Ken Gayer, P.E.

In November 2020, Ken Gayer became USALCO’s Chief Executive Officer. Ken is also a member of the USALCO® Board of Directors. Ken is USALCO’s first CEO who is not a member of the Askew family, who have owned the company since its founding in 1980 by Lawrence Askew. Ken has decades of leadership experience in the chemicals sector and a proven track record of adding value for customers, employees, and shareholders. He and USALCO’s leadership team are driving the transformative growth of USALCO® to accelerate its leadership nationally as the provider of choice for high-quality aluminum-based chemicals used in water treatment and refinery catalyst manufacturing.

To help achieve this goal, Ken is driving the company to become faster, stronger, and better. Faster by being more customer-centric and investing to accelerate topline growth and winning in the marketplace. Stronger by transforming its capabilities and culture, with a focus on new ways of working and developing talent. Better by continuing to integrate purpose into its business strategy and products, while advancing social equity in the company and its communities.

Prior to joining USALCO, Ken served as CEO of Gelest, a specialty silicones and silanes producer later sold to Mitsubishi Chemical Company. Before leading Gelest, Ken was Business President of Honeywell Specialty Products and had a 15-year tenure at Honeywell in a variety of leadership positions. In addition, Ken has held leadership roles at McKinsey & Company and the Polaroid Corporation. Prior to his civilian career, Ken proudly served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy Nuclear Submarine Force. Ken earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.