The nighttime twinkling of fireflies has inspired scientists to modify a light-emitting diode (LED) so it is more than one and a half times as efficient as the original.

Willard N. Swanson Jr., former owner of The Willard Swanson Co., a regional chemical distributor based in St. Paul, MN, passed away on January 2, 2013.

Ben Brooks, CSO, NCSO, Canadian Regional Health & Safety Manager, has joined Certified Coating Specialists Inc.’s safety team.

Wacker Chemical Corp. has appointed Axel Schmidt Vice President for the Division of Silicones North and Latin America.

The Protech-Oxyplast Group, Montreal, Canada, has reached an agreement to purchase the powder coating business and manufacturing assets of Innotek Powder Coatings, Big Spring, TX.

To support future growth and to more effectively focus the company, R.T. Vanderbilt Co. Inc. has reorganized its North American operations around three new wholly owned subsidiaries.

John Fletcher, Technical Support Manager for Elcometer, has been elected Vice President of the Institute of Corrosion (ICorr).

Sartomer USA LLC, Exton, PA, has established two new positions to strengthen the company’s position in global markets.

BASF will increase its annual global capacity for manufacturing 1,6-hexanediol (HDO) to more than 50,000 tons per annum by 2014, an increase of more than 20 percent.

DuPont Powder Coatings has assigned Robert R. Phillippi, Area Manager, to be the Rebar Segment Leader.