Precision Industries announced that Keith Davis, senior vice president, branch division, retired on Oct. 3 after 36 years with the company …Minnesota Flexible appointed Andy Larsen sales manager…IBT appointed Mike Nemechek president…Airgas, Inc. appointed Ronald J. Stark president of its North Central region…IDC-USA elected Dan Kazmierczak chairman of the board for the 2004 term, and Mark Derkin, Jim Stahl, and Gene Vaughan to the board of directors…The board of directors of Applied Industrial Technologies elected Mark O. Eisele vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer; named Maryann R. Correnti to the new position of vice president, strategic planning and development; and hired Jeffrey J. Guritza as director of catalog marketing and telesales…Dr. Daniel F. Jennings, professor in the Industrial Distribution department at Texas A&M University and Program Director of the Master of Industrial Distribution Online Degree Program, was appointed program chair of the newly formed Industrial Distribution Educators Assn.

Rust-Oleum Industrial Brands promoted John Simons to vice president of marketing…Cooper Industries, Ltd. named Martin D. Pint vice president, strategic accounts, Cooper Connection…SK Daifuku named John King vice president of sales and marketing…Trio Pines USA appointed Salvatore (Sal) Aliotta, Jr. as its new president to oversee all North American operations…Vaughan & Bushnell Manufacturing Co. named Charles S. Vaughan vice president of operations…Solvay Chemicals, Inc. appointed Cameron Berry director of logistics operations, Gary Waller director of logistics services, and Val Zolotoochin director of engineering, capital and HSE (health, safety and environmental) for the company's Houston headquarters…Parker Hannifin Corp. promoted Roger Sherrard to president of the worldwide Instrumentation Group…Unger Enterprises named Paul C. Offutt vice president of sales…Timken Co. announced that its chairman, W. R. Timken, Jr., will retire as an executive but will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors. The company also announced that W.J. (Tim) Timken, Jr., will become executive vice president and president — Steel Group…