Amvac restructured international sales and marketing operations

Date:07-09-2012

American Vanguard Corporation (Amvac) announced the restructuring of the International Sales & Marketing function of its principal operating subsidiary, AMVAC Chemical Corporation, effective immediately. Specifically, AMVAC has formed a new Netherlands-based subsidiary, AMVAC Netherlands BV, and appointed Ad de Jong to the newly created position of Managing Director of that subsidiary. In his new role, Mr. de Jong will be responsible for managing sales, marketing, finance, registration and supply chain relating to all ex-US sales of the Company’s products. This restructuring will serve to ensure that ample resources are in place to support the international practice now managed by Alfredo Pelaez, AMVAC’s Director of International Sales, who plans to retire at the end of the first quarter of 2013. Mr. Pelaez has served the Company since 2001, during which time international sales have increased ten-fold. In the near term, international operations should remain substantially unchanged. Mr. Pelaez will report to Mr. de Jong and will assist in the transition of ex-US activities over his remaining tenure at the Company.
 
Mr. de Jong has spent his entire career in the agricultural sector, starting in the advisory service with the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture and then holding positions of increasing responsibility over a 23 year period at Chemtura Corporation (and its predecessor companies) in sales, marketing and operations management, culminating with the position of Vice President Crop Protection for Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific, where he was responsible for an operation having sales in excess of $200 million. Mr. de Jong also served as Chairman of Chemtura’s European Business Council where he helped to develop that company’s European strategy. As a seasoned executive in international business, Mr. de Jong has compiled a consistent record of new product expansion and increased sales on multiple continents. 
 
Eric Wintemute, Chairman and CEO of American Vanguard, commented, “Ad’s extensive background in agricultural chemicals, knowledge of international markets, familiarity with regulatory and logistical matters and fluency in multiple languages will greatly assist American Vanguard in improving its global organization and driving international growth. Also, having a regional office within the European Community will enable us to offer an enhanced level of customer service, gain a clearer understanding of local markets, and establish a higher level of interaction with local regulatory agencies. We welcome Ad to the team and look forward to his leadership and the continued success of our international business.”
 
Mr. Wintemute continued, “It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the tremendous contribution that Alfredo Pelaez has made to the Company. He has built up our international organization virtually from whole cloth. In the process, he has integrated and launched newly acquired products on multiple continents, established a reliable network of distribution and handled all manner of issues relating to registration, production and logistics. He has been a valuable resource to AMVAC and will leave behind a platform that is poised for even greater success.”