ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Ecolab announced that J. Erik Fyrwald, president of Ecolab, will leave
the company to become the chief executive officer of Univar, a leading
global distributor of commodity and specialty chemicals. Fyrwald joined
Ecolab as part of the Nalco merger, which closed December 1, 2011,
having served as the chairman and chief executive officer of Nalco since
2008.
Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
commented, saying, "While Erik's departure was not unexpected, I will
truly miss partnering with him. He is a first-class individual and
executive, and the progress we've made in bringing our two companies
together is clearly a reflection of his outstanding leadership and
support. By bringing Nalco and Ecolab together, we've created the global
leader in water, hygiene and energy services. Erik has been a strong and
consistent partner throughout our negotiation, merger and integration,
always operating in the best interests of his company, shareholders and
employees. Erik made significant contributions during his tenure to see
this merger through and we are grateful for his service. We thank Erik
for his partnership and friendship, and wish him well in this next
opportunity."
Fyrwald stated, "I have truly enjoyed my association with Doug and the
rest of the Ecolab team. The combined company is stronger than either
company was before the merger, with better growth prospects and an
outstanding management team. I am confident in their ability to achieve
superior growth and success in the years ahead. Further, our legacy
Nalco businesses are in strong hands, led by excellent managers in whom
I have the greatest confidence and expect will continue to aggressively
grow and develop their businesses. It is difficult to leave this
terrific company, as well as my many Nalco associates, but I look
forward to this next phase of my career with excitement."
About Ecolab
With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and
more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader
in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and
protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy
environments. Nalco, an Ecolab company, specializes in industrial water,
energy and air applications, helping customers reduce natural resource
consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and
improve productivity. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and
services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality
markets in more than 160 countries.
For more news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.
(ECL-C)
Ecolab Inc.
Michael Monahan, 651-293-2809
Source: Ecolab Inc.
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