Our Roots
Conquering new frontiers
In July of 1978, an ad in the Grande Prairie Herald caught Mohammad Moughel’s attention. Having worked in sales in the furniture department at The Bay, the idea of a sales job with global chemical company, KEM, seemed like a good step forward in his career. He interviewed for the sales position, got the job, and started just one day before becoming a Canadian citizen. It was an eventful week, followed by an even more eventful couple of months, and would ultimately mark the beginning of a lifelong career in the chemical industry.
Two weeks after his initial job training, Mohammad had a check-in with his regional manager. Fearing that he might lose his job, he pensively gave his report over the phone. After he finished, there was a long pause on the other side of the call—a bit too long for the rookie salesman. But the silence was broken by a thrilled reaction and a hearty congratulations on what would be considered an outstanding performance for any salesman— let alone a brand new one.
Those early days were anchored in hard work, grit and perseverance. On the road, whether rain, snow or sleet, he built a territory from nothing. Clocking 80,000 kilometers in that first year, he learned the value of connecting and listening to his clients and building trust. ‘Peace Country’ is where he prospered.
Driven by his strong work ethic and love for the job, in just three short years, Mohammad rose through the ranks to become the Regional Manager of Western Canada, overseeing a sales team across 30 territories.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream
Throughout the 1980s, Mohammad deepened his knowledge of the chemical business. KEM offered key learnings in the world of industrial chemicals, selling, and cultivating strong relationships with clients. The confidence he gained during this time proved to be a springboard to make his aspirations of starting his own company a reality. By 1988, the timing felt right. Chem International was incorporated on June 8—its roots firmly embedded in Mohammad’s memories of growing up in a family with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a generations-long history of successful small business ownership.
Our first home? A humble 1,500 square foot warehouse in an industrial business park on Edmonton’s southside. By day, Mohammad went out to sell while managing a small but mighty sales team. By night, he took care of administrative duties and donned a white lab coat to mix chemicals. The desire to succeed and build a prosperous future for his family and all the families the company supported fueled every visit to a client, and every late night putting orders together for the next day.
A tradition of excellence
Fast forward 30 years, and Chem International now serves over 3,000 clients across British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Every day, our team endeavours to nurture our company’s legacy of exceptional customer service and provide the highest quality products that meet your needs. We are proud of our proven leadership in the industrial and household cleaning space, and continue to pursue every opportunity to demonstrate our love for people, and our passion for this industry.