WILMINGTON, DE. - - Lou Savelli, group vice president of DuPont Performance Coatings, will retire on October 15 after 42 years of service. He will be succeeded by Ed Donnelly, currently vice president and general manager of DuPont Global Refinish and Industrial Coatings and DuPont Performance Coatings Americas. After joining DuPont in 1959, Savelli held a variety of sales, technical and management positions for DuPont businesses in engineering plastics, fluoropolymers, films, filaments and fabricated products. He joined Automotive Products in 1986 as business director for engineering materials and became vice president and general manager of DuPont's Finishes Division in November 1990. One month later he was named president of DuPont Automotive. He was named to his current position in March 1999.
To race fans, he will forever be remembered as the DuPont executive who signed off on the deal to sponsor a 21-year-old rookie driver in the NASCAR Winston Cup series in 1992. The driver was Jeff Gordon. His signature, along with Gordon and car owner Rick Hendrick, also appeared on the car that Jeff drove in The Winston in May 2000 after signing the sponsorship extension with DuPont through the 2005 season. Suffice to say, the company's sponsorship of Gordon continues to provide a significant return on their investment.
"Throughout his career, Lou has exemplified the importance of service and commitment to customers," said Richard Goodmanson, DuPont executive vice president and chief operating officer. "He has developed strong customer relationships and has been widely recognized for his contributions to the automotive industry."

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