Aiken glass fiber manufacturer names new CEO

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An Aiken-headquartered manufacturer and supplier of high-performance glass fiber materials has named a new president and CEO.

Al Ridilla will assume day-to-day leadership of AGY Holding Corp. and join the company’s board of directors. AGY makes glass fiber yarns, reinforcements and materials used in industries ranging from aerospace to electronics and employs more than 700 in manufacturing, research, product support and sales.

Ridilla, who most recently served as president and CEO at Parkway Products, has more than 30 years of leadership experience at advanced materials technology companies, according to a news release.

“Al brings deep strategic and operational know-how to strengthen and expand AGY’s business in the United States and in our European and Asian markets,” said Ryan Carroll, managing director in the private credit group at the TCW Group, which acquired a majority stake in AGY in September of 2020. “His well-rounded executive experience in strategic planning, revenue growth, innovation, acquisitions and financial and operational management will help propel our future growth.”

Ridilla began his career at GE Aviation in product development and operations management. He held executive sales and marketing positions at both SABIC Innovative Materials and Victrex in North America and Europe. In addition, he was involved in three successful start-up companies manufacturing magnesium-molded components, composite snowboards and radio frequency-integrated circuits.

Ridilla, who has a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame and a master’s from the University of Dayton, is a Six Sigma black belt and holds three U.S. patents.

“We have a bright future at AGY with a product portfolio and world-class technology that delivers lightweight, high-strength, impact-resistant and specialized electrical performance solutions to facilitate the success of our customers across many end markets globally,” Ridilla said in the release.

Ridilla succeeds Thomas Pearson, who served as acting president and CEO since the February retirement of Patrick Burns. Pearson will remain at AGY as an operational consultant.