AKRON—Ernest E. Pouttu has been named to succeed the retiring Jeff Buda as head of Harwick Standard Distribution Corp.
Pouttu will become president and chief operating officer on Jan. 1, and CEO on May 1, when Buda, currently president and CEO, gives up the CEO post.
Pouttu currently is vice president of finance and chief financial officer of the distributor. He joined the firm´s finance department in 1984.
Buda began his career with Harwick in 1986 in the Trenton, N.J., sales region. He served as vice president of sales in Boston and later Akron, and became president and CEO in 1999.