ParexLahabra, the parent company of building material brands Parex, LaHabra, El Rey Stucco, Teifs, Mer-Krete and Mer-Ko, announced that Rodrigo Lacerda has been named president of the company effective October 1, 2009.  Lacerda replaces Francois Bouan, who retires on September 30, 2009.

“I have known Rodrigo since he joined ParexGroup in 2000. His experiences in managing and expanding our Brazilian subsidiary and later developing the presence of ParexGroup worldwide made him the best candidate,” said Francois Bouan, current president of ParexLahabra. “I am confident Rodrigo will rapidly earn trust in the industry, and with new ideas and tools lead ParexLahabra into another era of growth and success.”

Lacerda, began his career as a Quality/ISO Consultant for the largest producer of ceramic tile in Brazil and quickly advanced to HR manager and ultimately CEO of the tile adhesives division. He accepted the CEO position of Parex Brazil in 2000, where he transformed a regional one-plant company to the third largest producer of tile adhesives in Brazil. Parex Brazil now operates seven manufacturing facilities with sales of over $70 million. In 2006 he was promoted to Vice President of International Development, responsible all acquisitions of the ParexGroup and relocated from Brazil to company headquarters in France. Lacerda, is an electrical engineer by trade and holds an MBA in General Management.

“I'm very excited in joining the ParexLahabra team to help build the future of this company in the United States,” Lacerda noted. “Focus on innovation, outstanding customer service, and added value products and services will be the backbone of our leadership. Our team will be working hard to deliver those core values every day in each one of the product segments we are present in.”