Frost & Sullivan Award Highlights Ashland's Total Commitment to Enhancing Customer Value

- Customisation helps the company add significant value to its state-of-the-art solutions

LONDON, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the municipal and industrial wastewater treatment chemicals market, Frost & Sullivan recognises Ashland Industries Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of Ashland Inc. (Ashland), with the 2012 European Customer Value Enhancement Award.

Ashland offers a comprehensive, state-of-the-art product portfolio and innovative chemical equipment technologies that effectively address diverse customer needs. Ashland's Praestol™, Amerfloc™ and Drewfloc™ flocculants as well as their Chargepac™ coagulants are the products of choice for wastewater and sludge treatment applications supported by public health and safety-related National Science Foundation (NSF/ANSI) certification.

"The usage of these chemicals in wastewater treatment significantly improves clarification, settling and separation, and thus the overall operational performance of the treatment plants." noted Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Anna Jarosik. "These products also reduce environmental impact and improve equipment capacity of clients. In sludge treatment, these chemicals are able to improve the liquid/solid separation and consequently, minimise the overall sludge volume."

Today's advanced wastewater treatment processes and equipment require a new generation of chemicals in order to exploit the full potential of these technologies. Ashland's new generation polymers are designed to improve thickening and dewatering performance resulting in waste reduction and lower operating costs.

Ashland offers its products to a wide range of customers, depending on the application and wastewater treatment conditions, through direct sales and exclusive channel partners. Ashland also has dedicated sales teams that work individually with municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants at the process level, verifying customers' wastewater treatment conditions.

 "This is crucial in identifying and developing customised treatment solutions for each customer," remarked, Jarosik. "The company supplies specific, tailor-made chemical solutions for an extensive range of municipal and industrial applications, including the treatment of water, wastewater and sludge. Furthermore, Ashland offers special technical and after-sales support, as well as guidance in various project stages."

"Ashland also focuses on effectively executing its sustainable strategy and building partnerships with industry stakeholders," added Jarosik. "The company constantly tracks and evaluates market needs and trends. It channels the most promising ideas into research and development projects with the help of its customers in order to further enhance the customised solutions offered."

In this way, Ashland ensures that there is a pipeline of customers required, as well as profitable business opportunities in place, to address the changing needs of customers.  The company continuously innovates in order to help customers meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

The Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Enhancement is presented each year to the company that has demonstrated excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for its customers while improving return on investments. This award recognises the company's inordinate focus on enhancing the value that customers receive; which therefore, leads to improved customer retention and ultimately, customer base expansion.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Ashland

In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, tissue and towel, and water treatment. Visit www.ashland.com to see the innovations we offer through our four commercial units – Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Water Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials and Ashland Consumer Markets.

Ashland Water Technologies is a leading global producer of papermaking chemicals and a leading specialty chemical supplier to the pulp, mining, food and beverage, paper, chemical processing, general manufacturing, institutional and municipal markets. Its process, utility and functional chemistries are used to improve operational efficiencies, enhance product quality, protect plant assets and help ensure environmental compliance.

About Frost & Sullivan

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Contact:
Emily Bailey
Best Practices
Frost & Sullivan
emily.bailey@frost.com 
 P: +44 (0)20 7915 7869

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan