Nalco appoints Melin to head Asia division

Nalco, a provider of water treatment services, chemicals and equipment programmes to the industrial sector and institutional organisations, has appointed Eric G Melin as the new chairman of its Asian division.

He joins the company from Isola, where he served as chief operating officer, president and board member. Prior to that, he spent 24 years with DuPont, eventually serving as vice-president and general manager of its $2 billion (£1.08 billion) performance coatings business.

According to Nalco chairman, president and chief executive officer Erik Fyrwald, Mr Melin’s comes as the firm looks to secure its place in Asia’s market.

He added that with the firm’s new focus on emerging economies through its BRIC + (Brazil, Russia, India, China) strategy, he expects substantial growth, with China set to become Nalco’s second-largest market worldwide.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Melin said: "We are uniquely positioned today with our products and services to capitalise on an increasing need to reduce the environmental footprint of industries in many of the developing countries in the region."

Founded in 1928, Nalco now works with 70,000 customers in 130 countries. It employs around 11,000 people.