The ChemQuest Group recently announced that it has hired Karl Davenport to be its newest director. A specialty chemicals industry veteran, Davenport brings over 35 years of global experience, having orchestrated projects with leading specialty chemicals producers in North America, Europe, and Asia. He has been involved in many projects related to starting up production, expanding chemical/coatings manufacturing operations, consolidating operations/laboratories, and transferring manufacturing operations from one or multiple locations.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in polymers and coatings technology from Eastern Michigan University in 1987, Davenport launched his career as a Q/A chemist at Valspar’s Fort Wayne, Ind., plant. He held several roles of increasing responsibility with Lilly Industries and was selected to lead the Valspar-Lilly acquisition integration. He has also worked with SRI Group, Ellis Paint, and SDC Technologies.

“Having aspired for years to join the ChemQuest Group, given its reputation for excellence in the specialty chemicals industry, I am excited to be putting my 35+ years of upgrading commercial and operational efficiencies in specialty chemicals’ facilities to work for ChemQuest,” said Davenport. “My goal is to ensure clients are cost competitive without sacrificing quality amid persistent uncertainty in global markets; the state of uncertainty has become a key driver of manufacturing consolidation.”

“We warmly welcome Karl Davenport to our practice,” said Dan Murad, president and CEO of ChemQuest. “Working with the ChemQuest team, our clients in specialty chemicals can uncover hidden EBITDA within their supply chains; for example, in customer transactions, sales, procurement, manufacturing, and R&D. ChemQuest Directors Karl Davenport and Pete Smith will put their decades of successful corporate and plant audits to work for our clients to ensure their superior competitive position moving forward.”

For more information, visit www.chemquest.com.