Top Industry News
Acquisition Action Report
The People File
Business Barometer
Company Portfolio
Supplier Price Watch
Association News
Meetings, Courses & Other Events

Top Industry News                                  April 30, 2007 Issue

ASTM Subcommittee Seeks Participation on Stainblocking Standard
A proposed new standard being developed by ASTM International Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings, Materials and Applications would provide the coatings industry with an industry-wide method for evaluating the ability of an architectural paint system to block ink stains from typical markers and writing instruments from bleeding through primer or basecoat into a topcoat ... Full story >>

Univar Announces Completion of CHEMCENTRAL Acquisition and Executive Changes
Univar N.V., Rotterdam, the Netherlands,a world leader in chemical distribution, announced it has completed the acquisition of CHEMCENTRAL Corp., Bedford Park, Ill. Financial results for CHEMCENTRAL will be consolidated with Univar’s results as of April 19, 2007 ... Full story >>

The People File

PPG Names Krystyniak Manager, Strategic Alliances
PPG Industries, Pittsburgh, has appointed Robert Krystyniak as manager, strategic alliances, for the company’s Construction Market Team. In his new post, Krystyniak will identify and develop collaborative opportunities in the construction market ... Full story >>

HOCKMEYER Equipment Announces New Lab Manager
Mike Villardi has joined the HOCKMEYER staff as the lab manager at its Elizabeth City, N.C., office ... Full story >>

International Paint Hires Senior Account Executive to Serve Northwest Coatings Customers
International Paint LLC, Houston, a division of Akzo Nobel, has hired Eric Shelton to serve as senior account executive over protective coatings sales in St. Louis – West Territory, consisting of Kansas, Nebraska, West Missouri and Southwest Iowa.

Linetec Names Joe Ramuta as Regional Sales Manager
Linetec, Wausau, Wis., has hired Joe Ramuta as its regional sales manager serving Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Drawing from 19 years experience in the window industry, Ramuta will counsel customers on architectural and commercial finishing choices.

Refocused Akzo Nobel Reports Strong First-Quarter Results
Akzo Nobel, Arnhem, the Netherlands, has reported a strong start to the year for the refocused company.  On March 12th, Akzo Nobel announced the sale of its human and animal health subsidiary, Organon BioSciences to Schering-Plough for $14.4 billion.

The combined Coatings and Chemicals business posted autonomous growth of 6%, while operational results before incidentals were 18 percent higher than the corresponding period last year. The Pharma activities also performed well, with first-quarter operating results jumping 8%.

Behr Recognizes Rohm and Haas as a Technology Innovation Leader
Rohm and Haas, Philadelphia, was acknowledged as Behr Process Corporation’s supplier with the most innovative technology for 2006 at ceremonies in California last month ... Full story >>

Buckman Laboratories Wins Training Award
Buckman Laboratories is a winner in the 2007 Training Top 125. The Top 125 is a ranking of organizations that excel at human capital development as determined each year by Training magazine. Buckman is recognized for making sizeable investments in their employees and for doing so strategically and creatively.

Bayer Honored by Rachel Carson Homestead Association
Bayer Corporation, Pittsburgh, was honored on Friday, April 20, by the Rachel Carson Homestead Association at a reception that kicks off a yearlong series of special events commemorating the centennial of the birth of author and ecologist Rachel Carson ... Full story >>

Sherwin-Williams Introduces Epoxy Coating With Optically Active Pigment 
Sherwin-Williams Industrial & Marine Coatings, Cleveland, now offers its Duraplate^® UHS Ultra High Solids Epoxy with fluorescing Optically Active Pigments (OAP), allowing tank lining applicators to check the coating instantly for pinholes, holidays and other discontinuities and verify uniform coverage and proper film thickness ... Full story >> 

Sloan Reports Results of ASC Spring Convention
Lawrence Sloan, president of the Adhesive and Sealant Council, Bethesda, Md., reports that the results of the ASC’s Spring Convention in Savannah, Ga., were “overwhelmingly positive” ... Full story >>

e-Training on Coating Film Defects Set for May 15
The first part of an e-training course, Coating Film Defects — Prevention Through Understanding, takes place on May 15. SpecialChem expert Jochum Beetsma is conducting this advanced-level, two-part course ... Full story >>

NPCA Offers the Latest in Its Management Information Webinar Series: “Managing in an Inflationary Environment”
The National Paint & Coatings Association’s (NPCA) Management Information Committee will present its second seminar in its series of management webinars entitled Managing in an Inflationary Environment, on June 7, from 2:00-3:30 p.m., EST ... Full story >>

Call for Papers for ABRAFATI 2007, the 10^th Intl. Paint Conference
Scheduled for Oct.24-26 at the Transamerica Expo Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, ABRAFATI has issued a call for papers. A 20- to 30-line summary in English or Spanish with paper’s title and author’s name is due May 20^th. The paper is due on August 21. Send summaries to congresso@abrafati.com.br . For more information, visit www.abrafati.com.br or phone 55 11 3813-8896.

MeadWestvaco Executive to Offer Keynote Address on Sustainability at Pack Expo
Packaging professionals can participate in the industry-wide discussion about sustainability and learn how to apply its principles to their business by attending this fall’s conference at PACK EXPO ... Full story >>