PHILADELPHIA - Frederick H. "Fritz" Walker, Air Products and Chemicals Inc., was elected president-elect of the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology for 2003-04 during the FSCT's recent Annual Meeting. Rose A. Ryntz, Visteon Corp., was elected secretary treasurer, and Richard M. Hille, The Flood Co., assumed the organization's presidency for 2003-04.

Also at the Annual Meeting, the Federation's highest honor - the George Baugh Heckel Award - was presented to Gerry J. Gough, ICI Packaging Coatings Ltd. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the FSCT. Gough was president of the FSCT in 1999-2000, and is the first resident of the UK to serve as Federation president and to receive the Heckel Award.

The FSCT said the total number of exhibitors at the 2003 International Coatings Expo (ICE) in Philadelphia was 279, a gain of 18 from the 2002 show in New Orleans. Total exhibition space for the 2003 ICE, however, was down slightly from 2002, with a total of 48,800 square feet. The FSCT said this year's show featured 53 new exhibitors.

The Federation said ICE attendance totaled 6,237, down slightly from approximately 6,400 for the 2002 show in New Orleans.