Stuart Hayes joins Actega North America

Actega, a manufacturer of specialty coatings, inks, adhesives, sealants and compounds for the print and packaging industry, has appointed Stuart Hayes as its new managing director for Actega North America.

Hayes, with over 25 years of experience in the specialty chemicals industry, has held diverse positions, including operational, strategic, managerial and sales roles. With his tenure at companies like BASF and Evonik, including a three-year stint in Germany, he has cultivated an international perspective and a deep comprehension of multifunctional environments.

During his time at Evonik, Hayes played a pivotal role in developing a comprehensive sustainability roadmap for the North American region, showcasing his commitment to environmental responsibility. His educational background includes degrees in Chemical Engineering and Business Administration.

‘I am thrilled to begin this incredible journey with Actega North America as the managing director,’ commented Hayes. ‘Our exceptional team is committed to delivering high-quality products and services with a sustainability-driven approach. I look forward to working with this team to accomplish our objectives and reinforce Actega’s position as an industry leader. This will take an exciting leap forward in 2025 with our move to the impressive Kings Mountain facility as well as our additional investments at our New Jersey facility, which will boost our capabilities to serve our customers even better.’

Actega focusses on expanding its operations and improving its service offerings. One key component of this strategy is the establishment of a new 238,000sqft facility in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Once fully completed in 2025, it will consolidate four existing premises from North Carolina and Indiana. The new facility will serve as a platform to expand, especially its flexible packaging and metal packaging business line production and operations. It will also house all ink technology development under one roof, fostering synergy in R&D, technical service and quality control.

Thorsten Kröller, president of the division Actega, added: ‘Stuart's visionary leadership and expertise make him the ideal choice to propel Actega North America towards a successful future, which we also support with significant to our sites in North Carolina and New Jersey.  His skills in managing and developing teams will be instrumental in contributing to our global OneActega roadmap. I am confident that his addition to Actega's global management team will drive our unprecedented growth and innovation further.’