NATION

John N. Lauer, 49, a vice president and director of Hoechst Celanese, was named executive vice president of B. F. Goodrich Co. In his new position, Lauer will be a member of Goodrich’s corporate executive office, along with John D. Ong, chairman and chief executive; Leigh Carter, president and chief operating officer, and D. Lee Tobler, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Lauer, who will work out of Goodrich’s headquarters in Akron, Ohio, is a native of Washington and is a chemical engineering graduate of the University of Maryland. He also earned a master’s degree in business from Texas A&I; University.