Houston— Vallen Corp. announced several key appointments including David Key as president of Encon Safety Products.

Encon is a subsidiary company of Vallen, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hagemeyer North America. An Encon associate for five years, Key was formerly Encon's vice president and general manager. Prior to his experience with Encon, Key had a long and successful career with 3M.

''Dave is respected by industry professionals within and outside of Vallen and Encon,'' said Vallen COO Richard Harrison. ''His industry experience and proven leadership skills will continue to be an asset to our team in this challenging new role.''

Vallen also appointed Edwin Archbold as product manager for Vallen Branded Products, C. R. Standlee as vice president of manufacturing for Encon, and Jim Johnson as vice president of emergency shower and eyewash equipment (ESEW) for Encon.

Archbold will be responsible for handling supplier relations related to Vallen Branded Products and other lines.

A four-year associate of Vallen, Archbold was initially recruited through the Texas A&M Industrial Distribution program as a sales management trainee in the company's Dallas office. Prior to his appointment, Archbold was the technical and operational manager for Vallen's Acetogen Safety operation in Santiago, Chile.

''Edwin's experience in maintaining strong vendor relations while working in Chile will no doubt provide the framework for his continued success as product manager for Vallen Branded products,'' said Harrison.

Standlee, an 11-year associate of Encon, was formerly the company's operations manager for its Houston, Texas, manufacturing facility.

''C. R. is a successful industry professional,'' said Harrison. ''He is a role model for others in the company and a real asset to our team.''

Prior to his appointment, Johnson began his nine-year Encon career as a regional sales manager for the company's Canada operations. In 1998, he accepted the appointment to business unit manager of ESEW. In his new role, Johnson is charged with developing strategic supplier and customer partnerships to enhance Encon's market position.

''We are fortunate to have someone of Jim's experience and company loyalty to fill this strategic position,'' said Harrison. ''We look forward to his continued growth and success with our organization.''