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Draft of California’s Air Quality Plan Is Now Available
The Air Resources Board’s draft of the Proposed State Strategy for California’s 2007 Statewide Implementation Plan is now available at www.arb.ca.gov/planning/sip/2007casip.htm. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Mr. Ravi Ramalingam of ARB’s Planning and Technical Support Division at (916) 322-2085 or rramalin@arb.ca.gov.

3M Acquires Industrial Adhesives Product Line from Chemence
3M, St. Paul, Minn., has acquired the Rite-Lok global industrial adhesives product line from Chemence Inc., a specialty chemical company that manufactures a range of consumer and industrial adhesives. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed ... Read full story here

CHEMARK and Specialty Coatings Services Formalize Their Collaboration
The CHEMARK Consulting Group, Inc., Southern Pines, N.C., and Specialty Coating Services, Louisville, Ky., jointly announce their formal collaborative association ... Read full story here 

John Menzel Joins Reynolds Industries
Kim Pearce, president of Reynolds Industries, Inc., Fort Mill, S.C., has recently hired John Menzelto to join the company team and take on the aftermarket sales coordinator position. Menzel earned a B.A. degree from Ashland University and has an extensive background in customer service.

Laudenbach Is the New CEO of Almatis
Martin Laudenbach has been appointed CEO of Almatis, Frankfurt, Germany. He succeeds Hervé de Carmoy, who as executive chairman has been the interim head of the company since former CEO Oscar Groomes stepped down from his position ... Read full story here

DataLase Appoints Norton-Collins and Barnard to Business Development Managers
DataLase, Middlewich, Cheshire, UK, has appointed Stuart Norton-Collins as business development manager for the UK. Norton-Collins joins DataLase to further develop the company’s growth and to achieve increased sales across the UK ... Read full story here

Holopainen Appointed Tech Director of CPS Color Group Oy
Dr. Timo Holopainen has been appointed technology director of CPS Color Group Oy. He will be responsible for the innovation management of the company’s colorants and equipment, as well as for the research and development of colorants. Holopainen will work at CPS Color’s headquarters in Vantaa, Finland.

ALTANA Reports Strong Sales Growth in 2006 Due in Part to ECKART Acquisition
ALTANA Chemie AG, Wesel, Germany, whose operations will be continued under the name ALTANA, was able to increase sales by 43% to almost EUR 1.3 billion in 2006 ... Read full story here

Cytec Launches New Energy-Curable Resins for Industrial Metal Applications
EBECRYL^® 3213 epoxy acrylate is designed to provide outstanding adhesion to metal substrates for general pipe and tubing applications. UV/EB cured formulations containing EBECRYL 3213 epoxy acrylate are characterized by exceptional hardness, durability, corrosion resistance, and superior chemical resistance ... Read full story here

Elementis Specialties Expands Deeks & Co. Territory
Elementis Specialties announced that effective May 1, 2007, its distributor, Deeks & Company Inc., will expand service to additives customers in Georgia, Florida and Alabama ... Read full story here

Eliokem Increases Capacity in Its American Plant
Eliokem, Villejust, France, will expand the processing and packaging capability in the Akron, Ohio, plant for Pliolite, Plioway and Pliotec resins.  This is in response to increasing market share particularly in North America with the Pliotec latex product range ...  Read full story here

Dow to Expand MDI Production in North America
The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., plans to expand production at its Freeport, Texas, MDI facility by 50 percent over the next 36 months.  In September 2006, Dow also announced plans to expand MDI production at its Estarreja, Portugal, site ... Read full story here

Akzo Nobel Powder Coatings Appoints Distributor in Israel
Akzo Nobel Powder Coatings has appointed Univercol Paints Ltd. as its distributor for architectural and other high performance powder coatings in Israel ... Read full story here   

ICE’s FutureCoat! Deadline for Presentation Submissions Extended
The FSCT has announced that the deadline for submitting abstracts for the 2007 FutureCoat! conference has been extended until February 16, 2007. FutureCoat! will be held in conjunction with the International Coatings Expo (ICE) on October 3-5, 2007, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ont., Canada ... Read full story here

Entries Invited for 2007 FSCT Roon Awards Competition Until Feb. 16
The FSCT Roon Awards Committee, headed by Charles R. Hegedus of Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., is inviting entries for the 2007 competition. The Roon Awards are given for the best technical papers submitted for presentation at the annual FSCT FutureCoat! conference ... Read full story here

Atlas to Present Weathering Testing Technology at 2007 Conferences/Tradeshows
For 2007, Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC, Chicago, will present a series of technical papers and presentations on weathering technology at conferences and tradeshows worldwide ... Full list of paper presentations here

Bühler Offers Training Courses on Grinding and Dispersing Technology
The company offers general courses as well as courses geared to specific needs ... Read full story here