Names in the news; EDI, BASF, DuPont, Argotec

Bertram Capital has installed Gary Edwards as the CEO of its portfolio company, Extrusion Dies Industries LLC (EDI; Chippewa Falls, WI), replacing John A. Ulcej, who will continue in his role as EDI's president. Edwards comes to the extrusion flat die maker from Tyden Group Inc., where he served as CEO of the manufacturer of identification, traceability, and security products, overseeing plants in North America, Europe, and Asia. Prior to that, he spent 16 years with Phillips and Temro Industries.

Kevin Yamashita, a Bertram Capital partner, said in a release that Edwards has experience helping companies that are already profitable to realize their full potential. "[Edwards] has special expertise in carrying out strategies for lean manufacturing, successfully integrating acquired businesses, and implementing organic growth initiatives that build on the company's core competencies." Ulcej, was part of the 2003 management buyout of EDI, along with Timothy C. Callahan, Christopher W. Curtin, and Ronald J. Kuhnen, from U.S. Bank.

Heidi Alderman was named senior VP of BASF's $5 billion North American Petrochemicals division, headquartered in Houston. The unit encompasses manufacturing and marketing olefins, aromatics, oxo alcohols, acrylic acid and esters, phthalic anhydride, and plasticizers. Its products are manufactured in Port Arthur, Pasadena, and Freeport, TX; Geismar, LA; West Memphis, AR; and Cornwall, ON, in Canada.

David A. Glasscock is now DuPont's global automotive technology director, where he will work with global customer and application development teams across the company's 13 business units to guide medium- and long-range technical programs that address key challenges facing automotive. These efforts will include work on hybrid and electric vehicle battery and insulation systems, renewable and recyclable materials, and advanced metals replacement programs to help reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel economy.

Glasscock has been with DuPont since 1990 when he started in its fluorochemicals R&D, then corporate engineering. In 1994, Glasscock joined what is now the DuPont Performance Polymers business, focused primarily on plastics and elastomers, holding positions in sales, application development, and R&D.  Most recently, Glasscock was global technical services manager.

Carl Sittard has been named to the newly created position of VP marketing at thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film and sheet supplier Argotec Inc. (Greenfield, MA). Sittard comes to Argotec from Judd Wire (Turners Falls, MA) where he served as VP sales and marketing. Before that, he worked at FLEXcon's graphics films unit in Spencer, MA.