Bill Ridenour has served as president and owner of Polymer Transaction Advisors Inc. in the Cleveland suburb of Newbury, Ohio, since 1999. PTA provides global merger-and-acquisition and strategic consulting services to privately owned and publicly held polymer and chemical suppliers.
Ridenour has nearly 30 years of direct experience managing client engagements in all types of manufacturing, distribution and service companies. His specific market expertise includes automotive, packaging, and the manufacture of all types of materials, components, sub-systems and systems involving polymers. He also has extensive experience related to strategic and technology alliances and global M&A activity.
Ridenour was a vice president and partner in the TransAction Group from 1990-99 where he managed more than 30 transactions representing polymer companies. Before that he worked for Ferro Corp., a global producer of specialty chemicals and materials. As Ferro's corporate development executive, Ridenour managed its acquisition, divestiture and strategic alliance activities, eventually establishing a centralized global merger-and-acquisition program and completed nearly 40 transactions.
Prior to joining Ferro, Ridenour held a series of positions with increasing management responsibility with United Research Co. While at URC, he led engagement teams working for chemical and plastics clients such as American Cyanamid and DuPont Co.
Prior to joining URC, Ridenour was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, commissioned at the infantry school at Fort Benning, Ga. He did all his studying in Ohio, earning a bachelor's degree from Muskingum College, a master's degree in international studies - East Asia from Ohio University, and an MBA from Baldwin-Wallace College.