According to a soon-to-be released study by the consulting firm Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney, in 2011, U.S. consumption of coatings is projected to be 1.4 million gallons, containing 7.8 billion pounds of solids, worth $23 billion. 

BASF is increasing its presence in the growing African markets. On December 7, 2011, the company opened a new office in Nairobi, Kenya, to serve customers in East Africa and Sub-Sahara.

Christine A. Gehres has joined Sudarshan’s Pigment Division as the new Vice President Global Marketing and Strategy.

Creative Materials, Inc. has moved to a new facility in Ayer, MA. Organic business expansion over the past several years motivated the move in August 2011 to a new corporate center.

Heucotech Ltd., a Heubach company, announced the appointment of Superior Materials, Inc., headquartered in Garden City, NY, as sales representative and distributor in the Northeast for all graphic art, specialty ink, coating, and adhesive industries effective January 1, 2012.

Dow Coating Materials, a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., has named Jose Maria Bermudez as the new General Manager for North America.

RadTech, the trade association for UV and EB curing technology, announced the adoption of ASTM D 7767-11, "Standard Test Method to Measure Volatiles from Radiation Curable Acrylate Monomers, Oligomers, and Blends and Thin Coatings Made from Them."

The Western Coatings Societies’ Symposium and Show was held October 23-26 at the Mirage Resort in Las Vegas.

Brookfield Engineering Laboratories announced the appointment of Eric Chiang to the position of Product Manager - Texture Analyzers.

Plasticolors Inc., a custom colorant and chemical dispersions manufacturer for the thermoset plastics and paint and coatings industries, recently announced two new appointments.