HallStar Names Three New Board Members

The HallStar Company, a specialty chemical supplier headquartered in Chicago, announced the appointment of James R. Conaty, Robert B. Covalt, and James N. Hallene to its Board of Directors.

“We are very pleased to welcome these stellar industry leaders to our Board,” said John J. Paro, chairman, president and chief executive officer of HallStar. “They reflect and magnify HallStar’s commitment to meet and exceed our near- and long-term growth objectives.”

Conaty served as president of Global Adhesives HB Fuller of St. Paul, Minn., a leading manufacturer of adhesives, sealants, and coatings. He led a workforce of more than 2,600 employees in 38 countries, with revenues of more than $1 billion.

Covalt founded Sovereign Specialty Chemicals in 1994 and served as chairman, president and chief executive officer. At the time of the sale to Henkel in 2004, Sovereign was the largest privately owned adhesives company in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world, with revenues of approximately $400 million. Prior to founding Sovereign, Covalt spent 36 years with Morton Chemical, eleven years as President of the specialty chemical arm of Morton International. He retired in 1993.

Hallene founded Capital Concepts Holdings, LLC, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm, in 1998 and currently serves as its principal. He is also a partner with CapX Partners, an equipment-leasing fund. Before Capital Concepts, Jim co-founded and later sold MaxMiles, a data-consolidation company.

These additions bring HallStar’s Board of Directors to six members. In addition to Conaty, Covalt and Hallene, the members of the HallStar Board are John J. Paro, chairman, president and chief executive officer of HallStar; George A. Vincent, former chairman of HallStar; and Robert L. Keener. Robert C. Knuepfer, Jr., Baker & McKenzie LLC; is an advisory member.