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Friday, May 1, 2026

American Vanguard Activist Claims Victory in Proxy Battle

Cruiser Capital Master Fund LP said it’s won the election of three of its proposed nominees to the board of directors at Newport Beach-based American Vanguard Corp. (NYSE: AVD).

Cruiser, which owns about 2.5% of AVD’s outstanding shares, said stockholders have “decisively” voted to remove three of American Vanguard’s incumbent directors and replace them with all three of Cruiser’s nominees: Mark Bassett, Pat Gottschalk and Keith M. Rosenbloom.

“Today’s vote is a clear signal that stockholders want to see meaningful change at American Vanguard and are ready for fresh perspectives to be heard in the boardroom,” Cruiser Capital founder Rosenbloom said in a statement.

Cruiser said American Vanguard, which provides products such as mosquito controls and herbicides to protect crops like soybeans and corn, has the potential to reach $55 to $60 a share by 2025.

After today’s announcement, shares were flat at $24.73 and a $762 million market cap.

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Peter J. Brennan
Peter J. Brennan
With four decades of experience in journalism, Peter J. Brennan has built a career that spans diverse news topics and global coverage. From reporting on wars, narcotics trafficking, and natural disasters to analyzing business and financial markets, Peter’s work reflects a commitment to impactful storytelling. Peter’s association with the Orange County Business Journal began in 1997, where he worked until 2000 before moving to Bloomberg News. During his 15 years at Bloomberg, his reporting often influenced financial markets, with headlines and articles moving the market caps of major companies by hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2017, Peter returned to the Orange County Business Journal as Financial Editor, bringing his heavy business industry expertise. Over the years, he advanced to Executive Editor and, in 2024, was named Editor-in-Chief. Peter’s work has been featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, and he has appeared on CNN, CBC, BBC, and Bloomberg TV. A Kiplinger Fellowship recipient at The Ohio State University, he leads the Business Journal with a dedication to uncovering stories that matter and shaping the local business community and beyond.

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