The Urethane Blog

Everchem Updates

VOLUME XXI

September 14, 2023

Everchem’s Closers Only Club

Everchem’s exclusive Closers Only Club is reserved for only the highest caliber brass-baller salesmen in the chemical industry. Watch the hype video and be introduced to the top of the league: — read more

August 17, 2018

Brink Moves to Hasa

Christopher (“Chris”) Brink Named Chief Operating Officer of Hasa

SAUGUS, Calif., Aug. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Hasa, Inc. (“Hasa”), a leading producer and distributor of high quality water treatment products used to sanitize and maintain water systems, today announced that Christopher (“Chris”) Brink has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Brink brings extensive experience in strategy, management, and product development and will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer, Rory Manley.

Prior to joining Hasa, Mr. Brink served as Vice President of the Polyurethane Systems division at Accella Performance Materials (“Accella”), a subsidiary of Carlisle Construction Materials. Accella is a manufacturer of custom formulated polyurethane systems for consumer and commercial end markets, with nine production facilities worldwide. Before joining Accella, Mr. Brink spent seven years at Henry Company, a building materials manufacturer, in a variety of operational roles, most recently as a Senior Vice President and Business Head. Earlier in his career, Mr. Brink held various sales and commercial leadership roles at the Dow Chemical Company and began his career as an applied chemist at the Stepan Company.

Rory Manley, CEO of Hasa, commented: “We are thrilled to have Chris join our organization at this point in our company’s trajectory. We will be drawing on Chris’ operational and strategic expertise as we continue to expand our capabilities and reach, while maintaining our focus on providing the highest levels of quality and service to our valued customers.”

ABOUT HASA, INC.

Hasa, Inc. is a leading producer and distributor of high quality water treatment products used to sanitize and maintain water systems, including swimming pools, water tanks and containment vessels for recreational, industrial and municipal end markets. Founded in 1964, the company operates across five facilities in California, Arizona, Washington and Texas.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/06/pr-newswire-christopher-chris-brink-named-chief-operating-officer-of-hasa.html

August 17, 2018

Brink Moves to Hasa

Christopher (“Chris”) Brink Named Chief Operating Officer of Hasa

SAUGUS, Calif., Aug. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Hasa, Inc. (“Hasa”), a leading producer and distributor of high quality water treatment products used to sanitize and maintain water systems, today announced that Christopher (“Chris”) Brink has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Brink brings extensive experience in strategy, management, and product development and will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer, Rory Manley.

Prior to joining Hasa, Mr. Brink served as Vice President of the Polyurethane Systems division at Accella Performance Materials (“Accella”), a subsidiary of Carlisle Construction Materials. Accella is a manufacturer of custom formulated polyurethane systems for consumer and commercial end markets, with nine production facilities worldwide. Before joining Accella, Mr. Brink spent seven years at Henry Company, a building materials manufacturer, in a variety of operational roles, most recently as a Senior Vice President and Business Head. Earlier in his career, Mr. Brink held various sales and commercial leadership roles at the Dow Chemical Company and began his career as an applied chemist at the Stepan Company.

Rory Manley, CEO of Hasa, commented: “We are thrilled to have Chris join our organization at this point in our company’s trajectory. We will be drawing on Chris’ operational and strategic expertise as we continue to expand our capabilities and reach, while maintaining our focus on providing the highest levels of quality and service to our valued customers.”

ABOUT HASA, INC.

Hasa, Inc. is a leading producer and distributor of high quality water treatment products used to sanitize and maintain water systems, including swimming pools, water tanks and containment vessels for recreational, industrial and municipal end markets. Founded in 1964, the company operates across five facilities in California, Arizona, Washington and Texas.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/06/pr-newswire-christopher-chris-brink-named-chief-operating-officer-of-hasa.html

August 17, 2018

Politicians Visit Stockmeier

Congressman David McKinley and German Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission Boris Ruge visit STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA to discuss economic development in West Virginia

Clarksburg, WV – August 2018 – STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc., was pleased to host a roundtable discussing economic development in West Virginia on August 15th.  Attendees included Christian Martinkat, Chairman of the Executive Commitee of STOCKMEIER Urethanes Group and CEO of STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc., Melissa Martinkat, Chief of Staff of STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc., Congressman David Mckinley, German Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission Boris Ruge, Governor Jim Justice’s Chief of Staff Mike Hall, West Virginia University President Dr. E Gordon Gee, New Martinsville General Plant Manager Craig Graybill from Covestro LLC, Ulrich Wicke from Prebena, Inc. and various members of the local and state Chamber of Commerce as well as German Trade and Industry representatives from Washington, D.C..

Christian Martinkat said STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA has come to feel at home in the Mountain State:

“The benefit of West Virginia not being a huge state is that it’s a small community. And on the government side, the legislative side, you get to know everybody relatively quickly.  I always like to tell people that in West Virginia, if you have an issue and you need government support, you’re usually one phone call away from the governor’s office or any of his deputies to get help and to get something resolved.”  Martinkat said

Boris Ruge, German Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission expressed his appreciation of the interest and attention to detail shown by those who participated in the round table discussion.

“For me, coming from the embassy in Washington, it’s always really useful to go out and speak to people at the state and local level,” he said. “What I thought was really helpful about this conversation today was we had the business community here — three German companies represented; we had the Chamber of Commerce; we had the state level; and we had the congressman. That’s really helpful for us, you have to speak with the businesses and then you understand what’s going on.”

As a specialist within the STOCKMEIER Group, STOCKMEIER Urethanes GmbH & Co. was founded in 1991 in Germany as a polyurethane systems house focused on the development and manufacturing of coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers for a wide range of sports and industrial markets. Operating worldwide with ISO 9001 certified production facilities and laboratories in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, STOCKMEIER Urethanes provides customers with consistent global delivery of high quality polyurethane products and services.

August 17, 2018

Politicians Visit Stockmeier

Congressman David McKinley and German Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission Boris Ruge visit STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA to discuss economic development in West Virginia

Clarksburg, WV – August 2018 – STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc., was pleased to host a roundtable discussing economic development in West Virginia on August 15th.  Attendees included Christian Martinkat, Chairman of the Executive Commitee of STOCKMEIER Urethanes Group and CEO of STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc., Melissa Martinkat, Chief of Staff of STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc., Congressman David Mckinley, German Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission Boris Ruge, Governor Jim Justice’s Chief of Staff Mike Hall, West Virginia University President Dr. E Gordon Gee, New Martinsville General Plant Manager Craig Graybill from Covestro LLC, Ulrich Wicke from Prebena, Inc. and various members of the local and state Chamber of Commerce as well as German Trade and Industry representatives from Washington, D.C..

Christian Martinkat said STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA has come to feel at home in the Mountain State:

“The benefit of West Virginia not being a huge state is that it’s a small community. And on the government side, the legislative side, you get to know everybody relatively quickly.  I always like to tell people that in West Virginia, if you have an issue and you need government support, you’re usually one phone call away from the governor’s office or any of his deputies to get help and to get something resolved.”  Martinkat said

Boris Ruge, German Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission expressed his appreciation of the interest and attention to detail shown by those who participated in the round table discussion.

“For me, coming from the embassy in Washington, it’s always really useful to go out and speak to people at the state and local level,” he said. “What I thought was really helpful about this conversation today was we had the business community here — three German companies represented; we had the Chamber of Commerce; we had the state level; and we had the congressman. That’s really helpful for us, you have to speak with the businesses and then you understand what’s going on.”

As a specialist within the STOCKMEIER Group, STOCKMEIER Urethanes GmbH & Co. was founded in 1991 in Germany as a polyurethane systems house focused on the development and manufacturing of coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers for a wide range of sports and industrial markets. Operating worldwide with ISO 9001 certified production facilities and laboratories in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, STOCKMEIER Urethanes provides customers with consistent global delivery of high quality polyurethane products and services.

August 16, 2018

Serta Simmons May Buy Mattress Firm

Mattress Firm may get rescued by its biggest supplier

August 15, 2018 | 6:45pm

MattressfirmMattressfirmMattress Firm may get rescued by its biggest supplier

 

This couple may need a California king if it’s going to get comfy together.

The buyout firm that owns Serta Simmons — the nation’s biggest mattress maker — is actively exploring a takeover bid for Mattress Firm, the nation’s dominant mattress retailer, The Post has learned.

Executives at Advent International are mulling the marriage because Mattress Firm is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy — a collapse that would slam Serta Simmons with massive losses, according to sources close to the situation.

Serta Simmons is Mattress Firm’s biggest supplier. Last year, it shelled out $100 million to launch a five-year marketing partnership with Mattress Firm and its 3,300 stores.

Likewise, if Mattress Firm were to file for bankruptcy, “Serta Simmons has to be in there for $100 million in receivables” that would go unpaid, a source close to the talks said, as Serta Simmons sells $50 million of beds monthly through the retailer.

Mattress Firm dropped Tempur Sealy last year in a contract dispute, and Serta Simmons believed it would be the beneficiary. Instead, “they found out Mattress Firm was poisonous,” the source said.

Mattress Firm’s owner, South Africa-based Steinhoff International, is reeling from an accounting scandal. During the past few weeks, its creditors have taken effective control of Steinhoff’s operations, according to sources.

“The word is they are trying to sell Mattress Firm,” the source said.

Under Steinhoff’s direction, Mattress Firm last year bought rival Sleepy’s for $780 million and quickly got rid of the Sleepy’s name, costing it Northeast customers. A few months ago, Mattress Firm introduced a Sleepy’s bedding line, but the damage was already done, sources said.

To make matters worse, Amazon has begun selling millions of cheaper, Chinese-manufactured beds, even as bed-in-a-box startups led by Casper continue to steal away business.

Steinhoff’s creditors would like to have a new owner backstop Mattress Firm’s losses, now running $200 million a year, a second source said. Steinhoff, which paid $2.6 billion for Mattress Firm in 2016, would likely sell it for not much more than $1 billion including the assumption of debt, the second source said.

Mattress Firm in recent months has lowered prices to gain lost revenue, a move that has squeezed profit margins, sources said. Advent would need to close at least one quarter of Mattress Firm’s stores to get the retail chain profitable, sources said, and that may be hard outside of a bankruptcy.

Besides Advent, private equity firm THL Partners has also expressed interest in buying Mattress Firm, the sources said.

THL in January 2017 bought furniture and mattress retailer Art Van Furniture. Since then, Art Van has acquired two more furniture retailers giving it a combined $1.3 billion in expected revenue.

A sale could be part of a prepackaged Mattress Firm bankruptcy, the sources said. Mattress Firm lenders include both those who loaned money directly to Mattress Firm, and those who are Steinhoff lenders. The two lending groups might need to be on the same page in a sale, the second source said.

Mattress Firm, Advent and THL spokespeople didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

https://nypost.com/2018/08/15/mattress-firm-may-get-rescued-by-its-biggest-supplier/