News

USALCO, LLC (“USALCO” or the “Company”), a leading producer of high-quality aluminum-based chemicals used in water treatment and refinery catalyst manufacturing, has appointed Ken Gayer as its first non-family chief executive officer (CEO). Founding family members Peter and David Askew, both of whom have served as former USALCO CEOs, will continue to serve the Company as co-chairmen of the Board of Directors.

Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, USALCO supplies high quality products with best-in-class service and industry-leading research and development to design solutions that meet its customers’ individual needs and ever-changing regulatory requirements. USALCO operates an efficient network of nine plants in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southeast United States and an extensive logistics platform. Over the past decade the Company has grown significantly through new product introductions, capital investment, and acquisition. In June 2020, H.I.G. Capital announced a strategic investment in USALCO to further accelerate the Company’s growth objectives.

Keval Patel, Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital, said, “We see significant opportunities for USALCO to continue building its exceptional technology and engineering-based client service capabilities and to partner with customers to find new ways to address their most pressing needs. Since forming the partnership with Peter and David last June, we are seeing even more growth potential than initially envisioned. Ken is a great addition to lead an already strong management team and help us deliver on the promise of this investment.”

“We are excited to welcome Ken to USALCO as the next step in our ongoing growth plan, said Board of Directors Co-chairman Peter Askew. “Ken has decades of leadership experience in the chemicals sector and a proven track record of adding value for customers, employees, and shareholders.”

Co-chairman David Askew added, “I am pleased with the progress against our strategic plan and look forward to continuing to be a part of shaping USALCO’s future. We will always remain focused on the safety and health of our employees and the environment and stay committed to providing exceptional products and service to our customers.”

Gayer most recently served as CEO of Gelest, a specialty silicones and silanes producer recently sold to Mitsubishi Chemical Company. Prior to Gelest, Ken was Business President of Honeywell Specialty Products and had a 15-year tenure at Honeywell in a variety of leadership positions. Prior to Honeywell, he held leadership roles at McKinsey & Company, the Polaroid Corporation, and served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy Nuclear Submarine Force. Gayer holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Masters in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

About USALCO

USALCO is a leading provider of high-quality aluminum chemicals used in water and wastewater treatment, refinery catalysts and other industrial end market applications in the United States. Headquartered in Baltimore, MD, USALCO operates nine manufacturing facilities throughout the United States.

About H.I.G. Capital

H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with over $41 billion of equity capital under management. Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and Stamford in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused / value-added approach.

Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm’s current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com.

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