For Immediate Release

January, 2013

In a meeting with employees, one of the founders, and President of Columbus Chemical Industries, (CCI), Richard J. Sheard announced he has decided to step away from day-to-day duties as President and CEO.  He will, however, continue to provide leadership to CCI as Chairman of the Board.  Chairman Sheard stated how appreciative he is of the employees who have worked over the past 34 years to grow CCI from a family business into a recognized leader in the specialty chemicals industry.    Sheard then announced that he and the Board of Directors have selected Randall J. Eppli, to take the reigns as President and CEO of CCI.

As President and CEO, Mr. Eppli directed Stoughton, WI, based Universal Acoustic & Emission Technologies to become a global leader in environmental and acoustic control.   Eppli is an industrial markets veteran, including senior leadership roles with Cummins, Nelson Industries and Crown Zellerbach.   He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

“The Board of Directors and I are thrilled that Randy has joined us to lead the growth of Columbus Chemical to the next level,” Sheard stated.   He continued, “We have a talented team of professionals that have taken us to where we are today and, together, we look forward to expanding our business by solving our customers’ continuously-evolving chemistry challenges.”   Eppli stated, “Columbus Chemical is a great business with a strong foundation in markets that are growing and I am honored to now be part of the CCI team”.   “We will continue the legacy of growing CCI by being a market focused company with the technical expertise to help customers achieve success”, Eppli concluded.

Columbus Chemical Industries, Inc. began operating in Columbus, WI in 1978 as a supplier of reagent chemicals for laboratory analysis.  Headquartered in Columbus, WI today, with operations in Phoenix, AZ and Singapore, CCI employees serve the semiconductor, medical device, analytical testing and industrial markets by processing and purifying chemicals to high purity and ultra-pure standards.

Philanthropic gestures have been a part of CCI’s philosophy since it was founded by the Sheard family in the 1960’s. President Richard Sheard is personally active in the community donating time, money and advisory assistance to many worthy causes.

The full four year scholarship to UW Madison offered annually by CCI to a deserving graduate from Columbus High School highlights the charitable contributions of the company and its founder. This year’s scholarship recipient, Payton Archambault, exemplifies what it takes to earn this valuable award.

Scholastically he took advantage of many advanced placement classes excelling at Calculus and History. Even with the advanced curriculum, he managed to place among the top in his class. Payton is also an athlete competing in football and baseball. He actively volunteers to assist at related community sporting events every summer. Not stopping there, he is a student pilot hoping to attain his license this summer. For someone with his drive and spirit, it follows that he wouldn’t let the sky be his limit.

Payton is planning to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering and will evaluate his options for specialization as he progresses through the core curriculum. With the assistance of the CCI Scholarship, perhaps he will choose more than one.