ARLINGTON, Va. - A comprehensive report detailing security efforts being undertaken by its chemical-distributor members has been released by the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD).

"We published this report in an effort to communicate with members of Congress, regulators, suppliers and customers about the specific security initiatives required under our Responsible Distribution Process (RDP), while also differentiating between security challenges of chemical manufacturers and chemical distributors," said NACD President Jim Kolstad.

The report better defines for government officials the diversity of the chemical industry, and educates suppliers and customers about the responsible approach NACD members embrace to address security. The report is available at www.nacd.com/advocacy/positionPapers.cfm.

BASF and DuPont Auto Color Experts Agree Silver Still Strong, but Livelier Hues Lead Change

MÜNSTER, Germany/TROY, Mich. - Silver is solidifying its position as the world's leading vehicle color, but the "silver of the future" will be more colorful and will be augmented by whites. This is the color trend forecast being made by designers from BASF Coatings.

In North America, BASF Coatings designer Jon Hall is betting on more color. In addition to the same series of infinitely repeated silver colors, he expects to see a new, fine-grained, silky silver and gray silvers revealing various color nuances. "Brushed metal reduces the glitter effect and gives gray and silver tones a fresh new look. Classic red is experiencing a revival. White, in variations with cream-colored hues, will remain a strong color, while yellow and orange - mixed with violet, turquoise, lime, lipstick and cream - will appear in new versions. Blue will continue to be in demand and will be beefed up with new sporty metallic colors featuring turquoise effects.

DuPont experts concur that a color coup has yet to topple silver's crown, but a yearning for new and expressive vehicle exterior colors is clearly gaining force - a trend that experts say will increase in the coming years.

For example, according to DuPont's 2004 Automotive Color Popularity Report, light metallic brown and blue each have captured double-digit percentages of the overall vehicle market, and yellow looks hot on the right vehicles while red is on the rise again.

Not surprisingly, yellow appeals to the high-visibility contingent. "Yellow has moved into the Top 10 in North America for the first time since 1992," says Karen Surcina, color programs manager for DuPont Automotive Systems, the automotive OEM unit of DuPont Performance Coatings.

Don't pin the "color conservative" tag exclusively on big-ticket buyers, however. In the North American luxury car segment, which has lost a bit of market share to SUVs since 2003, light brown metallic grew dramatically in popularity in 2004 - from 4 percent in 2003 to 11 percent, while both red and blue doubled in popularity. Silver and gray have begun to decline as the leading colors, but various shades of white, including dramatic, pearlescent tri-coat finishes, remain strong.