Q&A: Sudhakar Jale

Sudhakar Jale has worked at W. R. Grace & Co. for 14 years and currently serves as the global marketing director of chemical catalysts.

What sets Grace apart from other companies in the catalyst market?

A long-standing tradition of responsiveness to the customer. We strive not to let our confidence and pride in technology obscure our real reason for existence, which is to please the people who buy our products. We remember the importance of reliability, and so whenever something needs to be improved, we do our best to address it.

What is the greatest strength of Grace’s catalyst division?

Adaptability has to be near the top of the list of strengths. We have survived and prospered for many decades mainly by changing our product mix in the segments we serve.

The word “collaboration” appears many times on the Grace website. How does collaboration benefit customers?

We strive to understand the customer’s catalytic process. That leads to better selection of a suitable catalyst, recommendations for optimal use, and the use of Grace test equipment to simulate the proposed operation with predictive data shared with the customer.

Why does Grace believe that collaboration should be an essential component to its business, beyond providing quality catalysts?

The essence of specialized catalysts, which are a portion of our offerings in all our segments, is that they match the user’s needs. This can’t be done by guessing but only by a real dialogue if we hope to make good product selections and recommendations for their use.

Can you share more about the multitiered technical service Grace offers? What advantages does it provide customers?

Technical service consists of several activities, including guidance on catalyst selection for lab testing, conducting performance tests at Grace for existing and new customers, on-site or remote participation in customers’ plant trials, and rare (but sometimes necessary) troubleshooting of unexpected catalytic problems in the field. All these are ways of derisking and accelerating the introduction of our products into customers’ operations.

What else should prospective customers know about Grace?

We feel we have a unique blend of deep experience in traditional technology areas, plus a culture of continuous innovation and adaptability. Our current product slate is, therefore, the best in its very long history. We’re “here to stay,” and we extend a welcome to new customers to explore and experience what we have to offer.