technologies and renewable biobased feedstocks to produce low-carbon, sustainable products. The company’s first product, 100% biobased ethyl acetate, uses bio-ethanol feedstock and Viridis’ proprietary technology to deliver sustainable product on an industrial scale. Viridis’ 100% biobased ethyl acetate is marketed worldwide by HELM AG, one of the world’s foremost independent chemicals marketing enterprises.
“Viridis and HELM have created their long-term partnership with the aim to offer a compelling choice towards a more sustainable business to chemical markets. We are delighted to see Viridis winning the ICIS Innovation Award as it confirms the positive feedback received from our customers ever since the production started up. The reliability of our service to markets, the quality of the product and the severely reduced carbon footprint are all helping customers to deliver a game-changing impact in their markets,” said Björn Steckel, President Chemicals Americas of HELM.
Viridis Chemical’s ethyl acetate is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified, biobased product meeting all requirements under the USDA BioPreferred® Program. Traditionally, ethyl acetate has been manufactured from fossil fuel-based resources.
Earlier this year, Viridis received International Sustainability & Carbon Certification PLUS (ISCC PLUS) for its manufacturing facility in Columbus, Nebraska. Products certified to the ISCC PLUS standard assure companies, brand owners, and consumers that high sustainability requirements have been met.
Viridis serves a number of industries, from paints and coatings, adhesives, and personal care products to food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals. Viridis is designing and engineering new projects to bring additional renewable, low-carbon chemicals to market and drive a more sustainable future.
About Viridis Chemical
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Viridis Chemical, LLC, is a world-class manufacturer of renewable, biobased, low-carbon chemicals and the only industrial-scale manufacturer of 100 percent biobased ethyl acetate in North America. Viridis is committed to the safe, environmentally sound, and economically viable conversion of bio-ethanol into circular, sustainable products previously derived from fossil fuel-based resources. Viridis is a member of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), holds International Sustainability & Carbon PLUS Certification (ISCC PLUS) for its manufacturing facility in Columbus, Nebraska, and has a USDA-certified, biobased product meeting all requirements under the USDA BioPreferred® program.
For more information, please visit www.viridischemical.com.
About HELM AG
HELM is a Hamburg, Germany, based family-owned company established in 1900. HELM is one of the world’s largest chemicals marketing companies and committed to providing solutions to its partners that support a successful transformation to a sustainable economy and society. The company secures access to the world's key markets through its specific regional knowledge and its multinational presence in more than 30 countries. As a multifunctional marketing organization HELM is active in the chemicals industry, in the agricultural industry, in energy materials and in pharmaceuticals, generating global revenues of EUR 8 billion per year.