Sherwood Chemicals welcomed pest managers to its factory in Thailand, giving attendees a valuable opportunity to learn about product formulation and Sherwood’s pipeline of future products.
In what has developed into a yearly event, in July, Sherwood Chemicals opened its factory doors to the Australian pest management industry in Thailand. The event, now in its fifth year, has grown in popularity and the 2016 conference was heralded as a great success by all participants (pictured above).
Twenty-five attendees from 11 companies, representing all states of Australia, shared ideas and listened to presentations covering a broad range of topics. Presentation topics covered formulation chemistry and quality control, termite control in Asia and also included a presentation on the transferability of two new formulations for the control of termites, given by one of southeast Asia’s most respected termite experts, Dr Charunee Vongkaluang.
John Ralph, Sherwood Chemicals general manager for Australasia, commented, “Each year we try to ensure that there is something new for returning guests and the 2016 Sherwood Pest Conference was no exception, as we showcased the new product performance test centre, which was opened earlier this year at our head office in Bangkok. The purpose built lab was commissioned to screen and optimise product formulations targeting vector and structural pests including mosquitoes, cockroaches and termites. This should result in a shorter development cycle before commencing with independent trials, to ensure the pipeline of new innovative formulations will deliver sustainable benefits to users over the next 2-5 years.
“We were delighted with the feedback from all guests, as well as their contribution and support. This positive feedback has reinforced our belief that Sherwood’s strategy in focusing on formulation chemistry and product application is benefiting users by providing products of the highest reliability, resulting in their confidence in Sherwood products.”
Mark Hayman of Accurate Pest Management on the Sunshine Coast echoed these sentiments. “It is great to know what direction Sherwood Chemicals are heading in the future, and to have the confidence that the chemicals we buy and apply are always of the highest quality, supported by their testing and analysing procedures. We gained many tips and tricks from the crew that attended the trip and that is why we return each year.”
Mr Ralph continued, “Sherwood Chemicals position in the Australian pest management market is rather unique. The industry refers to Sherwood Chemicals as a generic manufacturer. However, we believe we demonstrate this is far from the truth once you experience the ‘Sherwood Chemicals Pest Conference’. Pest managers that attended the two-day conference will tell you that Sherwood’s commitment to investment, the formulation of new products and quality control clearly changes that perception.
“The market is becoming very competitive now that a lot of active ingredients are coming off patent. The narrow margin manufactures work with means that corners are cut and quality is reduced by some manufactures to increase profits. Unfortunately the general pest manager does not always understand how a poor formulation can impact on the quality of the job. They see the same active used across a line of different brands and think that they are all the same. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Our aim is to educate pest managers around Australia about formulation quality. By using hands-on demonstrations to show how a good formulation is achieved, this also highlights how poor formulations also get to the market. It is sometimes hard to explain or convince a professional pest manager as to why they should trust Sherwood Chemicals, which is why we open our doors and show them what makes us different.
“Although the conference is the focus of the visit, most pest managers meet up with family after the conference and head to the tourist spots of Thailand for a little relaxation before the busy Australian summer season starts.”
