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About

Building what the industry needs next.

25 years inside chemical distribution. Technical service, business unit management, ERP implementation, and now running an AI consultancy built only for distributors. Everything we teach, we learned running the business.

inside chemical distribution
25 years
run as a branch manager
Full P&L
implementations led
ERP + CRM
Pete Messina

The path

25 years in chemical distribution, the long way.

2025 to now

Real Data Solutions

Founder

Consulting full time with distributors and manufacturers. AI implementation, training, and coaching, built only for this industry. Fast results on the systems and data clients already have.

  • AI implementation · Training · Coaching
2022 to 2025

Director of Digital Transformation

PVS Chemicals · Detroit

Led enterprise digital transformation. Owned the ERP implementation and the tuning after go live, and served as the primary liaison for the new CRM and integrations with outside tools. Mapped complex data flows across the business so executive leadership could make decisions in real time.

  • ERP implementation
  • CRM + tool integration
  • Data strategy
2019 to 2022

Branch Manager

PVS Chemicals · Detroit

Full P&L for the largest branch, run across multiple warehouses, overseeing sales, operations, customer service, purchasing, logistics, and quality. Grew EBITDA through organic sales expansion and disciplined management of variable costs.

  • Full P&L
  • Team across warehouses
  • EBITDA growth
2011 to 2019

Director of Technical Service

PVS Chemicals · Detroit

Built the Technical Service function from scratch, scaling it to handle customer inquiries across the business. Grew surfactant sales by pivoting to a technical selling strategy, with strong revenue growth at key accounts. Authored training, publications, and programs for joint customer visits that lifted the broader sales team. On the side, designed and built a customized CRM by writing tens of thousands of lines of SQL code.

  • Technical selling
  • Surfactant growth
  • Key account growth
  • Built custom CRM
2006 to 2011

Manager of Business Development

PVS Chemicals · Detroit

Ran R&D and market analysis to identify new applications and products. Directed a small team executing sales and marketing strategy to build the technical support frameworks that later spun out as the company's standalone Technical Service department.

  • New applications & markets
  • Founded the TS framework
1999 to 2005

Sales & Product Management

Aceto · New York

Started on the road as a specialty chemicals sales rep. Moved to product management in New York, growing a portfolio of product lines through the company's first ERP rollout.

  • Revenue growth
  • Product P&L
  • Adonix X3 ERP

Industry recognition

Distinctions from the industry.

  • ACD Education Expert badge featuring Pete Messina
    2024 Alliance for Chemical Distribution

    ACD Expert of the Year for Education

    Recognized for service on the Education Committee supporting ACD's Leadership Institute and Emerging Leaders program. Featured in Chemicals in Motion (January to March 2025).

    “There is no better organization than ACD for the chemical industry and I hold that organization in the highest regard. To hear that ACD recognized me in this manner is truly an honor.”
    Pete Messina

Education, certifications and affiliations

Chemistry, engineering, and the work to back it.

Education

  • Manhattan College logo
    Manhattan College
    Riverdale, NY
    • M.S. Chemical Engineering
    • B.S. Chemistry & Business

Affiliations & registrations

  • CSAT / CVI Registered
  • ACD Emerging Leaders Alumni (Class of '22)

What we believe

The principles that drive us.

Specialization is the moat

Real Data Solutions works only with distributors and manufacturers. The depth of industry knowledge is the competitive advantage. Broadening dilutes it.

Fix the process, then add AI

A good underlying process plus AI beats great AI dropped on top of a broken process. That's why our work starts where the process already works and the payoff is fastest.

You still need people

AI should give your people more valuable work. It works best when it takes the repetitive part of an operator's job.

Shipped beats perfect

A 70% solution shipped this quarter beats a perfect solution that never lands.