PPG appoints Beuke vice president, silica products

10-26-2009: PPG Industries announced Richard A. Beuke has been appointed vice president, silica products, effective Nov. 1. He will be based at the company's Monroeville, Pa., chemicals center and report directly to Richard C. Elias, senior vice president, optical and specialty materials. Beuke is currently PPG vice president, growth initiatives.

Beuke joined PPG in 1976 as an industrial coatings sales representative based in Oak Creek, Wis., and later served as regional industrial coatings sales manager for East Point, Ga., and for Oak Creek. He moved to Troy, Mich., in 1990 as marketing director, automotive parts segment, automotive original-equipment (OEM) coatings.

Beuke was named director of purchasing at PPG’s Pittsburgh headquarters in 1994, and he was appointed general manager of silica products in 1997. He was elected vice president, architectural coatings, in 2000 and to his current post in 2006.

“Based on his success leading the silica products business from 1997 through 2000, Dick will be returning to ensure this business realizes its full growth potential,” Elias said. “He will be accountable for leveraging the existing portfolio of Teslin substrates and the core precipitated silicas business into potential new and different applications, as well as exploring innovations that would be additive to the business. The silica products business represents a significant growth opportunity today, and Dick’s recent experience leading our corporate growth initiatives will serve him well in this role.”

A native of Indianapolis, Beuke is a graduate of Georgia Southern University. He also has studied executive management at the Columbia University Business School.