Kovalsky to Lead OEM Automotive Coatings for PPG; Zahren Announces Retirement

    PITTSBURGH--Dec. 16, 2002--Dennis A. Kovalsky, vice president, aerospace, for PPG Industries will become vice president, automotive coatings, replacing Richard Zahren, who will retire March 1 after 33 years of service to the company.
    "Dennis' combination of global experience, familiarity with the automotive coatings business and success in leading the aerospace products business during a challenging period make him an ideal choice to lead our automotive coatings business," said Michael A. Ludlow, senior vice president, original equipment manufacturing coatings. "Rich has made significant contributions to PPG over the years. Most notably, he has led automotive coatings during a period of rapid change and at a time when this unit has made significant technical innovations."
    Kovalsky, 51, joined PPG in 1977 as an engineer at the Circleville, Ohio, resins plant, and later was production superintendent there and at the Delaware, Ohio, coatings plant.
    Kovalsky went to Paris in 1987 as European coatings production coordinator, and later managed subsidiary PPG Industries Lacke's Wuppertal, Germany, coatings plant.
    He returned to the U.S. in 1991 as Cleveland automotive coatings plant manager, moved to Troy, Mich., in 1994 as director of pretreatments, and was named global director of pretreatment and specialty products there in 1998.
    In early 2000 he went to Glendale, Calif., as vice president of aerospace coatings and sealants in connection with PPG's acquisition of PRC-DeSoto International in 1999. When that unit and PPG's aircraft transparency business were combined a few months later, Kovalsky was named to his current position.
    A native of Monessen, Pa., Kovalsky is a biochemistry graduate of Washington & Jefferson College.
    Zahren, 58, joined PPG's glass engineering department in 1965 and held electrical, project and liaison engineer and project manager posts. He became a corporate planning analyst in 1979.
    After four years as strategic development director of Rockwell International Corp., Zahren returned to PPG in 1983 as corporate planning director. He became general manager of Azdel stampable thermoplastics in PPG's fiber glass business in early 1986, and president of AZDEL Inc., Shelby, N.C., when the joint venture with General Electric Co. was formed later that year.
    Zahren returned to Pittsburgh in 1989 as compensation and benefits director. He was named director of purchasing and distribution in 1992 and vice president of that function in early 1994, vice president of automotive coatings operations in mid-1994, and vice president of automotive coatings in 1995.
    A Pittsburgh native, he is an electrical engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and received a master's degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh.
    Pittsburgh-based PPG is a global supplier of coatings, glass, fiber glass and chemicals, with 120 manufacturing facilities and equity affiliates in 23 countries. Sales in 2001 were $8.2 billion.