Mani Erfan
President & Owner of IRA Industrial Solutions
Houston, TX
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Summary
Mani Erfan is a chemical engineer, industrial executive, and international entrepreneur with over 33 years of experience in the global catalyst industry. Based in Houston, Texas, he has led businesses in catalyst manufacturing, purification technologies, and recycling. He founded a catalyst company from inception and developed it into a global enterprise, achieving more than $700 million in total product sales before it was sold in 2020. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of a catalyst-recycling company generating approximately $8 million in annual revenue.
Erfan was born in Iran in 1966. His father worked as a commercial pilot and accumulated nearly 38,000 flight hours during his career. In 1983, at the age of 17, he immigrated to the United States, where he adapted to a new language, culture, and education system. In 1984, he enrolled at the University of Florida to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering. He completed 157 credit hours in less than four years and graduated in August 1988 with high honors and a GPA of 3.88.
After graduation, he began his career in Texas as a Process Engineer, where he worked to improve chemical process systems. In 1990, he joined a Danish catalyst company as a Sales Engineer, covering a 26-state region. Over three years, he increased annual sales from $1.4 million to over $6 million and was promoted to Sales Manager, becoming the youngest individual in that role at the time.
In 1993, Erfan became International Sales Manager at a Houston-based recycling firm. He expanded the company’s reach across multiple regions, growing international revenue from $1 million to $11 million annually. In 2000, he launched a new catalyst company with $50,000 in seed capital and led it to peak revenues of $40 million before its $38 million sale. He also founded a consulting and industrial solutions company that, by 2021, operated in over 10 countries and generated $7.5–$8 million annually.
Since 1992, he has led various ministry efforts, including founding a nonprofit organization, launching an online Bible college with 4,500 students, and supporting recovery programs serving 1,500 clients. His charitable giving totals several million dollars, with yearly contributions ranging from $200,000 to $300,000. Mani Erfan continues to lead with purpose across both industrial and ministry fields.
