Hot Box has named Brian Devine as southeast regional sales manager.

Red-White Valve Corp. has sold the majority of its existing shares to the Italian valve manufacturer Valvoindustria Ing. Rizzio (VIR).

Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse has named Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath, a brand of U.S. Industries, as the exclusive supplier of jetted baths to more than 850 Lowe's stores nationwide.

The U.S. International Trade Commission has instituted a general fact-finding investigation under section 332 of the Tariff Act of 1930.

Crane Valves named L & S Associates of Wakefield, MA its Rep of the Year.

Crane's Stockham Valve division gave its Rep of the Year award to New England's Green Sales.

Fairmont Supply Co. (Canonsburg, Pa.) appointed Richard L. Layton president, succeeding Charles F. Whirlow, who retired after 33 years of service with the company.

Columbia Specialty Co. Inc. of Paramount, CA has purchased Stain Steel Inc. of Downey, CA. Stain Steel produces stainless and aluminum piping products.

Performance Pipe, a division of Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP and North America's leading producer of polyethylene pipe systems, named Ferguson (Newport News, Va.) its "Distributor of the Year for 2002."

Lee Martin, former president, CEO and chairman of NIBCO, died on March 26 at the age of 83.