07.15.14
Sartomer, a business unit of Arkema Inc., and a global leader in specialty acrylate and methacrylate monomers and oligomers, announced that Kenny Messer has joined the company as regional group president of Sartomer Americas.
In this new role, Messer will oversee operations in North and South America to deliver the focused innovation, clear strategic thinking, and industry-leading performance customers have come to expect from Sartomer to help them solve their toughest formulation challenges. He will report directly to Doug Sharp, global group president of Sartomer.
Messer comes to Sartomer from a career at Milliken Chemical in Spartanburg, S.C., that spanned more than 25 years. At Milliken, Messer started as a production manager and then held progressively more senior business positions until finally being named vice president of specialty chemical and packaging in January 2014. Along the way, Messer earned many business excellence awards for personal achievement and for group operations under his direction.
“Throughout almost three decades of service to the specialty chemical industry, Kenny has shown a passion for innovation and customer support along with a talent to get things done,” said Sharp. “That is exactly the kind of enthusiastic leadership we need to fulfill our brand promise to continually advance the field of acrylate and methacrylate chemistry.”
Messer holds a B.S. in chemistry from Western Carolina University and studied business in the Advanced Management Program at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. He is active in the community, holding many leadership positions at Western Carolina University (current Board of Trustees member, past president of the Athletic Board of Directors and the National Alumni Association Board of Directors).