Gottwald to retire as Tredegar chief

John D. Gottwald will retire as president and chief executive officer of Richmond-based Tredegar Corp. on Jan. 31, the company announced yesterday.

Tredegar, a manufacturer of plastic films and aluminum extrusions, said its board of directors has named Nancy M. Taylor, the company's executive vice president and president of its largest division, to succeed Gottwald as president and chief executive officer.

Gottwald will continue to serve as a member of Tredegar's board of directors and its executive committee, the company said. Company officials could not be reached for comment.

Gottwald, 55, joined Tredegar in 1989, when the company was created as a spin-off from Ethyl Corp., another Richmond company managed by members of the Gottwald family. He had served as vice president of aluminum, plastics and energy at Ethyl Corp., which is now named NewMarket Corp.

Gottwald was president and chief executive officer of Tredegar from 1989 to 2001, when he was elected chairman of the company's board of directors. In 2006, he was named chief executive officer to replace retiring CEO Norman A. Scher.

Taylor, 49, has been president since 2005 of Tredegar Film Products, the company's largest operating division. She joined the company in 1991 as assistant general counsel and was named general counsel in 1997 and vice president in 1998. She was named vice president, administration and corporate development in 2001.

In 2003, she was named managing director for the company's film operations in Europe and was named senior vice president for strategy and special projects in 2004.

Monica Moretti, 40, vice president and general manager of consumer care for Tredegar Film Products, will become president of Tredegar Film Products, replacing Taylor.

Contact John Reid Blackwell at (804) 775-8123 or .