ROCHEM’s remarkable story and journey started exactly 30 years ago when a woman named Robyn Frisch transformed her basement in her rented Bayside, Queens house into a thriving business in distributing ingredients for human health care.
Frisch, the CEO and founder of ROCHEM, never imagined that three decades later the company would rise to become a global leader in sourcing and supplying pharmaceutical, human and animal health, food and beverage, nutritional and cosmetic ingredients from China. It’s a testament to the power of dreams and determination.
ROCHEM is more than just a supplier of ingredients to the industries. It has evolved into a full-service supplier, acting as a vital bridge, connecting global companies in regulated markets with top-tier manufacturing partners in China from research and development through commercialization. Frisch’s foresight in forming an in-house regulatory and compliance team 20 years ago has ensured ROCHEM’s rigorous standards and strategic partnerships with manufacturers in China and beyond.
In 2002, just eight years into its journey, ROCHEM marked a significant step forward by acquiring its first office building, a 12,000-square-foot facility in Ronkonkoma. Twelve years later, in 2014, another major advancement was celebrated by relocating to a 60,000-square-foot space with its own warehouse in Hauppauge—home to the second-largest industrial park in the nation. It operated with ten sales offices across North America, three sales offices in Europe and eight warehouses nationally and internationally. In addition, over 20 dedicated staff in our China office, specializing in sourcing, quality assurance, and regulatory affairs with auditing and technical support to our top selected manufacturers, showcases the company’s devotion to excellence and consistently delivering extraordinary value to all end-users. By providing top-quality ingredients across various industries, ROCHEM not only met but exceeded expectations, fueling innovation and success in every sector it touches.
From humble beginnings to a global powerhouse, Frisch’s journey is an inspiration and a firm testament to the American dream and a strong commitment to industry excellence. ROCHEM is a shining beacon of both local and global achievement, exemplifying the incredible path of a visionary woman who transformed her dreams into reality. Her company, which began as a lofty idea, is now a thriving enterprise, seamlessly bridging raw materials to manufacturers who craft them into groundbreaking products. Frisch’s story exemplifies the power of determination and ingenuity, illustrating how one person’s vision can forge new opportunities and redefine industries on a global scale.
This year, ROCHEM proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary. To mark this outstanding milestone, Frisch hosted a grand gala at the Crest Hollow Country Club in March. This grand event not only honored ROCHEM’s journey but also celebrated the dedication and vision that have propelled the company to extraordinary heights. The event welcomed hundreds of esteemed guests, including global customers and suppliers. Frisch expressed heartfelt gratitude to her entire team and supportive partners, treating them to a lavish evening featuring gourmet cuisine, live music, and dancing. The highlight of the evening was a mesmerizing performance by world-renowned opera singers, adding an unforgettable touch to the celebration. As a token of appreciation, each guest received a pair of commemorative Waterford crystal champagne flutes.
“The biggest confectionary, food and beverage companies in the world, along with many of the top nutritional supplement and pharmaceutical companies in the world, rely on ROCHEM to supply key raw materials to support their production,” Frisch said not long after the event. “We support human healthcare with a responsible selection of high-quality active pharmaceutical ingredients. With stringent quality guidelines, our animal feed and pharmaceutical ingredients are key to maintaining vibrant animal health.”
ROCHEM is trusted by the largest food and beverage companies in the world to deliver the highest-quality specialty and functional ingredients and is a trusted source for Food and Drug Administration-compliant vitamins, nutraceuticals, and nutrition additives. The company supplies ingredients that help products promote a healthy lifestyle in categories such as proteins, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and medications.
“ROCHEM uses its strong regulatory and compliance team to work with the chemical manufacturers to meet the requirements of any stringent customer or governmental regulatory authority,” President Matt Thiel said proudly.
In February 2022, ROCHEM received the Supplier Excellence Award as one of the three ingredients suppliers among 10,000 different suppliers worldwide by Procter & Gamble Healthcare Company. The prestigious award was a huge affirmation of ROCHEM’s superior quality of products and services. In addition, Frisch was celebrated in 2023 as one of Long Island’s Power Women, highlighting her impactful achievements.
“I personally believe it’s in her nature to be extremely inspiring. To be competitive, to want to do better, achieve and accomplish more in life,” Thiel, who has been with ROCHEM for 22 years, said of Frisch’s drive. “I know her upbringing in China caused her to see a lot of challenging things in life, even seeing family persecuted for success, so to be able to be in the land of freedom and create all the success she can where no one can limit or take that away from her is also a key driver.”
Frisch grew up in China, where she graduated from college in 1984 with a degree in English Literature. She then joined one of the largest import and export trading companies in China, overseeing chemical and pharmaceutical raw materials.
“A bird yearns to fly and reach new heights,” Frisch said, quoting an ancient Chinese proverb. “A fish yearns for the vast ocean to truly swim freely.” She arrived in New York in 1990 eager to see what she could do.
“I dreamed of using my resources and experience that I gained before coming to the US working at the largest state-owned Sinochem (chemical and pharmaceutical import and export company) to supply these products to North American markets,” she said. ROCHEM, in combination with Robyn’s chemical company, was born in 1994 out of ability and ambition.
“People often ask how the early days of ROCHEM were and how I began the business without any loans from banks or working funds,” said Frisch, “It was the trust from the suppliers who knew me from my time working in China. The knew me as trustworthy, reliable and hard-working for promoting their products at the time when exporting and communicating with the Western countries was very difficult and limited,” Frisch continued. “The suppliers in China shipped me two 20-foot containers of aspirin with 60-day-long payment terms, so I only paid them after I got paid from the customer.”
“Challenges were everywhere,” Frisch said. “But I gained respect from all the Chinese suppliers and manufacturers as I visited every one of the manufacturers and toured their production lines and labs and learned so much before I promoted their products to the customers. I traveled between China and New York six to eight times per year in the first 15 years since founding ROCHEM and continued at least four times per year even after forming the China office to make sure the producers are all on the same path with the speed we need. I missed so many ballet and piano recitals for my two beautiful daughters over the years.”
She continues carrying Confucius’ philosophy as part of ROCHEM’s culture: “being a good person first before establishing a great business or career.”
“It impacted me from my life to ROCHEM’s company culture,” Frisch said. She is proud of her professional team with members from top 500 Fortune companies from vice presidents to general managers. She said, “I founded, built the company, and formed an outstanding team. It is the team who uses their expertise and best efforts that grow the company to today’s leading position and level. Their dedication, commitment, integrity, and loyalty led ROCHEM to grow to such a position and role globally for human health.”
“Such achievement and growth with ROCHEM won’t be made without efforts and sacrifices in our lives,” said Thiel. “Robyn came to the U.S. with empty hands but a youthful heart and enthusiastic spirit and left her 4-year-old daughter with her grandmother in China to pursue her American Dream at the age of 27.” Thiel continued, “Her heart was filled with confidence and determination and two years later she was reunited with her daughter in New York.”
“This little girl was so multitalented in ballet, playing piano and composing music and she received her master’s degree in industrial design in Milan and met her Italian husband, and she has been living in Italy for 12 years,” Frisch said. “Now this little girl has two beautiful daughters of her own.”
“We are a major player in our markets and a force to be reckoned with, having resources around the world to rely on,” Thiel said. “ROCHEM is truly a 24/7 operation with North America, Europe and Asia offices/facilities.”
“We know the bureaucracy that comes with large public organizations, and we work hard to avoid too many layers involved in making decisions so we can stay nimble and reactive and proactive to what’s happening with customers and the markets in which we operate,” Frisch added. “We have strong leadership throughout the business units and departments within the organization and without this, we would not have been able to grow to the level we have.”
A truly global company, ROCHEM’s headquarters are in a 60,000-square-foot facility, located in Hauppauge, which houses its main U.S. operations and acts as its East Coast distribution center. ROCHEM also stores products across the Midwest and West Coast, in Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
“We are positioned well to have stock to customers around the world in a matter of a day or two,” Frisch continued. “Many of our customers rely on ROCHEM for quick deliveries of key ingredients they need for their operations.”
“We’ve handled many customers, U.S. F.D.A., as well as other prominent government inspections at our partners’ manufacturing sites and have a perfect track record of success,” Thiel said. “Our team is routinely in the manufacturing sites that we represent to constantly re-confirm that the required levels of GMPs (good manufacturing practices) are being adhered to for the products that we distribute.”
Working with operations in China involves a 12-hour or more time zone difference, as well as cultural and business differences. ROCHEM devotes time to being able to understand and work well with Chinese partners.
“There is never a simple or easy replacement for spending time face to face with your business partners,” Thiel said.
ROCHEM and its customers have been impacted by tariffs on certain goods from China, although those costs are usually passed on to consumers. In some cases, production moved to other countries such as India and Mexico. ROCHEM provided customers with solutions outside of China as options free of high tariffs on select Chinese goods.
“The reality is that healthcare costs are already so high in the U.S.A. that I don’t believe the government wants to ratchet those costs even higher for the general American consumer,” Thiel said. “So, any further tariff moves will continue to be on more ‘optional’ types of products vs. key daily medicines or supplements.”
ROCHEM actively participates in numerous trade shows each year, providing a valuable opportunity to engage with customers and suppliers face-to-face in a highly efficient manner. This approach streamlines connections and fosters stronger relationships.
“To accomplish the same would require an inordinate amount of travel time and cost,” Frisch added. “By concentrating these interactions in one place, we maximize our ability to build partnerships and stay at the forefront of industry trends, all while optimizing our resources.”
ROCHEM built a robust core business and continues to venture into new areas of healthcare for humans and animals.
“We won’t lose focus on building on the strengths we have in today’s business units,” Frisch said. “I envision a future where we strategically acquire a complementary business, unlocking new avenues for growth and innovation. By expanding into market segments where our core ingredients play a pivotal role in finished products, we’ll not only broaden our impact but also enhance our value proposition. This move will position us at the forefront of industry evolution, sustainability, allowing us to harness our expertise and drive transformative change across new and exciting markets, and governing and supplying high-quality products for human healthcare to allow their lives to shine.”
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