PITTSBURGH — PPG Industries has announced two new executive appointments in its Automotive Refinish and Automotive Coatings businesses.
John Outcalt has been appointed vice president, automotive refinish, and will assume global responsibility for PPG’s automotive refinish business, effective March 1. Outcalt is currently vice president, automotive refinish, Americas. He will continue to be based at PPG’s automotive refinish business headquarters in Strongsville, Ohio, and to report directly to J. Rich Alexander, senior vice president, Performance Coatings.
Outcalt joined PPG’s automotive OEM coatings business in 1983 as marketing services manager on the Chrysler account. After progressing through various marketing, marketing services, technical, sales and management positions within automotive OEM coatings, Outcalt became director of network sales for automotive refinish in 1996.
Outcalt then served as director of collision center operations and director of sales, North America, refinish, before joining PPG’s insurance and services business as general manager. In October 2005, he served as general manager, refinish, United States and Canada. In December 2007, Outcalt was named to his current position.
He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baldwin-Wallace College.
Timothy Knavish has been appointed vice president, automotive coatings, Americas, also effective March 1. Knavish is currently PPG general manager, automotive coatings, Americas. He will continue to be based at the PPG automotive coatings headquarters in Troy, Mich., and to report directly to Cynthia Niekamp, vice president, automotive coatings.
Knavish joined PPG in 1987, in flat glass engineering at the company’s corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh. In 1993, he became process engineer at PPG’s Meadville, Pa., flat glass manufacturing facility, and he was promoted to supervisor, technical services, there in 1995. In 1996, Knavish returned to Pittsburgh as manager, operations planning and scheduling, automotive glass. He was named superintendent, production, for PPG’s Evart, Mich., automotive glass manufacturing facility in 1997.
Knavish moved to the company’s architectural coatings business in 2000, becoming plant manager for the East Point, Ga., manufacturing facility. In 2002, he moved to Pittsburgh as director, supply chain, automotive replacement glass, and in 2004, he became global director, manufacturing and supply chain, for the automotive refinish coatings business. Knavish moved to Australia in 2005, as managing director, Australia and New Zealand coatings, and general manager, automotive refinish. In 2007, he assumed responsibility in Troy, Mich., as general manager, automotive coatings, Americas.
