Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd. Announces Retirement of Mike Donaldson

President and CEO of Valent U.S.A. Corporation, Valent BioSciences and Pace International Retires After 35 Years of Service to the Industry; Successors Announced

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--()--Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited (“Sumitomo”), Tokyo, Japan, announced that Michael Donaldson, president and CEO of Valent U.S.A. Corporation (Walnut Creek, CA), Valent BioSciences Corporation (Libertyville, IL), and Pace International (Seattle, WA), and executive officer for Sumitomo will retire at the end of March 2014.

Mr. Donaldson has held numerous leadership positions over his career in multinational companies around the world, with a focus on both biorational products and conventional chemicals for agriculture, forestry and public health. His pioneering work in the area of biorational products spanned more than 35 years and included research and development and business management positions with Sandoz Crop Protection, Abbott Laboratories and Sumitomo. In these roles, Mr. Donaldson led efforts to integrate biorational products as partners with conventional chemistries for pest management and the enhancement of crop quality and yield.

During his last 14 years with Sumitomo, Mr. Donaldson’s leadership significantly increased the global footprint of the Sumitomo biorational portfolio, culminating in the construction of the first world-class, dedicated manufacturing facility for biorational products, located in Osage, Iowa. This facility is representative of the strong foundation in biorationals built by Mr. Donaldson during his tenure with Sumitomo, and it also underpins the long-term commitment of Sumitomo to the future of biorationals. After his retirement, Mr. Donaldson will continue to support Sumitomo as Advisor, especially to the president of the Sumitomo Health and Crop Sciences Sector.

Sumitomo also announced that Andy Lee, currently executive vice president and chief operating officer of Valent U.S.A. Corporation, will assume the role of president and CEO of Valent U.S.A. and Valent BioSciences, as the successor of Mr. Donaldson. Mr. Lee brings significant experience in both conventional and biorational agricultural products and will be responsible for leading the continued growth of the total portfolio of products from Sumitomo in the NAFTA region and globally for the biorational portfolio from Valent BioSciences. Ted Melnik, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Valent BioSciences, will also assume the role of president of Pace International, the global leader in post-harvest products.

In addition, Matt Plitt, currently vice president of sales for Valent U.S.A., has been appointed as the new executive vice president and chief operating officer of Valent U.S.A., succeeding Andy Lee.

“We would like to congratulate Mr. Donaldson on his many years of service to the industry and welcome Mr. Lee, Mr. Plitt and Mr. Melnik to their new positions,” said Ray Nishimoto, director and managing executive officer and president of the Health and Crop Sciences Sector for Sumitomo.

About Valent BioSciences Corporation

Headquartered in Libertyville, Ill., Valent BioSciences Corporation is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited. Valent BioSciences is the worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of biorational products, with sales in 95 countries around the world. Valent BioSciences is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company. For additional information, visit the company’s website at valentbiosciences.com.

About Valent U.S.A. Corporation

Valent U.S.A. Corporation, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., develops and markets products in the United States and Canada 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 plant growth regulator 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 Corporation.

For more information about Valent U.S.A. Corporation or our full product line, please call 800-6-VALENT (682-5368) or visit valent.com.

About Pace International LLC

Pace International LLC collaborates with growers, packers and agricultural organizations to develop innovative solutions to enhance, protect, and preserve fruit and vegetable quality. Pace is the leading provider of post-harvest solutions and technologies, equipment and technical services to maximize efficiencies in packing operations and increase the value of crops being processed. Pace International LLC is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA with R&D, Manufacturing and Administration in Wapato, WA and Sales and Technical Service Offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.paceint.com

About Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Sumitomo Chemical Company is one of Japan’s leading chemical companies, offering a diverse range of products globally in the fields of basic chemicals, petrochemicals, IT-related chemicals and materials, health and crop science products, and pharmaceuticals. The company’s consolidated net sales for fiscal year 2012 were JPY 1.95 trillion. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/.

Contacts

Valent BioSciences Corporation
Rick Melnick, 847-968-4750
rick.melnick@valentbiosciences.com
or
Meg Brodman, 925-256-2797
meg.brodman@valent.com

Contacts

Valent BioSciences Corporation
Rick Melnick, 847-968-4750
rick.melnick@valentbiosciences.com
or
Meg Brodman, 925-256-2797
meg.brodman@valent.com