Nagase Specialty Materials adds Abdul Aziz El Khatib to its supply chain team

Itasca, IL – NAGASE Specialty Materials (NSM) has appointed Abdul Aziz El Khatib as a buyer. The Bloomingdale-Ill. resident will focus on the industrial side of NSM, managing domestic purchasing and inventory for its Performance Chemical lines.

A native of the United Arab Emirates, El Khatib’s family came to the United States on a hot July day a decade ago and settled in the western Chicago suburbs. While at DePaul University, he did an internship with NAGASE Specialty Materials, where he was hired after graduation.

“Abdul demonstrated a passion to learn and grow with NSM,” said Ray Winkel, Director, Supply Chain Management.

“He has excellent communication skills and a desire to take on and manage projects.”

El Khatib is fluent in English, Arabic and French. Prior to joining the NAGASE team, he had relatable work experience in a retail environment with Meijer, a Midwest-based grocery chain ranked No. 14 on Forbes’ list of America’s largest privately-held companies. There, he not only gained valuable customer service experience, but also was tasked with forecasting and replenishing stock.

“I’m working the entire supply chain from product ordering, shipping, delivery to NSM and ultimately to our customers,” said El Khatib. “NAGASE is a good fit. I had a very good introduction to logistics and supply chain through the pandemic as we had to deal with supply chain issues. Getting an item from point A to point B, in the fastest way possible, intrigued me.”

El Khatib appreciates how much goes into getting products on the shelves. “If you step back and see how much work goes into getting the product on the shelves, you realize there is a bigger picture for all of that. I wanted to get involved and make that process better,” he said.

Passionate about cooking, El Khatib’s supply chain experience means he doesn’t get too concerned if his local grocer is out of a specialty item. He sees far beyond an empty shelf. “That item could be on a ship or a truck or in a warehouse ready to be shipped to the store,” he says. His culinary curiosity and determination to get a dish right carries over to his work. “I never stop trying. If I fail at something, I keep going. I try again and again and again. I will keep trying until it starts working.”