Akzo Nobel N.V., the world's biggest coatings manufacturer, announced the establishment of a $1 million charitable fund to support families of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Akzo Nobel was joined by a growing array of companies launching employee and corporate donation programs to assist those affected by the terrorist attacks.
Coatings consumption in key Latin America markets is forecast to grow at annual rates of more than 4% over the next several years, with revenues in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru potentially reaching a combined total of $4.65 billion by 2007.
BASF Corp. announced plans to close the company's Industrial Coatings Regional Business Unit's research laboratory in Columbus, OH, as part of a restructuring program.
The National Paint & Coatings Association announced the publication of a major industry market study, "U.S. Paint & Coatings Market Analysis (2000-2005)," described by the NPCA as "the definitive coatings-industry information resource."
Benjamin M. Belcher Jr., retired executive vice president of Benjamin Moore & Co. and the great-grandson of company founder Benjamin Moore, died Oct. 3, 2001, in Southwest Harbor, ME. He was 66.
Rohm and Haas Co. and OMNOVA Solutions Inc. announced plans to form a global joint-venture business to market latex binders, synthetic pigments and specialty additives for coatings applications in the paper and paperboard industry.
Akzo Nobel N.V. formally opened a new production plant in Suzhou, China, near Shanghai, for the manufacture of automotive-refinish, powder and transportation coatings for the growing Chinese market.
BASF Corp.'s automotive coatings manufacturing plant in Belvidere, NJ, has been accepted into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Environmental Performance Track, a program that is designed to motivate and reward top environmental performance.