CHESTERLAND, Ohio and NEW CANAAN, Conn., March 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fairmount Santrol (NYSE:FMSA), a leading provider of high-performance sand and sand-based product solutions and Unimin Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of SCR-Sibelco NV, today announced the future executive leadership team of the combined company, to serve effective upon completion of the previously disclosed proposed transaction  between Unimin and Fairmount Santrol.

As previously announced, Jenniffer Deckard will serve as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of the combined company. Additional members of the executive leadership team announced today include:

• Gerald Clancey will serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of the combined company, and will lead the commercial operations for the combined company.
• Campbell Jones will serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the combined company, and will be responsible for leading the combined company’s operations, engineering and supply chain functions.
• Andrew Eich will serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the combined company, and will be responsible for the combined company’s finance and accounting functions.
• Brian Richardson will serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the combined company, and will lead the human resources, information technology, sustainable development and other corporate functions.

“Today marks an important milestone as we work toward combining Unimin and Fairmount Santrol to create a leader in proppant and industrial materials solutions,” said Jenniffer Deckard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fairmount Santrol. “Fairmount Santrol and Unimin both have exceptional talent across all levels, which is underscored by the very balanced leadership team we have assembled for the combined company post-close. We are confident that the significant strengths of this leadership team, coupled with our compatible cultures, will position the combined company for success both immediately after closing and beyond.”

Michael Biehl, Fairmount Santrol’s current Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will continue to serve in his capacity as such through the close of the merger. He has also agreed to stay on as Executive Vice President of the combined company to assist with the combined company’s integration through the 2018 financial reporting cycle. Mr. Biehl joined Fairmount Santrol in 2016 during a challenging energy cycle, and under his leadership, the company has achieved several significant accomplishments, including refinancing its debt and orchestrating two equity offerings in order to strengthen the company’s capital structure, as well as securing Fairmount Santrol’s Kermit mine with a long-term lease structure.

Deckard continued, “We are very pleased with the transitional and long-term leadership plans put in place thus far. I want to recognize all of our leaders for their continued dedication as we plan for the combined company and to thank those, in particular, who will be continuing in advisory roles following the closing to help ensure a seamless transition and integration. I would like to especially thank Michael Biehl for his dedicated and continued leadership.”

Until the closing of the merger, the respective companies will continue to operate under their current leadership structure and as two separate organizations. The companies intend to publicly announce the remaining individuals, in addition to Jenniffer Deckard, to serve on the Board of Directors of the combined company in the coming weeks.

The merger, which has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and received notice from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, was granted, is expected to close in mid-2018, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Fairmount Santrol stockholders.

About Jenniffer Deckard
Ms. Deckard has served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Fairmount Santrol since 2013. Previously, Ms. Deckard served as President from January 2011 until May 2013, Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer from 1999 until 2011, Corporate Controller from 1996 to 1999, and Accounting Manager from 1994 until 1996. Ms. Deckard serves on the Board of Directors for RPM International, Inc. (NYSE:RPM). Ms. Deckard received a B.S. from the University of Tulsa, her C.P.A. certification from the State of Missouri and M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University.

About Gerald Clancey
Mr. Clancey has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer at Fairmount Santrol since 2015. In this role, he has responsibility for Domestic and International Sales into the Proppant and Industrial & Recreational (I&R) channels as well as leadership for Supply Chain and Logistics. Previously, Mr. Clancey served as Executive Vice President of Supply Chain and I&R sales since 2011, Vice President of Sales for I&R from 2002 to 2011, and General Sales Manager for the Fairmount Santrol’s TechniSand resin-coated foundry division from 1998 to 2002. Mr. Clancey received a B.S. from Kent State University and M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.

About Campbell Jones
Mr. Jones has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Unimin since 2015 and has been a member of the Unimin Board since 2015. He has also served as Group Chief Operating Officer of Sibelco since 2016. Mr. Jones has been with Sibelco or its affiliates since 2000. He was Managing Director of Sibelco Australia Limited from 2006 to 2014 and Executive General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of Sibelco Australia Limited from 2000 to 2006. Prior to joining Unimin, Mr. Jones was Executive General Manager at Commercial Minerals from 1997 to 2000 and Managing Director at Envirotech Australia from 1992 to 1997. Mr. Jones received a B.E. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of New South Wales.

About Andrew Eich
Mr. Eich has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Unimin since June 2016 and has been a member of the Unimin Board since January 2016. From 2012 to June 2016, Mr. Eich was Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance & Development and Treasury of Unimin. From 2004 to 2012, Mr. Eich served in a variety of roles at Aetos Capital, an Asia-focused real estate private equity firm, including roles in M&A, portfolio management, corporate finance and investor relations. Mr. Eich started his career at KPMG LLP in New York, where he worked from 2002 to 2004 in KPMG’s assurance practice. Mr. Eich received a B.A. in Management Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University. Mr. Eich is a CPA (inactive) and CFA charter holder.

About Brian Richardson
Mr. Richardson has served as Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer at Fairmount Santrol since 2015. In this capacity, he provides leadership for the company’s Human Resources, Information Technology, Risk Management, Sustainable Development and Internal Communications functions. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Richardson was Senior Vice President of Human Resources for the Global Finishes Group of The Sherwin-Williams Company. Mr. Richardson received a B.A. in Finance from Baldwin-Wallace College and M.B.A. from The Ohio State University.

About Fairmount Santrol
Fairmount Santrol is a leading provider of high-performance sand and sand-based products used by oil and gas exploration and production companies to enhance the productivity of their wells. Fairmount Santrol also provides high-quality products, strong technical leadership and applications knowledge to end users in the foundry, building products, water filtration, glass, and sports and recreation markets. Its expansive logistics capabilities include a wide-ranging network of distribution terminals and railcars that allow Fairmount Santrol to effectively serve customers wherever they operate. As one of the nation’s longest continuously operating mining organizations, Fairmount Santrol has developed a strong commitment to all three pillars of sustainable development, People, Planet and Prosperity. Correspondingly, Fairmount Santrol’s motto and action orientation is: “Do Good. Do Well.” For more information, visit FairmountSantrol.com.

About Unimin

Unimin is an application-focused minerals company providing materials solutions to its customers drawing from a diversified product portfolio and the worldwide production capabilities of Sibelco, its privately held parent organization. Unimin is one of the largest producers of quartz proppants for oil and natural gas stimulation and recovery and is a leading supplier of multi-mineral product offerings to industrial customers in glass, construction, ceramics, coatings, polymers and foundry markets.