8-K

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

 CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 14, 2017

NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-2960	72-1123385
(State or other jurisdiction              of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer         Identification No.)
9320 Lakeside Boulevard, Suite 100 The Woodlands, TX		77381
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

 Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (281) 362-6800

_____________________________________________________

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) 

☐   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) 

☐   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13a-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company    ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   ☐

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On November 14, 2017, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Newpark Resources, Inc. (the “Corporation”) increased the size of the Board to seven members and elected Mr. John C. Mingé to fill the vacancy created by the increase, effective as of December 1, 2017.

Mr. Mingé currently serves as Chairman and President of BP America, Inc., a role he has held since February 2013. From January 2009 until February 2013, Mr. Mingé served as President of BP Alaska Exploration and Production. Mr. Mingé began his career in 1983 with Standard Oil of Ohio in Cleveland, Ohio as a drilling research engineer and has since served in varying positions of increasing responsibility throughout the U.S., United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, which has given him more than 34 years in the oil and gas industry.

Mr. Mingé holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering (Cum Laude) from Washington State University. 

Mr. Mingé will stand for re-election to the Board of Directors at our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Board has affirmatively determined that Mr. Mingé is “independent” as that term is defined by The New York Stock Exchange listing standards and the standards set forth in the Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. Mr. Mingé does not have a material interest in any transaction that is required to be disclosed under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. There is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Mingé and any other person pursuant to which he was selected as a director. Mr. Mingé will serve as a member of the Corporation's Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

The compensation paid to Mr. Mingé will be consistent with the director compensation for non-employee directors of the Corporation, as described in the Corporation’s 2017 Proxy Statement, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 6, 2017. A copy of the press release announcing the election of Mr. Mingé to the Board of Directors of the Corporation is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release of Newpark Resources, Inc. dated November 16, 2017.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	NEWPARK RESOURCES, INC.
Dated: November 17, 2017	By:	/s/ Mark J. Airola
		Mark J. Airola
		Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary

EX-99.1

EXHIBIT 99.1

	NEWS RELEASE
	Contacts:	Gregg Piontek Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Newpark Resources, Inc. gpiontek@newpark.com 281-362-6800
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEWPARK APPOINTS NEW MEMBER

TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

THE WOODLANDS, TX - November 16, 2017 - Newpark Resources, Inc. (NYSE: NR) today announced that John C. Mingé has been appointed as a new member to its board of directors, effective December 1, 2017.

Mr. Mingé is the Chairman and President of BP America, Inc., a subsidiary of BP plc (NYSE: BP), comprised of BP business units involved in exploration and production, refining, chemicals, supply and trading, pipeline operations, shipping, and alternative energy.  During his 34-year career with BP, Mr. Mingé has held a variety of executive and engineering posts around the globe, including assignments as head of BP’s Asia Pacific Unit, President of BP Indonesia, and president of exploration and production for Vietnam and China. Mr. Mingé currently serves as an executive committee and board member of the American Petroleum Institute, as well as board memberships with the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Rice/Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the Washington State University Foundation. He also is a member of the board of trustees for Ford’s Theater, serves on the executive committee for the Greater Houston Partnership, and is on the University of Houston’s Energy Advisory Board. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Washington State University.

Mr. Mingé will also serve as a member of Newpark’s Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Governance Committee.

Commenting on the appointment, David C. Anderson, Chairman of Newpark’s Board of Directors, stated, “I am very pleased to welcome John to our Board of Directors and I’m confident that his business experience will strengthen our board and help advance Newpark’s strategic priorities. John exemplifies the values of our Company and we look forward to benefiting from his experiences, perspectives and insights.”

Newpark Resources, Inc. is a worldwide provider of value-added drilling fluids systems and composite matting systems used in oilfield and other commercial markets. For more information, visit our website at www.newpark.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act that are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including Newpark's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and future financial results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates," and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Newpark, particularly its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry, our customer concentration and reliance on the U.S. exploration and production market, risks related to our international operations, the cost and continued availability of borrowed funds including noncompliance with debt covenants, operating hazards present in the oil and natural gas industry, our ability to execute our business strategy and make successful business acquisitions and capital investments, the availability of raw materials and skilled personnel, our market competition, compliance with legal and regulatory matters, including environmental regulations, the availability of insurance and the risks and limitations of our insurance coverage, potential impairments of long-lived intangible assets, technological developments in our industry, risks related to severe weather, particularly in the U.S. Gulf Coast, cybersecurity breaches or business system disruptions and risks related to the fluctuations in the market value of our common stock. Newpark's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission can be obtained at no charge at www.sec.gov, as well as through our website at www.newpark.com.