DKSH Business Unit Performance Materials, a specialty chemicals distributor, announced new partnerships in the personal care industry in the United States and the expansion of its sales force.

Specialty Coating Systems, Indianapolis, has achieved AS9100 Revision C certification for its Parylene coating service centers in Austin, TX, and Singapore.

With a design that features clearly contoured shapes and blue special-effect paint from BASF, Volkswagen recently presented its next generation of SUV – the CrossBlue concept – at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Coatings manufacturer Rudd Co., Seattle, has appointed Jeff Takac Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

Aakash Chemicals,Glendale Heights, IL, has hired Shaun Mueller to be the company’s Technical Director, Coatings for its Global Technical Innovation Squad.

D.B. Becker Co. Inc., Clinton, NJ, has hired Tom Papasso to be the company’s Northeast Technical Sales Manager.

Michelman has hired Jean-Marc Verhaeghe as the company’s new Managing Director, Europe.

AkzoNobel announced that effective April 26 Ruud Joosten will become the Executive Committee member responsible for Decorative Paints.

Christine Gehres has joined pigments supplier LANSCO COLORS, Pearl River, NY, as Senior Vice President of Sales.

BASF Corp., Florham Park, NJ, has named Lorama Inc. its new exclusive distributor for BASF Industrial Kaolin in Canada.