(Feb. 19) Trex, manufacturer and distributor of decking, railing, fencing and trim, has announced its board of directors appointed president and CEO Ronald Kaplan as chairman of the board, effective May 5. On that date, Andrew Ferrari, who has served as chairman since January 2008, will retire.

Kaplan joined Trex in January 2008 as president and CEO. Previously, he was CEO of Continental Global Group, a manufacturer of material handling systems. Prior to that, he was president of Harsco Corp.'s Gas Technologies Group.

Ferrari was one of the four original executives who founded Trex in 1996. During his time at Trex, he has served as CEO, chief operating officer and executive VP sales and marketing. He has been a director since 1998.

In addition to Kaplan's appointment, the board of directors has named Jay Gratz lead independent director, also effective May 5. Gratz was appointed to the Trex board in 2007. He retired from Ryerson Inc. in 2007, where he served as executive VP and chief financial officer.