Kurita America CEO talks about Avista merger and 2025 trends

Todd Emslander, CEO of Kurita America, discusses the merger with Avista Technologies and 2025 water trends, highlighting membrane technologies and U.S. manufacturing reshoring.
July 21, 2025
2 min read

Bob Crossen, vice president of content strategy for Water & Energy at Endeavor Business Media, sits down with Todd Emslander, the newly appointed CEO of Kurita America. Emslander shares insights into Kurita America's recent merger with Avista Technologies and what it means for both brands and their customers.

He also shares his perspective on key water and wastewater trends in 2025, including the growing prominence of membrane technologies, reshoring of U.S. manufacturing, and the increasing demands of industrial water users. Kurita America, he notes, is strategically positioned to tackle industry challenges, such as workforce development, regulatory pressures, and global supply chain instability, by building a more resilient and agile business. 

Read more about the Kurita and Avista merger.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction of Todd Emslander

00:26 – Overview of Kurita-Avista merger

02:02 – Why Avista was an attractive partner

04:23 – Water trends driving business in 2025

07:42 – Industrial water demand and manufacturing reshoring

08:20 – Kurita’s position to meet market needs

11:11 – Workforce development as a strategic focus

11:58 – 2025 headwinds and tailwinds

14:30 – Supply chain resilience post-COVID

15:29 – Tariff challenges and adaptability

16:07 – Final thoughts and closing remarks

Editor's Note: The video summary and timestamps were created with the assistance of generative AI. 

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About the Author

Bob Crossen

Bob Crossen is the editorial director for the Endeavor Business Media Water Group, which publishes WaterWorld, Wastewater Digest and Stormwater Solutions. Crossen graduated from Illinois State University in Dec. 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in German and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. He worked for Campbell Publications, a weekly newspaper company in rural Illinois outside St. Louis for four years as a reporter and regional editor. 

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