Aug. 31, 2010 (Business Wire) -- Rockwood Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ROC), today announced the promotion of Vernon S. Sumner to chairman of the executive management board of Sachtleben Chemie GmbH, Rockwood’s titanium dioxide pigments joint venture.
In his new role, Sumner will be based in Duisburg, Germany, and have full executive responsibility for Sachtleben’s global business. The joint venture, which was formed in August 2008 by combining Rockwood’s TiO2 pigments and functional additives business with Kemira Oyj’s TiO2 business, is a leading producer of specialty TiO2 pigments for the synthetic fiber, packaging inks, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food industries.
Sumner has been based in Austin, Texas, managing Rockwood’s Clay-Based Additives business, a global leader in the development of specialty rheological additives that impart unique properties and performance characteristics to coatings and inks, oilfield drilling fluids, composites, consumer care products and paper products. Sumner has also been managing Rockwood’s Chemical Specialties and Mineral Research and Development businesses and is a member of the board of the Viance LLC joint venture. Prior to joining Rockwood in 2001, Mr. Sumner spent 27 years in various management roles with Air Products Chemicals, Inc., including his last assignment as president and general manager for Air Products Polymers, LP. Sumner holds a BS in chemistry and an MBA in marketing from Lehigh University.
In announcing the appointment, Seifi Ghasemi, chairman and chief executive of Rockwood, said, “For the last decade, Vern Sumner has demonstrated his abilities by increasing the size of the businesses he managed by almost three times, and significantly improving profitability and productivity. He is a proven executive on our team.”
Rockwood Holdings, Inc. is a leading global specialty chemicals and advanced materials company. Rockwood has a worldwide employee base of approximately 9,500 people and annual net sales of approximately $3 billion. The company focuses on global niche segments of the specialty chemicals, pigments and additives and advanced materials markets. For more information on Rockwood, please visit www.rocksp.com.
The information set forth in this press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning the business, operations and financial condition of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Rockwood"). Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "predicts" and variations of such words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although Rockwood believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that its expectations will be realized. "Forward-looking statements" consist of all non-historical information, including any statements referring to the prospects and future performance of Rockwood. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in Rockwood's forward-looking statements due to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, the "Risk Factors" described in Rockwood's 2009 Form 10-K on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rockwood does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which any such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Rockwood Holdings, Inc.
Timothy McKenna, 609-734-6430
tmckenna@rocksp.com
