Usalco launches Digital Solutions Division to expand Decision Blue

Usalco on June 9 launched a Digital Solutions Division and named Chris Miller, PhD, PE, as interim chief digital officer and vice president of digital innovation. The move expands the company’s Decision Blue platform, adds hiring across digital functions and links chemistry, technical service and AI-driven decision support for water treatment operators.

Why it matters: - Water operators are facing tighter regulations, changing source water conditions and more operational complexity. - Usalco is betting that AI and real-time treatment intelligence can improve treatment performance, reduce risk and strengthen operator decision making. - The company is positioning Decision Blue® as a broader operating system for treatment outcomes, not just a single digital tool.

What happened: - Usalco launched a Digital Solutions Division on June 9, 2026. - Usalco named Chris Miller, PhD, PE, as interim chief digital officer and vice president of digital innovation. - The company said the new division expands its commitment to digital innovation and supports faster market adoption of Decision Blue®. - Usalco said the division brings together digital capabilities, hiring and customer support under one structure.

The details: - Decision Blue® is designed to combine applied chemistry, operational subject matter expertise and digital services. - The platform is intended to help operators make more informed treatment decisions across workflows. - Usalco’s acquisition of Shannon Chemical added a corrosion-control chemistry portfolio. - That portfolio pairs with Corrosion Sentry™ to connect chemistry with real-time digital monitoring. - Virtual Jar® remains a core offering for evaluating dose options and treatment trade-offs before changes are made. - Usalco described these tools as supporting human-in-the-loop decision making and enhancing operator judgment rather than replacing it. - The new division unifies Usalco Services, on-site technical expertise and digital delivery into a single customer support model. - Usalco is adding roles across product, engineering, data and commercial enablement. - The company said the expansion reflects a long-term investment in digital and AI capabilities. - Usalco also said the function is evolving ahead of additional leadership additions, including a future chief digital officer. - Open roles are listed on the company’s careers page: More information. - Ken Gayer, CEO of Usalco, said the investment in the Digital Solutions Division is meant to help customers address complex water treatment challenges.

Between the lines: - Usalco is folding digital tools into its core chemistry business, which suggests the company wants to compete on outcomes rather than products alone. - The emphasis on defensible recommendations and operator judgment signals a cautious AI strategy built for plant environments where reliability matters more than automation for its own sake. - The planned future chief digital officer role suggests Usalco expects the digital business to become a larger standalone growth engine.

What’s next: - Usalco will continue hiring across the Digital Solutions Division. - The company said it is preparing for additional leadership additions. - Usalco is expected to keep scaling Decision Blue® as part of its broader treatment decision intelligence strategy.

The bottom line: - Usalco is turning digital decision support into a bigger part of its water treatment business, with chemistry, data and AI packaged as one operating model.