In April 2023, Cathay Industries, a leading global iron oxide pigment manufacturer, unveiled its new name, OXERRA, along with its new brand identity, after completing the acquisition of Venator's color business. A year after this acquisition, PCI interviewed Kevin Miles, Chief Executive Officer, OXERRA Americas, to learn about the combined businesses, the rebrand, what’s driving R&D, and what’s next for the company.

PCI: It has been a year since Cathay Industries completed the acquisition of Venator’s color business, and rebranded as OXERRA. What have the last 12 months been like for you?

Kevin Miles: This past year has been extremely active and challenging. We have made a lot of progress towards achieving our goals for the combined businesses. We have been successful in rolling out our new brand and have started the process of integrating some of our products globally. We continue to improve upon our manufacturing processes, market expansion, and sustainability.

PCI: Can you discuss the company’s new name, and the meaning behind it? 

Kevin Miles: "OXERRA" is a combination of “ox”, which represents iron oxide pigment being the heart of our business, and “terra”, which is Latin for earth, and represents our commitment to sustainability and adding color to our planet.

PCI: How is the business different since the rebranding and the integration of the Venator business? 

Kevin Miles: The combined business is stronger now, as we have greater resources and flexibility to supply the market. We have production capabilities on multiple continents, greater diversification of supply lines, and deeper expertise across the company. OXERRA is positioned to provide our customers their product needs in a variety of ways, which ensures their supply chain is reliable. We have also taken the strengths of each of the businesses and worked on eliminating some of the inefficiencies that previously existed.

PCI: What growth opportunities do you see for the company in the near term? 

Kevin Miles: As we have expanded our product lines and manufacturing capabilities, we are entering into new markets that were previously under-served. OXERRA also continues to develop new products to meet the ever-changing needs of the market. We will continue to grow our relationships with our strategic partners, which will strengthen our position in the market.

PCI: What’s next for OXERRA in the longer term? 

Kevin Miles: OXERRA will continue to work on improving our position as a reliable global supplier in the market, and continue to grow our portfolio to meet all of our customers’ needs. In addition, we will continue our efforts to improve our sustainability around the globe.

PCI: OXERRA is now comprised of many iconic legacy brands. What’s the strategy moving forward to highlight them? What will happen to redundant products? 

Kevin Miles: Yes, with brands such as CathayCoat, Granufin, Davis Colors, etc., we have some of the most recognizable names in the market. We will continue the legacy of the products and expand their presence in the market. Over time we will evaluate the products that may be redundant in our portfolio and work to combine the customers of those products into the best available product.

PCI: How have customers reacted to OXERRA since its introduction, along with its diverse offering of products? 

Kevin Miles: The acquired business had several name changes over the years before this acquisition, so many of those existing customers were used to change. However, rebranding of the combined businesses we felt was essential to reflect our new, expanded global footprint. Most customers have indicated they like the new branding, despite some inconveniences of updating their systems. As a leader in the iron oxide pigments industry, the name OXERRA will be here for a very, very long time.

PCI: What global trends are driving your R&D? 

Kevin Miles: Customers are constantly wanting improved performance and new characteristics from their components. In addition, they also want to be able to source more products in one place. We continue to develop higher performance products as well as expand into new product lines to feed these desires. Our R&D is focused in making sure we can meet these needs.

PCI: What exciting new technologies are available in the pigment space? 

Kevin Miles: While not necessarily new technology, we are excited about our expanding capabilities of offering complex inorganic color pigment (CICP) products from both Europe and Asia. We will be continuing to develop new products in these lines in the future.

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