Sun Chemical Performance Pigments, Cincinnati, named Scott Butler technical sales manager, North America, effectively strengthening its industry-leading coatings business unit. In this new role, Butler will maintain close relationships with key coatings accounts. He will lead the rest of the Performance Pigments sales team in strengthening current relationships and developing strategic value propositions for continued success in the architectural, automotive and industrial coatings industries.

Houston-based International Paint LLC, a division of Akzo Nobel, has recently hired Scott Doering to serve as its North Central regional sales manager. A coatings-industry veteran for nearly 25 years, Doering was recruited by International Paint to manage the newly opened Chicago Distribution Center as well as spearhead the company's long-term efforts to expand distribution of its high-performance coatings throughout the Northern United States.

True Value Company has selected retail veteran Lyle G. Heidemann as president and CEO. Heidemann will also be appointed to the company's board of directors. Heidemann brings extensive retail experience to the position, having served as executive vice president and general manager of home and off-mall stores before leaving Sears in 2003. True Value Company, headquartered in Chicago, is one of the world's largest member-owned wholesale hardware cooperatives, with $2 billion in annual revenue.

Malvern Instruments has appointed Henrique Kajiyama to the post of project engineer, Process Systems. Kajiyama has more than 15 years' experience in industrial and process-equipment design, in both Brazil and Japan. His appointment significantly enhances the support that Malvern provides to customers in South America for its on-line and at-line particle-characterization systems.

Walsh & Associates, Inc., has named Sean C. Nemnich as sales, HI&I and personal care specialist for the company's St. Louis sales region. Nemnich has more than 10 years of experience in sales, sales management and marketing in the specialty chemical industry. He also held positions with Rhodia, and Van Waters & Rogers (Univar) in recent years.

Tnemec Company, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., has named Vaughn O'Dea as technical sales manager, water and wastewater. He will be responsible for building new accounts and maintaining established customer relationships. O'Dea will also manage sales and marketing initiatives with the engineering, municipal, and industrial water and wastewater communities. Tnemec's product line provides coating protection for a number of different industries including water and wastewater processing power generation.

Robert Preston has taken the lead of the Eastman division in Asia Pacific. His current title is vice president and managing director of Eastman Chemical Company's Eastman division with responsibility for Asia Pacific.

Michelman, Inc., a Cincinnati-based global manufacturer of performance-enhancing coatings for the paperboard and corrugated box industry, has promoted Tom Smith to strategic accounts manager and Don Hoesl to commercial manager. Smith will take on a more active role in managing some corporate-level activities and special projects in addition to market management and international opportunities, while Hoesl will be responsible for all Performance Coatings commercial sales in North and South America. All Performance Coatings sales employees in the North and South American region will report to Hoesl.

Fitz Chem Corporation, Itasca, Ill., a leading Midwest distributor/sales agent of raw materials to the coatings, plastics, ink, construction, adhesives, I & I and personal care industries, announced that Natalie Wallentin has joined its Customer Service Department as a customer service representative. Wallentin has 18 years of experience in customer service.