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Valent U.S.A. names Bill Hendrix Vice President of Technology

Valent U.S.A. LLC announced the appointment of William "Bill" Hendrix as vice president of technology, reporting to Matt Plitt, executive vice president and chief operating officer. In this role, Hendrix will oversee all research and development (R&D) functions, as well as all regulatory activities for Valent. He succeeds Eric Johnson, who will transition to an advisory role with Valent and parent company, Sumitomo Chemical.

Hendrix joins Valent from Dow AgroSciences, where he held a range of technology leadership positions over the past 28 years. He most recently served in the role of U.S. field R&D leader where he led a team of scientists for field, turf and urban research and a field station for the Coastal Crops R&D program. He is an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University, and a member of its Ph.D. committee for seed treatment research.

"Bill is a respected leader with a proven track record of leading innovative technologies that help growers with their advanced crop protection needs," said Plitt. "Bill's customer focus, spirit of innovation, and in-depth knowledge of the agriculture industry will be an asset to both our customers and our business, and we're pleased to welcome him to the Valent team."

Hendrix earned a doctorate degree in Entomology from Iowa State University, a master of science degree in Entomology from the University of Arkansas, and a bachelor of science degree in Botany/Horticulture from Clemson University. He has served on numerous regional and national professional committees and delivered over 106 presentations and published 19 refereed journal articles.

About Valent U.S.A. LLC

Valent U.S.A. LLC, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., develops and markets products in the United States, Canada and Mexico that protect agricultural crops, enhance crop yields, improve food quality, beautify the environment and safeguard public health. Valent products include a well-known line of quality herbicide, insecticide, fungicide and crop enhancement products for agricultural, seed protection and professional use. Valent is a leader in marketing and sales of both traditional chemical products and also biorational products developed by its affiliate, Valent BioSciences LLC.

About Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Sumitomo Chemical is one of Japan's leading chemical companies, offering a diverse range of products globally in the fields of petrochemicals, energy and functional materials, IT-related chemicals and materials, health and crop science products, and pharmaceuticals. The company's consolidated net sales for fiscal year 2016 were JPY 2.0 trillion.