Reorganization at Columbian Chemicals Aligns Marketing, Sales and Carbon Black Technology Groups

Columbian Chemicals today announced a major global reorganization that results in the creation of a new Marketing, Sales and Carbon Black Technology group.

“Combining our Marketing and Sales groups with the Product Development and Technical Service groups will facilitate and accelerate innovation, and increase our speed to market with a total value package of products and services that our business partners need to be successful,” said Columbian President James P. Berresse.

“For the past year, Columbian has been evolving into an organization that can partner with our customers to understand fully their business and provide them with differentiated products and services that are best in class,” Mr. Berresse said. “By increasing the coordination among the three groups at Columbian that have the closest relationships with our customers, we will be in a better position to turn our customers` needs into value-added carbon black solutions.”

An external search is under way to find a candidate to head the new Marketing, Sales and Carbon Black Technology group. In the expanded organization, Jas Sandhu will remain as Vice President Global Marketing. Dr. Jorge Ayala has been named Vice President Carbon Black Technology. The Sales function will be led regionally by Lester Tyra in North America, Javier Corcuera in Europe, Ronaldo Duarte in South America and J.B. Park in Asia.

Mr. Berresse added that as a result of the reorganization, Columbian`s North American Customer Service function will play a stronger role in the Sales group. “This will create a more cohesive relationship with customers that results in seamless and coordinated communications from the time an order is placed until our customers are sure that the product or service received meets their needs and expectations,” he said.

In addition, the Marketing group will expand its focus beyond the three traditional segments -- Tire, Mechanical Rubber Goods and Industrial Carbon Blacks. “We recognize that applications for carbon black are evolving,” Mr. Berresse said. “Tire, MRG and ICB applications will remain the most important, but we have designed an organization that will also allow us to serve those customers who want to use carbon black in new and previously unimagined ways to develop cutting-edge products.”

Columbian Chemicals is one of the world`s leading producers of carbon black – an engineered material that improves the strength, durability and overall performance of a range of products including tires and other mechanical rubber goods, as well as inks, paints, plastics and coatings.

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