People Progress… (July 26, 2007)

Milwaukee, Wis.-based automotive interiors supplier Johnson Controls Inc. has elected executive vice president and chairman Stephen Roell as its new CEO, effective Oct. 1, 2007. Roell will succeed John Barth, who will retire Dec. 31, 2007. Barth will continue as a member of the company’s board of directors.

M. Jack Saunders, senior vice president for Sonoco‘s Global Industrial Products division, is now responsible for all of Sonoco’s global industrial converting businesses. In addition to his current responsibility for global Tube and Core operations, Sanders will now be responsible for Sonoco’s Wire and Cable Reels, Protective Packaging, Paperboard Specialties and Recycling divisions.

Charlotte, N.C.-based flexible packager Bobst Group North America has named Matt Lopes as national sales manager of its flexible material business area. Based in Chicago, Lopes will be involved with all of the Bobst products for printing and converting of flexible materials sold under the trade names Rotomec, Schiavi, General, Atlas and Titan.

Hawthorne, Calif. bio-based renewable plastics manufacturer Cereplast Inc. has named Dr. Shiriam Bagrodia as the company’s senior vice president, director of research and development – blends and chemistry. With more than 30 years of experience in polymer science and research, Dr. Bagrodia will focus on improving blends and polymeric compounds to introduce new families of bio-based resin.

Wood-plastic composite manufacturer JER Envirotech International, headquartered in Vancouver, has appointed William (Bill) Anderson as vice president of manufacturing.

Process-cooling technology supplier Frigel, of Lake Zurich, Ill., has hired Jack Uchwal as a sales engineer.