people making headlines

Jay Baumgartner has joined Raabe Corp. as National Accounts manager - Specialty Markets, with responsibility for accounts in the hobby-craft, shoe-care, automotive-aftermarket and other specialty industry markets.

Ben Berrios has joined D.B. Becker Co. Inc. as Technical Sales manager, with responsibility for managing the company's sales in the Mid-Atlantic region. Berrios, who also is product manager for materials supplied by EPS/CCA, was formerly a senior Sales engineer for Avery Dennison Corp.

PPG Industries Inc. named Michael T. Hartings general manager of North American Automotive OEM Coatings. He assumes responsibility for sales and service functions, including the integration of technology and manufacturing for customers and their suppliers in North America. Hartings was formerly director of General Industrial Coatings Sales for North America, and joined PPG in 1992 as a senior Technical Sales/Service representative for Appliances in the company's Industrial Coatings business unit. In 2000 he was named global director of Consumer Electronics for PPG's Industrial Coatings business unit.

Tom McSwain, president of Reichhold Inc.'s Innovative Performance Systems subsidiary, has been named president of the American Traffic Safety Services Association, an international roadway-safety organization based in Fredericksburg, VA. McSwain, president-elect of the association for the past two years, will serve a two-year term as president. Reichhold's Innovative Performance Systems business is a manufacturer of high-durability roadway markings, including epoxies, modified urethanes and polyurea products.

Silberline Manufacturing Co. Inc. has promoted Lisa Passon to Marketing Communications manager. Passon was formerly assistant Marketing Communications manager, and joined the company in 2000.

Valerie Reese has joined Jamestown Powder Coatings as Sales and Marketing coordinator, with responsibility for managing the company's national sales and marketing programs.

David Sedler has joined Crompton Corp. as business director of the company's Urethanes business, with management responsibility for the European region including Africa and the Middle East. Sedler was formerly senior Integration director for Bayer's urethane chemicals business, based in Germany. He also has held technical and management positions with the former Arco Chemical Co.

Dennis Senackerib has joined Keystone Aniline Corp. as Technical Sales representative for the Mid-Atlantic region. Senackerib is based in the Philadelphia area and is responsible for sales in southern New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. He was formerly a technical sales representative for GEO Specialty Chemicals, and also has held positions with Tricon Colors and Tikkurila Inc. Keystone Aniline, based in Chicago, is a supplier of dyes, pigments and pigment dispersions.

Reynolds Industries, Inc., announces the appointment of Stephen E. Speer to the position of president for the Fort Mill, SC, manufacturing facility. Speer replaces Augustus (Gus) Reynolds, who was named CEO. Speer has 25 years of sales and management experience, the company said.

BASF's Performance Chemicals business named Rebecca L. Stelly senior Sales representative for Industrial Specialties. Stelly joined BASF in 1999 and joined the Performance Chemicals business in 2002 as a product manager for specialty surfactants. The business is a supplier of surfactants, chelates, biocides and wood preservatives.

Brian Taubler has joined E.T. Horn Co., La Mirada, CA, as senior Account manager in the company's Advanced Materials Group, with responsibility for sales in northern California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. Taubler formerly held business-management, sales and sales-management positions with Bayer Polymers' Coatings Division and Bayer's Polyurethanes business. He also worked for several years for Union Carbide Corp. and Cri-Tech Inc.