Keith Arnold Retires from MFG Chemical, Paul Turgeon Named President & CEO

Dalton, GA – MFG Chemical, a leader in specialty and custom chemical manufacturing announces that Paul Turgeon, who has served on the Company’s Board of Directors since 2017, and as Executive  Board Director, will now assume the position of President & CEO.

Keith Arnold, who has served as President  & CEO since 2017,  is stepping down to focus on personal and family priorities, However, Mr. Arnold will remain on MFG Chemical’s Board of Directors,  continuing to serve as a highly valued resource for the Company.  Additionally, Keith will continue on the Board of Governors at SOCMA, the chemical industry’s trade association.

Paul Turgeon is a well known thought-leader in the specialty chemical industry.   His previous experiences include positions with Ciba, FMC, BetzDearborn, Great Lakes Chemical, Nalco and Chemtura Corporation.   At Chemtura he and his partners executed purchase of the business he was leading in 2006, creating BWA Water Additives. He led the business for the next 4 and ½ years, at which time the company was sold for very a very high multiple. Mr. Turgeon has continued to work with private equity, serving on the Boards of Directors of U.S. Water, CCR, Versa flex and Anue Water Technologies. He also sits on the Editorial Advisory Board of Water & Wastes Digest, has been published by several leading trade publications and has served as a keynote speaker and panelist at several industry conferences, including Specialty & Agrochemicals America, AWT, NACE, et al. Paul earned an MBA from Emory University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto.

Mr. Turgeon stated, “I’m honored to assume the leadership of this great company, and look forward to working closely with this outstanding MFG team to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.  I thank Keith Arnold for his leadership and many important contributions, including the acquisition of our 27 acre Pasadena, Texas plant to better serve the oil & gas industry. Keith has also instilled a culture of plant safety and customer confidentiality.  He spearheaded the upgrading of all four of MFG Chemical’s plants, obtaining the recertification of ISO 9001: 2015 and the achievement of the “Excellence Tier” and numerous safety and plant improvement awards from SOCMA, the chemical industry’s trade association.”

Keith Arnold, who is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Engineering, had served as MFG Chemical’s VP Sales and Business Development prior becoming its CEO. Keith declared, “Working with so many wonderful customers and then leading MFG Chemical as its CEO has been the pleasure and honor of a lifetime. I’m going to enjoy more of a consultative role going forward as a Board Director, and will continue my close friendships and associations within the chemical industry, as well as my work for the SOCMA Board of Governors.  MFG Chemical’s customers and the MFG team could not be in more competent hands than with Paul Turgeon at the helm.”

About MFG Chemical

MFG Chemical is a leading specialty and custom chemical manufacturer for a variety of global markets. The company operates four manufacturing facilities with world-class product development capabilities in Northwest Georgia and Pasadena, Texas.  Key markets served include personal care, agriculture, asphalt, graphic arts, lubricants, mining, oilfield, paints & coatings, pulp & paper and water treatment. Major chemistries manufactured include amides, esters, imidazolines, water soluble polymers, rheology modifiers, specialty anhydrides, specialty surfactants and Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate (DOSS).