Dick Frauenheim, former President and CEO of Diversified CPC International, Inc., passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning surrounded by his loving family.
In 1964, Dick earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The Pennsylvania State University and joined Diversified CPC as vice president of sales shortly after the company was founded becoming a key member of its original management team. In 1992, Dick led a management group which included Bill Auriemma and Chip Heun that purchased the company in partnership with Bank One Venture Corp. from the original entrepreneurs, George Dietrich and Bob Svenson. Bank One later sold its interest in the company to Sumitomo Corporation of the Americas in 1995.Dick would go on to lead DCPC in establishing a global presence with joint venture propellant plants built in Germany (Klockner CPC) and in China (Shanghai CCL Custom Manufacturing and Diversified Propellants Co.).
Dick was also extremely involved in industry trade associations, holding leadership positions in regional aerosol associations and as a long-time Executive Board member and also served a term as Chairman of the Aerosol Products Division of CSMA, the largest aerosol industry trade association in the US, an organization that is now called HCPA (Household and Commercial Products Association). As an aerosol industry pioneer, Dick was very influential in the success of the aerosol industry for many years and was a mentor to many of its current leaders. In 1993, Dick received the Alderdice Award, the highest award offered by CSMA. Dick retired from Diversified CPC in 2000. Dick leaves behind his wife, Rita, two daughters, Donna Johnson (Dave), Cathi Caimi (Mike), four grandchildren and a brother, Bill (Alice – deceased), sister, Cathy Hospodor (Bill), and brother-in-law, Mike (Susan – deceased), and several nieces and nephews. Dick was the uncle of Diversified CPC’s Vice President of Operations, Bill Frauenheim.The family requests that memorial donations in Dick’s memory be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN.