In this episode of the Zochem Podcast, Certainty Starts Here: Seeing Beyond the Furnace, Zochem’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Seth Johnson, challenges the idea that zinc oxide is a simple commodity.
We explore why this “specialty chemical” is vital for everything from smartphones to pharmaceutical-grade sunscreens. Seth breaks down how Zochem’s strict FDA-regulated GMP standards protect consumers by ensuring pure Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).The conversation also tackles the “Ghost” problem, explaining how precision engineering eliminates that chalky white cast on skin without relying on controversial nano-particles.
Finally, we address a major 2025 investigative report regarding the “Direct Process” and the hidden risks of using hazardous waste as a raw material. Learn why starting with 99.99% pure metal is the only way to keep “unwanted guests” like lead and cadmium out of your products.
Jill – Welcome back to the Zochem podcast. I’m Jill and today we’re discussing a more intimate side of the zinc industry. We’re talking about the zinc that comes into our homes and that we put on our skin. We are joined by Seth. He is the VP of sales and marketing. Hi Seth. >> How are you today?
Seth – I’m doing fantastic Jill. How are you doing? Pleasure to be here.
Jill – Thank you for being here. As the VP of sales and marketing, you’re often the face of Zochem for many clients. How did your journey lead you into the world of specialty chemicals?
Seth – Uh thankfully, we have uh such a great team. We call them the dream teamers here at Zochem. Um so what I mean by that is we have many faces of Zochem and I am just one lucky one of many. Um in my journey, I was previously in the plastics industry. I started with Zochem in 2016. Um originally when I started, it wasn’t Zochem, it was zinc oxide LLC, which was a smaller startup down in the Dickson, Tennessee area. After nine plus years uh of a wild fun ride um that included an acquisition of Zochem in 2017, it’s crazy to see where we are today. Um my original role was a regional sales manager. Um my new role was changed in 2022, which is now the VP of sales and marketing. Um but um it’s been a very enjoyable ride. I feel lucky to be a part of the team and I’m extremely excited to see where we go from here.
Jill – Yeah, it’s amazing, for sure. So, when you tell people at a dinner party that you sell zinc oxide, what’s the most common question you get? Do they immediately think of white noses on the beach?
Seth – Everybody immediately goes to the sunscreen and they touch their nose while they’re asking the question. Um but it is kind of I honestly didn’t know all the applications when I started at Zochem, so I can’t expect other people to know as well. Um but I try to explain it in the fact that zinc oxide is something you see, you touch all day, every day. You just don’t know it’s there. Um for example, you wake up in the morning and what do you do? You brush your teeth. Most people don’t know it’s in toothpaste. Um when you see your kids eating cereal for breakfast, most people don’t know there’s zinc oxide in that. Um the tires that take you to work, the tires that you’re uh take your kids to school. Um it’s in everything, it’s everywhere. Um as you explain it, people quickly understand that the zinc oxide market is truly vast. So, it’s a fun topic.
Jill – Yeah, so it’s in sunscreen, for sure. What other types of like creams or applications is it for like skin care specifically?
Seth – The sunscreen’s the main one is the baby diaper rash cream and there’s many different forms, but um that’s probably the second largest outside of sunscreen in terms of zinc oxide consumption.
Jill – Okay. Yeah. Outside of work, what are the hobbies or interests that keep you busy? Are you a tech gadget person or more of an outdoorsy person?
Seth -I am definitely not a tech gadget person. If my wife was here, she would laugh. Um I wish I was. Um outside of work, I have two little ones at home that are constantly needing my attention uh in a good way. Um but most of my time is spent doing what they want to do, which I enjoy. Um I’m originally from Kansas City, so I’m a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan, die-hard Kansas City Royals fan. Um I graduated from the University of Kansas, uh so Rock Chalk Jayhawk. Um I do like to enjoy uh playing terrible golf. Um unfortunately, my golf game is nothing to brag about. But it’s still great to get out every once in a while. Um and then outside of that, being located in Nashville, Tennessee, um if my wife and I can sneak out and try to catch some uh local music, um that’s always fun. Uh when I moved to Nashville, it was back in 2012. So, the first individual individual I met um was an individual by the name of Jordan Walker. Um we were both poor, spending way too much money and time on Broadway. Um but it’s kind of funny. Uh over time, he’s uh written two number one songs um and I actually missed a show of his at the Ryman last night. Um so, there’s always something to do in Nashville. Um yeah, so that’s pretty much it.
Jill – Amazing. I’ve never been, but I need to go. I’ve heard it’s amazing. I need to schedule a visit.
Seth – Yeah. We’ll show you a good time.
Jill – So, most people think of zinc as a basic material like salt or sand. Why do you argue it’s actually a specialty chemical?
Seth – So, that is true. Most people when they think of zinc oxide, they think of it as a global commodity. But in reality, uh it French process zinc oxide, which is all that Zochem produces, is a specialty chemical. And why is that? Zochem produces zinc oxide in Canada, in the US, but we ship globally. There are zinc oxide manufacturers on every single continent. Not all of them are shipping globally. There’s a reason why we do and that’s because it is a specialty chemical. It is a different sauce. Um it takes extreme precision to do what we do. I like to call um both our north and south production teams magicians because that’s truly what they are. Um so, it’s a lot more complex uh than what you what what meets the eye.
Jill – Right. Yeah. Very cool. Yeah, and Mo was mentioning how this specific sauce, as you call it, is much more uh consistent and reliable compared to other productions. Zochem is a trusted source for zinc oxide globally. You’re in tires, of course, but what are some of the more surprising or high-tech markets you supply?
Seth – Surprising markets to the general consumer, I would say, would be fertilizer, um animal feeds, even motor oils. Um we mentioned baby creams, um diaper rash creams. In terms of the higher tech applications, um batteries are kind of the new exciting zinc oxide word. Um it’s uh emerging technologies. We don’t really know exactly where it’s going to go. Um for example, when you think of data centers, um that’s one of the large potential end users um as we move forward. And then even going into military submarines to power the submarines. Um and then on a kind of grand scale, the EV market. So, obviously the EV market has grown dramatically over the last decade. Um the batteries actually contain zinc oxide. They’re what’s called a thermo filler. Uh the last one I would mention and this really isn’t new technology, but uh in what we call surge arresters or arresters. So, say there’s a power surge, uh zinc is a part of that component that prevents the power surge uh from causing problems. And those are mostly going into data centers as well.
Jill – Okay. Yep. Wow, I feel like the more I learn, the more I learn. There’s just more and more applications. Amazing. Why is the specialty aspect of zinc so much more important in industries like personal care or pharmaceuticals compared to other sectors?
Seth – When you think of personal care, pharmaceutical products, the only option that they have is French process zinc oxide. Why? Um on our side, the specs are very stringent. The quality standards are higher. Um so, there’s truly one option that they have at the end of the day. So, our job is to make sure that we live up to those standards and do it consistently on a day in and day out basis.
Jill – Okay. And why does that matter more for like skin care as opposed to other…
Seth – In terms of skin care specifically, it’s obviously touching your body. So, when there is a tight spec limit, when safety is a huge concern, you don’t want high levels of anything unwanted coming on your skin, coming in your skin. Um that’s one of the benefits of non-nano zinc oxide, which is what Zochem produces. There’s no concern of it actually getting on the skin and entering the skin.
Jill – Okay.
Seth – There are some other alternative zinc oxide manufacturers that produce nano particles, um which is kind of new and cool because aesthetically, it’s more of like a cosmetic. Um but the concern is that you may get lead, you may get cad entering the system, potentially hurting organs. Um and that’s one thing that the FDA is currently investigating and looking more into.
Jill – So, is there a risk for zinc in the bloodstream, for instance, or is it more just the unwanted
Seth – It’s It’s Zinc is a consumable product. It’s more in lines of the lead and the cadmium, like I was mentioning. Um you don’t want high levels of those obviously unwanted materials entering your bloodstream.
Jill – Is there a risk of too high zinc levels in your body or no?
Seth – Uh you know what? That’s a good question. I’ve never been asked that question. I’m sure that there’s always going to be a limit that’s unhealthy. Um but that’s towards the bottom of the list of the known elements that would be entering your body.
Jill – Okay, good to know.
Seth – There you go.
Jill – We hear the term GMP quite a bit. In simple terms, what do good manufacturing practices ensure when it comes to the safety of our medicines or skin creams?
Seth – So, GMP is uh strictly enforced by the FDA. So, what that means is we take extra caution on all of the materials that are produced in our facility. This includes producing, this includes documentation, this includes testing, all before the material actually leaves our facility. So, this is where quality and certainty really matter, more so than our generic standard everyday products. Um back to the comment earlier in terms of the GMP, not every zinc oxide supplier has those certifications and capabilities which makes Zochem a little bit special and unique.
Jill – Right, that’s why we trust Zochem over a lot of other companies…
Seth -Certainty starts here.
Jill – Exactly. So Zochem meets both US and strict EU standards as we were saying. Why is that level of global compliance such a big deal for a brand selling in multiple countries?
Seth – That’s a good question and the reason is is because you don’t know on a given day where you’re going to ship material. Obviously the restrictions and requirements are heavier here in the states and also in Europe. Um, but if you meet those two standards, you can ship anywhere in the world. So you just need to be ready to ship anywhere all the time.
Jill – So basically you’re at the highest standard anywhere in the world.
Seth – Yeah, and that’s not something that we say lightly or take for granted. It’s something we’re proud to say. But it’s constantly changing. Like for instance this week we had an FDA audit on site. We continue to learn. We continue to implement these new changes because at the end of the day we have to evolve. We have to change for the better.
Jill – But your customer can always believe in your product and support your product and count on you to have a product that’s reliable.
Seth – Our goal is to ensure that there is no doubt that we’re not doing the right thing.
Jill – When we talk about active pharmaceutical ingredients, what are the stakes if an ingredient isn’t perfectly pure every single time?
Seth – So if it’s not pure every single time, obviously the end users are people. They’re humans. So if we’re not providing the correct material, our partners formulation is not correct and then we have a problem. So at the end of the day human health is our number one priority. So day in, day out we make sure that we are within spec. Our quality standards are correct so that there’s again no concern downstream for anybody touching our material.
Jill – Yeah, that consistency of the product.
Seth – Consistency, correct.
Jill – Yep.
Seth – Yes.
Jill – Okay, let’s talk about the ghost. We’ve all seen that white chalky look at the beach. Why has zinc historically had that reputation?
Seth – So the reason being is because zinc oxide generally has a larger particle size than non non nano material that I was referring to earlier. If it has larger particle sizes, you put it on your skin, you go out in the sun, it reflects off the sun and it gives the white opaque look.
Jill – Right.
Seth – If you have smaller particle sizes, it’s more of a cosmetic. It sits on your skin and it doesn’t reflect off the sun giving you that white look. So the unknowns are what that does. Is the nano zinc oxide material which Zochem does not produce entering your skin causing bodily harm? This is something the FDA continues to look into. What Zochem’s done on our side is we’ve tried to perfect the non nano material where it still does a great job. It is very effective. But it also doesn’t provide any potential health hazards.
Jill – What are some of those unwanted guests that can show up in a final product if the starting material isn’t pure metal?
Seth – Those unwanted guests would be high cadmium levels, high lead levels, both of which we both know aren’t something that you want high levels of. It’s not safe. It’s not good for the people. It’s not good for the environment. So that’s the concern.
Jill – Okay. How does Zochem’s approach of starting with 99.99% pure metal protect consumers from those kinds of risks?
Seth – So by starting with 99.9% zinc metal, you’re starting with a pure form metal which gives you a pure form product. More importantly, we produce in both Branson and in Dickson, Tennessee. It provides a pure environment for both of those communities. So as a steward of the community, as a local resident to both, we need to make sure that we’re good stewards to the local communities that we live, work and breathe in every day.
Jill – You supply everyone from smartphone makers to farmers. How does Zochem stay a leader in so many different global markets at once?
Seth – You know, it’s we treat the electronics manufacturer the same way we treat the farmer. When we produce the material, there’s two main causes of importance for us. Obviously safety and then certainty. So we want no matter what application this product is going to, we want that manufacturer, we want that end user to feel like because it’s from Zochem, there’s no cause for concern on their side.
Jill – Yeah, I think it’s pretty important to have a product that people can depend on no matter what day, what season, they always know it’s the same thing.
Seth – Correct, correct. That’s the goal.
Jill – Yes. Why does being a North American manufacturer give you a competitive edge when you’re shipping to strict markets in Europe or Asia?
Seth – The positive we’re already held at such high standards here in North America. So if we get a curveball on a Tuesday, it’s not a curveball we can’t handle. We can ship anywhere any day because we’re already holding ourselves to the highest standards that can be shipped to Europe, can be shipped to Asia, can be shipped to South America. Our day doesn’t change.
Jill – And that goes back to the certainty of having the highest possible standard of product.
Seth – Correct, yes.
Jill – Which is amazing. So in terms of your slogan, we’re talking about certainty. Certainty starts here. It’s a bold message. How do you prove that certainty to a customer who is worried about their formula’s integrity?
Seth – So what I will say is we live our four C’s motto every day. Um, continuity. We don’t want to be a problem. We want to be the easy supplier. Meaning we want to deliver on time every time. Communication. We want to be the preferred supplier in terms of customer service. We feel like we have industry leading customer service. We do have partners that tell us that. But we got to maintain that each and every day. Consultation is the third one. We have partners that need technical advice. Our team will go to their facility, try to solve these issues. That’s just an added value that we bring to the table. Then certainty, the last and most important one quality, consistency and supply. If we bring these four C’s to the table each and every day, the rest kind of just solves itself.
Jill – Well Seth, thank you so much for being here today and teaching me all about zinc oxide. I learned a lot about the different uses, especially the electronic vehicles, batteries, surge protectors, all the skin applications as well as ingesting it. I feel like I know so much more about zinc and I’m excited to see all the different applications in the future.
Seth – It was my pleasure Jill. I had a blast. Hopefully we can do this again down in Tennessee.
Jill – Yeah, it sounds good. Thank you for being here. This is the Zochem podcast. Thank you so much for tuning in and we’ll see you next time.