Pete Chojnacki, former director of marketing and I/T, has left GED to fulfill a life-long goal of owning his own business. Chojnacki and several industry partners recently purchased FabTech LLC, a storefront, curtainwall and door fabrication business.

Bill Weaver has been appointed to the position of vice president of sales and marketing. Weaver has more than 23 years of experience in the door and window industry. A 12-year employee of GED, he served most recently as vice president of sales and service. 

Therma-Tru Appoints Hedlund President
Therma-Tru^® Doors recently named David M. Randich to succeed Carl B. Hedlund as president. Hedlund will retire at the end of the year and Randich has begun a transition process. He will assume his new role January 1, 2008, and will be based at the company’s headquarters in Maumee, Ohio.

Randich comes from Armstrong World Industries Inc., a manufacturer of floors, ceilings and cabinets, where he spent 24 years in a variety of leadership roles including his most recent position as chief executive officer (CEO) of its floor covering business in Europe. 

Prior to that, Randich served as CEO of the company’s European Ceilings Business based in London, as general manager of manufacturing for Armstrong Building Products and as a plant manager in Shanghai, China, and Columbus, Ohio. 

G-U Names Junker COO/General Manager of U.S. Operations
Patrick Junker has been named chief operating officer/general manager of G-U Hardware’s U.S. Operations. Junker comes to the Newport News, based-G-U with more than 25 years of fenestration industry experience and will now be responsible for all the company’s products and programs in the United States.

“We are all very excited to continue the expansion of the product and program offerings here at G-U Hardware,” he says.

RiteScreen Appoints Pino Northeast Sales Manager
The RiteScreen Co. recently announced the appointment of Jerry Pino as sales manager for its Northeast territory. Pino has been in the industry for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in sales management.

Pino will be supported by the company’s plants located in Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

He resides in the Boston area. 

Pusch Named Technical Sales Manager
Whitewater, Wis.-based Winkhaus North America Inc. has named Michael Pusch as technical sales manager for the western region. Pusch will be responsible for developing and supporting the company’s substantial growth in the Western Region. For the past six years he has been with Winkhaus in Germany and North America. In his last role as senior technical consultant, he was responsible for coordinating the implementation of door and window hardware products with numerous manufacturers. Pusch will report to Jim Roberts, director of sales, and will be based in Portland, Ore.

Lauren Manufacturing Names Huntsman New President
Lisa Huntsman has been named to the position of president at Lauren Manufacturing. As president, Huntsman assumes responsibility for the direction and growth of Lauren Manufacturing’s operations located in New Philadelphia, Ohio.

Huntsman, who most recently served as vice president of operations, succeeds Kevin Gray. Gray recently took on the role of chief executive officer for Lauren.In addition to her new responsibilities, Huntsman will continue to focus on ensuring operational excellence across the organization and providing new opportunities for growth and development.

Huntsman has been with Lauren for 14 years. 

Reliant Glass & Door Systems Expands 
Reliant Glass & Door Systems LLC in Sheboygan, Wis., has made three new hires. Brent Henschel has been added as vice president of business development. Henschel will be responsible for sales and account management, overall business development and marketing management. Prior to joining Reliant, he was the vice president of sales and marketing at Walters Buildings. 

Renee Sellin is the new manager of purchasing. Sellin will be responsible for establishing supplier relationships, inventory management and implementation of continuous improvement initiatives. Prior to joining the company, Sellin was the inventory control manager at Phoenix Products. 

Debra Forsterling was hired as contract administrator. Forsterling is responsible for reviewing requirements of customer contracts for materials, products and services and for invoicing. 

ASSOCIATIONS
NFRC Membership Elects Six Board Members
Members of the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) elected six members to serve on the board of directors.

Beginning in December, the following members assumed or continued their positions on the group’s board of directors: 

• Stephen Selkowitz, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - General Interest Category; 
• Tony Rygg, California Energy Commission - General Interest Category; 
• Steven Rosenstock, Edison Electric Institute - General Interest Category; 
• Steve Strawn, JELD-WEN Inc. - Fenestration Industry – Residential; 
• Stephen Farrar, Guardian Industries Corp. - Fenestration Industry – Glass; and 
• Joe Hayden, Pella Corp. - Fenestration Industry – Unspecified. 

briefly
Farmingdale, N.Y.-based Frank Lowe Rubber & Gasket Co. Inc. has added Farah Rothbeind as marketing coordinator. Rothbeind earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from Hofstra University. She has ten years of marketing experience … Roger Emanuel has announced his retirement as general manager of Merrill, Wis.-based Lincoln Wood Products Inc., after 35 years of service. Dennis Krueger, who has been with Lincoln for more than 25 years, has been promoted to general manager and will be in charge of all manufacturing operations … Edgetech I.G. Inc. in Cambridge, Ohio, has appointed Rick Mathews as its new national sales manager in the Eastern United States ... MGM Industries in Hendersonville, Tenn., has hired JM Sales & Marketing to expand its territories in the Midwest and along the Southern coastline. Under this agreement, Jim McCoy, owner of JM Sales & Marketing, will handle sales in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, western Pennsylvania and southern Wisconsin … BFRich Windows & Doors has named David Bulatowicz as territory manager for Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In his new role, he will assume the responsibilities for some existing BFRich customers, as well as the company’s new business development team … Los Angeles-based, C.R. Laurence Co. Inc. has promoted Mark Mitchell to the position of branch manager of its Seattle area branch, located in Kent, Wash. … Chico, Calif.-based Norfield Industries has named John Cronin to the position of sales director. In this role, Cronin will be responsible for managing and directing all sales, business development and customer service for the company’s machinery division … The RiteScreen Co. has appointed Leonard Rotolo as sales manager for the West Coast territory. Leonard has worked in the door and window industry for the 13 years and will be supported by the company’s plants in Northern and Southern California, Colorado and Oregon. 

DWM
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