Robert Stefansic

National Starch, a subsidiary of AkzoNobel, is the leading global supplier of specialty starches with a principal focus on supplying the food industry. They also serve the papermaking market and supply high-value industrial starch technology for a variety of other consumer and industrial products and processes. The company employs 2,250 people and has operations in 30 countries. National Starch's goal as a business is to be the partner of choice as it seeks to harness the power of innovation in specialty starches for the next generation of food products. In addition, the company seeks to grow selectively within niche segments of papermaking and applications for natural polymers in industrial applications. With roots extending back to 1895, their people are innovators in starch science with a record of breakthroughs in specialty starches extending back to the very foundations of the industry and continuing today. Their ongoing investments in research and development are aimed at ever deepening their understanding and broadening their capabilities in specialty starch. Innovation in key growth platforms in response to consumer trends and demographic changes, combined with differential management of traditional modified starches, are focal points. National Starch operates a highly flexible global manufacturing network which can service both local and multinational specialty starch customers with products manufactured from a variety of starch sources. They actively pursue a sustainability improvement agenda commensurate with customer expectations and including world-class levels for safety, health and environment.

Honeywell, Inc. manufactured integrated and provided civil and military avionics and other aerospace products and service for homes, commercial and aviation industries. The company was headquartered in Minneapolis, MN

General Chemical Corp. supplies specialty chemicals. Its soldering fluxes are designed to reduce or virtually eliminate corrosion in soldered joints. The firm’s paint strippers are used for substrate such as aluminum, ferrous metals and other surfaces. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Brighton, MI.

The Valspar Corp. was engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of coatings and paints. It also offered packaging coatings, architectural coatings, wood coatings, industrial coatings, and automotive coatings. The company was founded in 1806 and was headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.