MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Surteco has named Lawrence (Larry) Schorr as co-chair of Surteco North America. Schorr, who is also a board member, will work with Surteco Group CEO Wolfgang Moyses in leading the decorative surfaces specialist forward.

The company also announced Terry Hemmelgarn will become CEO of Surteco North America, including the Omnova films and laminates division, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Hemmelgarn joined the organization post-acquisition as CEO of Omnova and played a key leadership role in the successful integration of the two companies.

Hemmelgarn will take over the position currently held by Mike Phillips, who is retiring as CEO at the end of 2023. Phillips has 35 years with the organization and has been credited with developing Surteco’s professional and team-focused culture which continues to drive both business success and lasting industry relationships.

Moyses said, “I would first like to thank Mike Phillips for his many years of dedicated, loyal, and successful leadership of our business in North America. His broad and deep relationships in the industry are unmatched and we hope that he will continue to provide guidance and advice to our new team in the years ahead as special advisor to the office of chairman and a board member of Surteco North America.”

He added, “Terry Hemmelgarn brings a long history of success in managing larger organizational entities and has also developed a strong and successful relationship with customers, suppliers and associates in the films and laminates business. In these difficult and unpredictable macroeconomic times, we will rely on his leadership to both weather the storm and grow the business.”

Moyses continued, “I have had many years of successfully working with Larry Schorr and as a co-chair of Surteco North America, he will allow me to focus more attention on the many challenging issues we face in Europe and Asia.”

Rodney Cuevas will continue to be CEO of Omnova Engineered Services (Thailand), Inc and the global coated fabrics business of Surteco.

Surteco North America is a division of Surteco Group SE, based in Buttenweisen Germany with international operations. Its product portfolio includes papers printed with decor designs, impregnated materials, release papers, decorative flat foils and edgebandings based on specialist technical papers and plastics. The North American divisions operate out of facilities in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Ontario, Canada, and Rayong, Thailand.