HOUSTON – As part of a plan to expand its activities and increase its capacity to serve clients in the region, Oxiteno appointed Timothy Earl Madden as COO of Oxiteno USA. Madden has a track record of building global businesses, most recently with the Lubrizol Corp. His previous experience includes leadership positions with Noveon, BFGoodrich and Dow. Madden has worked in Europe, China and India, as well as in the United States. In each location, he implemented plant sites and labs, in addition to forming and leading business teams. He is joining Oxiteno to carry out the company’s aggressive growth plan for the United States.

To offer better and nimbler services to its American clients, Oxiteno also opened a new commercial office. The new office is centrally located in Houston and will bring Oxiteno’s U.S. management team closer to its customers and local business partners.

Oxiteno’s U.S. investment plan also includes the construction of an alkoxylation plant in Pasadena, Texas. Scheduled for completion towards the end of 2017, it will have a production capacity of 170,000 tons per year. The company also opened a new R&D center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi.

"With the new plant and lab facilities, and our market-based approach, we needed to put in place a senior-level leader to allow for faster decision making and to consolidate all the investments we are making into a unified effort. We are confident that Timothy will provide the leadership we will need to take these efforts to the next level,” said Joao Parolin, Chief Executive Officer, Oxiteno.

Oxiteno is leader in the manufacture of surfactants and specialty chemicals and develops innovative and sustainable solutions for a variety of markets, including the paint and coatings industry.