Arch Coatings, a manufacturer of wood coatings for office and home furniture, kitchen cabinets, picture frames, architectural molding, and other wood products, said the facility will support the business's expansion into the North American market. The application and laboratory facilities are located within an existing Arch Chemicals manufacturing site.

The opening of the application center "enables us to provide total solutions service to U.S. and Canadian manufacturers of furniture and other fine wood products," said Paul J. Craney, vice president and general manager of Arch Chemicals' Treatment Products business segment. The facilities allow customers to replicate their manufacturing processes and test the performance of coatings, including UV-cure materials, Craney said.

Arch Coatings said it is working to expand sales of its Sayerlack, Tecnoselect and Linea Blu brand coatings in North America and Asia. The coatings business's primary manufacturing facilities are located in Italy and France, and its product offerings include a range of stains, lacquers, basecoats and topcoats. Advanced products include water-based UV-cure coatings, powder coatings, dual-cure UV coatings, and polyurethane systems.