Newly appointed CEO, Andy Harris, also joins Vantage's board of directors
Andy Harris
Vantage Specialties, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Vantage Specialty Chemicals, Inc. a leading, vertically-integrated provider of naturally derived ingredients, is excited to announce that Andy Harris has joined the Company as CEO.
Mr. Harris also joins Vantage's board of directors and is an equity investor alongside H.I.G. Capital, LLC ("H.I.G") in the Company.
Most recently, Mr. Harris was the CEO of Accella Performance Materials, a leading manufacturer of custom formulated polyurethane system solutions, which experienced significant growth and profitability under his leadership.
During his tenure, Andy led Accella through fourteen acquisitions in four years before the successful sale of the company to The Carlisle Companies in October 2017.
Prior to Accella, Mr. Harris was the President and CEO of Syrgis Performance Products, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals delivering high quality key ingredients, intermediates and formulations that enhance the performance of end products.
He previously held a wide range of senior executive roles in sales, marketing, operations and business development capacities during his tenures at Betz Laboratories, Burkert Fluid Control Systems, Cerox Corporation, Exxon and Endress Hauser/Wedgewood Analytical.
Mr. Harris has an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona.
"I am thrilled to be joining a best in class organisation such as Vantage," remarked Harris. "Vantage is widely recognised in the industry for its customer-centric, solutions-oriented approach with a commitment to high quality products and operational excellence. There are significant growth opportunities ahead for the business and I look forward to working with the Vantage team as we lead the Company through its next stage of growth."
Vantage was re-acquired in October 2017 by H.I.G. Keval Patel, Managing Director of H.I.G. commented, "Andy is a tremendous leader with an excellent track record of growing specialty chemicals businesses. He brings the right combination of commercial, operational, and strategic experience necessary to direct and successfully execute Vantage's long-term plan. We are elated to have Andy join the team and are confident that he will effectively lead Vantage in driving continued growth into the future."
