How Chemico became one of GM’s most decorated suppliers

When Leon C. Richardson founded Chemico in 1989, the mission was straightforward: add value to customers’ supply chains, add value to employees’ lives, and add value to the communities where the company operates. Thirty-seven years later, that mission has produced something remarkable. Chemico has been named a 2025 Supplier of the Year by General Motors in the category of Industrialization, marking the 16th time the Southfield-based company has received the honor since becoming a GM supplier.

The award was presented during GM’s 34th annual Supplier of the Year event in Austin, Texas. For 2025, the program recognized 103 suppliers spanning 14 countries, selected by a global GM team based on performance across key categories including safety, innovation, execution, resilience, and customer support, as well as alignment with GM’s core values and strategic priorities. Chemico’s selection places it among the most decorated suppliers in General Motors’ history.

Sixteen Supplier of the Year awards over a 37-year tenure is not the result of a single strong performance or a fortunate contract. It reflects sustained operational excellence across one of the most demanding supply chain environments in American industry. Chemico is one of the nation’s leading providers of chemical management services, distribution, and specialty product manufacturing, with operations spanning North America and abroad. The company specializes in integrated solutions for the entire chemical lifecycle, from procurement to on-site inventory management and environmentally conscious disposal. Its network serves customers across the automotive, aerospace, electronics, healthcare, and defense sectors.

With 50 locations and more than 450 employees across the U.S. and Mexico, Chemico has built the kind of operational scale that makes it an indispensable partner for manufacturers operating at the highest levels of global production. In 2023, the company received an Overdrive award from GM, a designation reserved for suppliers who demonstrate above-and-beyond performance, adding another layer of distinction to an already impressive record.

GM’s Senior Vice President and Global Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer acknowledged the significance of the supplier relationships behind every vehicle the automaker builds, noting that when suppliers engage with new technology and deliver flawless execution, the entire supply chain moves faster and competes harder. Chemico’s consistent recognition reflects exactly that kind of partnership.

The significance of Chemico’s success extends well beyond the automotive supply chain. Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, the company has maintained a vested presence in metro Detroit for more than 30 years. Under Richardson’s leadership, Chemico has been listed consistently among Crain’s largest private 200 companies in the Detroit area, a benchmark that reflects both the company’s scale and its sustained financial health.

In addition to the GM recognition, Chemico was named the 2025 National Class 4 Supplier of the Year by the National Minority Supplier Development Council, an honor that highlights the company’s standing within the broader landscape of minority-owned businesses operating at the highest levels of American industry.

Richardson’s founding of Chemico in 1989 came at a time when minority-owned businesses faced significant barriers to entry in industrial supply chains. Building a company that has now received 16 awards from one of the world’s largest automakers represents a track record that speaks for itself and a blueprint that other entrepreneurs can draw from.

The company has also entered a strategic partnership with DuBois Chemicals, whose product portfolio includes chemical solutions and process improvements for industrial manufacturing, cleaning, and water treatment applications. The partnership combines DuBois’ local technical expertise with Chemico’s service capabilities, expanding the value the company can deliver to customers across its industries.

With 37 years of history and 16 GM Supplier of the Year awards behind it, Chemico is not a company resting on its record. Richardson has credited his team’s daily commitment to service and quality as the driving force behind every recognition the company has received, connecting each award back to the founding principles that have defined Chemico since 1989.

For Richardson and the Chemico team, the 2025 Supplier of the Year recognition is not a finish line. It is confirmation that the standards they set for themselves decades ago are still the right ones, and that the work of building something meaningful in Detroit and beyond continues.