Ducommun CEO Elected Chairman

Ducommun President and Chief Executive Norman A. Barkeley has been elected chairman of the troubled aerospace firm.

Barkeley succeeds Wallace W. Booth, 66, the firm’s longtime chairman. Booth joined Ducommun as chief executive in 1977, and became chairman a year later. He remains on Ducommun’s board.

Barkeley, 58, joined Ducommun last July as Booth’s heir apparent, following two presidents who left the firm in rapid succession. Before coming to Ducommun, Barkeley had been chairman and chief executive of Lear Siegler, a Santa Monica aerospace company acquired by an investment group two years ago.

Barkeley lends his “brand name reputation” in the aerospace industry to Ducommun, said Julian Menear, an aerospace analyst with Pershing & Co. in New York. Even so, Barkeley’s task won’t be easy, Menear said.

“He’s got to convince customers that Ducommun can improve its service and offer competitive prices,” Menear said. Barkeley wasn’t available for comment Thursday. The Carson-based company, which has cut jobs and dismantled its electronics business to lower costs, expects to report a loss for 1988.