Names

Fitz Chem Corp., Itasca, Ill., a leading Midwest distributor/sales agent of raw materials to the coatings, plastics, ink, construction, adhesives, I & I and personal care industries, has expanded its management group by naming Don Deihs to the newly formed position of operations manager. Deihs' responsibilities will include overseeing the Purchasing, Inventory Control and Customer Relations Departments.

Degussa, Parsippany, N.J., has appointed Anke Gercken marketing manager for the specialty performance silica line, excluding its rubber applications, for the Advanced Fillers & Pigments business in North America. In her new position, Gercken is responsible for the tactical and strategic management of the product line, including its growth, technical development and profitability. Prior to accepting this new position, Gercken served as product manager for matting agents with Degussa AG in Frankfurt, Germany.

Frits Hensel, senior vice president, Finance, for Akzo Nobel, Arnhem, the Netherlands, has been decorated with the prestigious Dutch royal distinction "Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau." Jan de Ruiter, mayor of the Dutch town of Zevenaar, presented the award to Hensel.

Global specialty chemicals manufacturer Sartomer Company, Exton, Pa., has hired Hawon Kea as sales manager for Sartomer Korea (Seoul, Korea). Kea will be responsible for managing sales on the Korean peninsula. He will report to Daniel Lim, general manager of the Asia Pacific Region.

Sun Chemical Performance Pigments, Cincinnati, Ohio, announced that Ian Knowles has joined the organization as business development manager, Paper and Board, for Europe and North America. In this new role, he will provide technical and sales solutions to Sun Chemical's customers in the paper industry while working to identify value-added solutions for the development of Performance Pigments' offerings in this market.

S.P. Morell and Co., Armonk, N.Y., a specialty chemicals distributor and manufacturer's representative of raw materials to the coatings, inks and adhesives industries, has appointed Yury Langer to its sales team.

Frank E. McKulka, former executive vice president for BASF in North America, received the 2005 Science Alumnus of the Year Award from the University of Detroit Mercy's College of Engineering and Science at a ceremony held on April 2 in Detroit. McKulka, who retired from BASF in December 2004, received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the university in 1967.

Moyno, Inc., a unit of Robbins & Myers, Inc., Springfield, Ohio, has appointed Joyce Nam as operations manager of Robbins & Myers Pte Ltd., responsible for the overall management of Moyno operations throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Moyno has also named Eric Gray to the position of OEM sales manager. Gray will apply his wide knowledge of all facets of progressing cavity and grinder technology in his new position, assuming responsibility for the expansion of Moyno's business in both the industrial and municipal OEM markets as well as identifying new OEM opportunities.

Deeks & Co. Inc., Stone Mountain, Ga., a southeast distributor of chemicals and containers, has named Jeff Parkinson as its new sales director, responsible for Deeks sales efforts in the Southeast.

Brian Yoon has been appointed general manager for Asia Pacific Coatings and Inks in Eastman Chemical Company's Coatings, Adhesives, Specialty Polymers and Inks (CASPI) business organization. Yoon joined Eastman in 1988, and during his tenure has held a variety of positions, including business market manager of the Performance Chemicals business, supervisor of Product Management and Planning, Asia Pacific sales and market manager of the Adhesives and Polymers business, and general manager of Qilu Eastman Specialty Chemicals Ltd. in Zibo, China.