Forge parent gets a new VP

Scott Minder has been named vice president of investor relations for Allegheny Technologies Incorporated. 

Allegheny Technologies is the parent company of Portland Forge. 

Prior to working for ATI, Minder has worked in several financial leadership positions, most recently as director of investor relations for PPG Industries. Prior to that he worked for General Motors and Penske Logistics. 

“We are pleased to have Scott Minder join our team,” Rich Harshman, ATI chairman, president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Scott has extensive financial management experience, including investor relations in large global manufacturing businesses that serve markets relevant to ATI. He is an outstanding addition to ATI’s financial leadership team.”

Promoted 

Donovan Pressler has been promoted to hardware plant manager at Fort Recovery Industries Inc.

Pressler has been a Fort Recovery Industries employee since 2011, and has worked in manufacturing for over 22 years, according to a company press release. As part of his new role, Pressler is responsible for the Fort Recovery Industries hardware plant site and operations. 

Pressler lives in Greenville, Ohio, with his wife Shelly and their two children. 

Awarded

Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, received an award last week recognizing his contributions to the field of biotechnology. 

POET is the parent company of POET Biorefining Portland.  

Broin was given the George Washington Carver Award at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Montreal.  

“Jeff Broin is one of the greatest innovators and entrepreneurs in the industrial biotechnology sector,” Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section, said in a prepared statement. “He ranks among the most influential leaders in agriculture as well. Biofuels have created new markets for agricultural products and rejuvenated rural America. Jeff Broin has positioned POET at the forefront of developing cellulosic ethanol and improving the economics of biofuel production.”

Settlement reached

Walgreens Boots Alliance and Theranos have reached a settlement in Walgreens’ breach of contract lawsuit. 

Walgreens previously partnered with Theranos for blood testing in more than 40 stores. Theranos claimed to be able to test blood for medical conditions from only a drop of blood, rather than the standard vial. After reports that the company’s tests were inaccurate, Walgreens ended the partnership. The company then sued Theranos for $140 million for breach of contract in November. 

The terms of the settlement were kept secret, but it dismisses the lawsuit with “no finding of implication or liability,” according to a Theranos press release. 

Hub closing

Gannett has closed its Nashville design studio, shifting that studio’s design work to its other operations. 

The closure could result in the loss of up to 88 jobs, The Tennessean (Nashville) reported. 

Gannett announced the consolidation Tuesday, which is when employees were notified, with the transition expected to be completed by Oct. 1. 

Employees were responsible for print designs for a portion of Gannett’s 100-plus news organizations. The company’s other three design centers are in Des Moines, Iowa, Louisville, Kentucky, and Phoenix, Arizona. 

Agreement set 

Walgreens Boots Alliance has made a 10-year global supply agreement with Fareva, a cosmetics manufacturer. 

Fareva will manufacture Walgreens’ beauty brand and private label products, according to a Walgreens press release, as well as take ownership of BCM, Walgreens’ contract manufacturing business. 

The agreement, which is still subject to regulatory approval and Works Council consultation, is slated to be completed by the end of the year. 

Streamlined

Two Tyson Foods Inc. executives are leaving the company as it streamlines its organization. 

Andy Callahan, president of North American Foodservice & International, and Monica McGurk, chief growth officer, will be leaving the company as it restructures to focus around the output of prepared foods, poultry and fresh meats (beef and pork). As part of the streamline, presidents of these three segments will report directly to president and CEO Tom Hayes. 

“A dynamic market demands we become more agile while focusing on consumers, customers and the businesses that deliver our revenue and profit,” Hayes said in a company press release. “This simple design creates individual responsibility for the performance of our segments to enable faster, better decisions.”