Mike Sundell has succeeded Roy Blackburn as president and general manager of Basic Coatings.



Mike Sundell has succeeded Roy Blackburn as president and general manager of Basic Coatings. Sundell most recently served as sales manager of Basic's Eastern Region. He will continue to cover the territory until the company identifies a replacement.

Harris Tarkett has appointed William R. Celentano Jr. to serve as regional sales manager for the company's Northeast sales territory. With more than 20 years of sales, marketing and management experience, Celentano previously worked for Burke Mercer Co., Congoleum Corp., Kraus Carpet Mills, and Benjamin Berman Inc.

Gary Johnston, national brand communication manager for DuPont Stainmaster, has been appointed to the board of the Southern Living Custom Home Program. He will work with the board to discuss marketing and conference plans as well as develop new ways to enhance the custom home initiative, which recognizes the work of approximately 100 residential builders throughout the Southern United States.

Witex USA has brought Matthew Thornton on board to serve as the company's national sales manager. Previously a sales executive with Formica, Thornton is responsible for overseeing Witex sales efforts throughout the country, leading the company's regional and territory mangers, and securing growth opportunities for emerging and existing Witex product lines.

Kirk Smith has joined SI Flooring Systems as West Coast Sales and Technical Manager. Based in Irvine, Calif., Smith is charged with promoting SI's foundation fabrics among commercial and residential carpet mills on the West Coast. A flooring industry veteran with more than a decade of experience, Smith previously worked for Amoco and WaynTex.

Jerry Hansen, a ceramic tile consultant with more than three decades of flooring industry experience, has been named Person of the Year by the Ceramic Tile Institute of America (CTIOA). Hansen, who organizes classes in Texas on behalf of CTIOA and teaches segments of the curriculum, earned the accolade on the basis of the many hours he has devoted to the advancement of the tile industry.