CLEVELAND – Specialty chemical distributor Palmer Holland has named Rich Najdusak as a Coatings Technical Specialist and Cathy Novak as a Lubricant and Metalworking Technical Service Specialist.

Najdusak's technical experience includes over 30 years in the paint and coatings industry. Previously, he held positions as a Laboratory Manager and Technical Specialist at additives company Borchers (formerly OM Group). Prior to Borchers, he spent the majority of his career at the SCM (Glidden)/ICI/AkzoNobel as a Chemist, Section Leader and Technical Manager for the Glidden solvent-based coatings and Devoe Protective Coatings product lines. Najdusak's main responsibility will be to provide additional technical support to the Palmer Holland sales team with travel and education for all coatings-related product lines.

Novak joins Palmer Holland as a Lubricant and Metalworking Technical Service Specialist with over 30 years of experience as a metalworking fluids formulator in the lubricant and metalworking markets. Most recently Novak was the Technical Sales Manager at Lanxess/Rhein Chemie for six years. Prior to that she owned and operated FormCut Engineered Fluids for 10 years before selling to Eastern Oil, where she would become the Technical Director for 13 years. In her new role, Novak will be available to support Palmer Holland Account Managers across all principal lines in the metalworking and lubes markets with travel, education and general industry support.