Peninsula Polymers Inc. announced the launch of a North America distribution joint venture

Peninsula Polymers Inc., Overland Park, KS, and Cook Composites and Polymers (CCP), Kansas City, MO, announced the launch of a North America distribution joint venture in a move the companies said will strengthen an existing distribution arrangement. Peninsula Polymers has been CCP's national distributor to the coatings market since 1997. Under the joint-venture agreement, the existing Peninsula Polymers warehouse network and distribution operations will be consolidated in areas where current overlap exists with CCP, and will be expanded "wherever there may be incomplete geographic coverage," the companies said. Peninsula Polymers President Gholi Darehshori said the venture would allow the company to expand its product lines to include other CCP and Cray Valley coatings raw materials, and will extend technical-service capabilities. CCP and Cray Valley are units of ATOFINA, the chemicals business of TotalFina Elf Group.