Plutschak to Head Combined Foseco/Vesuvius Unit

June 9, 2008
Cookson promises broader product line, new technology

Cookson Group has named Lee Plutshack as the president of its new Foundry business unit, which combines the global businesses of Foseco PLC and Cookson’s Vesuvius molten-metal products line. Vesuvius Group president and CEO Franois Wanecq stated that Plutshack would have responsibility for the new unit, and will be a member of the executive committee of the Vesuvius Group.

Wanecq said the new Foundry business unit would reach iron, steel, and nonferrous foundries with value-adding products and technology from Foseco and Vesuvius. “This will lead to a broader product offering and the introduction of new technology while the dedicated customer-focus of the existing businesses will continue as before, unchanged,” according to a release.

Cookson acquired Foseco in April for a reported $987 million. Cookson manufactures and supplies industrial ceramics (notably, Vesuvius molten-metal filtration products), as well as surface-treatment and plating chemicals, and fabricated precious metals. Foseco produces a range of metalcasting and steelmaking consumables, including molten-metal conditioning, filtration, and flow-control products. Its foundry product lines include feeding systems, filters, metal treatments, inoculants, fluxes, and sand binders.

Plutshack had been CEO of the Foseco Steel business unit, and has held various executive positions since joining Foseco in 1975, including president and CEO of Foseco Inc. He was chief executive officer of Sericol from 1998 to 2001, and of Chem-Trend from 2001 to 2004. He is member of the American Foundry Society and a past Treasurer of the Ductile Iron Society; Plutshack earned a B.S. and an M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin.