Growth and Expansion Drives Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. to Announce Reorganization of U.S. Management Team

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Growth and expansion of the agricultural products and specialty products business units, and the pending retirement of a key leader of Phoenix-based Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. (TKI), is making it necessary to reorganize the company’s U.S. management team, according to Jordan Burns, CEO of TKI.

“TKI is committed to delivering sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer and healthier environment, and these changes to our management structure and leadership team will ensure our ability to grow in the future”

Burns announced today the forthcoming retirement of Ron Johnson, who has served as Vice President of Marketing and Sales – Broad Acres for nearly 10 years. Johnson, who has been with TKI for more than two decades, will officially retire during the fourth quarter of 2013 and will assist with transitional matters until then.

In connection with Johnson’s pending retirement, Russell Sides has accepted the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing for all TKI fertilizers sold in the U.S. and Canada effective immediately.

In this new role, Sides will be responsible for leading all sales and marketing strategy including brand development. He has been a part of the TKI team for more than eight years and has served in several roles, including his most recent position as Director of Supply Chain. Prior to joining TKI, Sides served in sales and management positions with other agricultural and industrial companies for more than 20 years.

Rick Letterman has accepted the role of Vice President of Product Development and Business Administration effective immediately. Letterman is charged with adding to the unique portfolio of TKI plant nutrients.

Rick has been a part of the TKI team for more than 22 years and has served in roles including his most recent position as Vice President of Specialty Agricultural Products.

In their new roles, Sides and Letterman will report to Larry Tryon, Group Vice President, North America Fertilizers.

In late 2012, TKI was reorganized into five Business Units, according to Burns. “The changing markets and our need to keep up with our growth made it necessary to implement some important changes in our management structure,” Burns said.

The five TKI Business Units and their leaders are now as follows:

TKI Business Unit	Leader	Position
U.S. and Canada Fertilizers	Larry Tryon	Group Vice President, North America Fertilizers
NovaSource	David Cassidy	Group Vice President for Crop Protection
Global Mining & Industrial	Ken Gagon	Group Vice President of Global Mining & Industrial
Kerley International	Geert Gyselinck	Group Vice President, Kerley International
MPR	Kevin Boltz	President, MPR

“TKI is committed to delivering sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer and healthier environment, and these changes to our management structure and leadership team will ensure our ability to grow in the future,” Burns said.

About Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc.

TKI produces and markets specialty chemical solutions, including fertilizers, crop protection chemicals and process chemicals and services to diverse markets around the globe. TKI operates 10 manufacturing plants in North America, in addition to an extensive terminal network. The company is a subsidiary of Tessenderlo Group, Brussels, Belgium.

About Tessenderlo Group

Tessenderlo Group (TG) is a worldwide specialty company focused on food, agriculture, water management and on valorizing bio-residuals. The group employs over 7,000 people and is a leader in most of its markets, with a consolidated revenue of 2.1 billion EUR in 2011. Tessenderlo Chemie NV is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Brussels and is part of Next 150 and BEL Mid indices. Financial News wires: Bloomberg: TESB BB – Reuters: TesBt.BR – Datastream: B:Tes

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