Emerald Kalama appoints distributor for western U.S.

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio—Emerald Performance Materials' Kalama Chemical unit has appointed Dowd and Guild Inc. as its distributor in the western U.S. for its K-Flex-brand of low-VOC non-phthalate plasticizers and coalescents.

Founded in California in 1986, Dowd and Guild is a specialty chemical distributor serving the 11 states west of the Rocky Mountains and the southwestern states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. It operates a corporate office in San Ramon, Calif., with a sales office in Cerritos, Calif., and a satellite office in Reno, Nev.

The firm operates in the paint and coatings, inks, adhesives, composites, building products, plastics and related specialty chemical industries.

"Dowd in Guild is experienced and widely trusted by manufacturers in the western states, including those in key industries where K-Flex products are used," Scott Neuheardt, vice president and general manager for the K-Flex business, said in a statement. "Growth in these markets is very healthy, and along with shifting consumer preferences for environmentally friendly, high performing products, it has led to increasing demand for K-Flex."

Emerald Kalama Chemical is a global chemical supplier with manufacturing sites in Kalama, Wash.; Widnes, England; and Rotterdam, Netherlands.