HARTSVILLE, SC - Novolex announced that Ron Horner has been appointed chief procurement officer, effective June 21. In this capacity, Horner will lead all aspects of the company's direct and indirect purchasing programs and long-term sourcing strategies.  

Horner succeeds Ben Mascarello, chief operations officer, who assumed responsibility for procurement earlier this year.   

"I am excited to welcome Ron to the Novolex leadership team," said Stan Bikulege, Novolex chairman and chief executive officer. "The breadth of Ron's experience across a spectrum of procurement roles in different sectors will be a great resource and enable us to maintain and expand our vital supplier relationships. I am confident Ron will provide strong leadership and prove an excellent addition to the Novolex team." 

Horner joins Novolex from Vulcan Materials Company, where he was VP of procurement and responsible for all strategic sourcing for a $4 billion business operating across North America. Prior to that role, Hormer was director of sourcing & procurement at Caraustar (now Greif), a paper company where he was responsible for all direct and indirect materials and services for more than 80 locations in North America.  

"I am excited about joining Novolex and looking forward to contributing to the organization's growth and further success in the market," Horner said. "With the great team of Procurement professionals and strong foundational support from Operations, I am confident that we can continue to accelerate the journey to making our supplier relationships and our overall supply chain a strategic advantage for the company."  

Mascarello has decided to leave Novolex this summer. He's been a key leader in the company's remarkable growth and success over the past 15 years.