As Silva International continues to position itself for long-term success, we would like to share several important leadership updates.
After more than three decades of dedicated service, Kent DeVries has announced his retirement from full-time responsibilities as President of Silva, effective April 1, coinciding with our fiscal year-end. Since joining Silva in 1991, Kent has been a cornerstone of our organization, guiding the company through years of growth, innovation, and industry evolution. His unwavering leadership and deep commitment to both the business and its people have helped shape Silva into a trusted leader in the ingredient marketplace.
Kent’s impact on Silva’s culture, customer relationships, and strategic direction cannot be overstated. Under his leadership, Silva earned a reputation for integrity, exceptional service, and product excellence. While Kent steps away from his day-to-day role, he will remain actively involved during the transition in a consulting capacity.
In preparation for this transition, we have conducted thorough planning to ensure continuity and sustained success. We are pleased to announce the following leadership appointments:
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Jeff Weidenaar, currently Vice President of Sales, has been named President of Silva International. With over 25 years of experience at Silva, Jeff brings a deep understanding of our commercial operations, strategic vision, and organizational values. As President, he will continue to strengthen our core business while implementing growth initiatives to further solidify Silva’s industry leadership. Jeff’s plans include further engaging development within the Universal Ingredients platform.
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Darren Van Essen will assume the role of Vice President of Sales. Darren, a key contributor to Silva for more than 25 years, has played an instrumental role in market development and customer engagement. His extensive experience and leadership will support our continued commercial success. Darren will also join Silva’s Executive Leadership Team.
Kent DeVries reflected on his career with gratitude, stating:
“I am extremely grateful for my 34 years of service to Silva International, Inc. which allowed me to experience many milestones and successes beyond what I could have initially envisioned. I’d like to thank Heinz Peter Schmidt for his initial trust in me when he gave me the opportunity as a young man with limited experience at 25 years old, along with our many loyal customers, vendors and deeply committed employees. All of them have contributed to a very rewarding and fulfilling career. As I embark on my next chapter in life, I do so in peace knowing that Silva is in the hands of very capable leadership that can continue to maintain and grow the company to even greater heights.”
Incoming President Jeff Weidenaar shared:
“It’s an honor to move into the role of President at Silva. Our company is an ingredient leader in our market and it’s due to both the great leadership and planning to guide this business, along with our passionate and talented employees around the company—both here in the U.S. and abroad. We will develop strategies to use our core strengths as we build for the future and continue to be a strategic partner for our many valued customers. Our future strategy will also include offering more products and capabilities to our customers through our Universal Ingredients platform. This effort will include deeper R&D partnerships utilizing our UI R&D team and development of additional complimentary products and processing capabilities. I am truly grateful to Kent DeVries for his great leadership of the business for over 30 years. He has been involved since the early days of this company to help guide and mold Silva into a market leader. He is a great mentor and friend to me and to many of us. I look forward to working with Kent in the coming months while we all continue to plan for the future.”
Silva International operates with approximately 270 employees and 20 production lines at our Illinois facility. As part of Universal Ingredients, we are strategically aligned with a broader global platform, bringing expanded opportunities and innovation to the market. Pat O’Keefe will continue to lead the Universal Ingredients platform and will collaborate closely with Jeff and the Silva Executive Leadership Team as we look to the future.
We extend our deepest appreciation to Kent DeVries for his outstanding leadership, and we congratulate Jeff Weidenaar and Darren Van Essen on their new roles.