Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc., Columbus, OH, plans to build a new plant in Chonburi, Thailand, which will increase its capacity to produce acrylic-based resins and serve customers in Southeast Asia.

Emerald Kalama Chemical, a business unit of Emerald Performance Materials, has appointed Sharon Chung K-FLEX^® Product Line Manager for Asia.

AkzoNobel's CEO Ton Büchner is taking a leave of absence as a result of a medical condition.

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

The specialty chemicals group LANXESS is upgrading its water treatment capacities for the production of inorganic pigments.

Taminco Inc., Ghent, Belgium, has selected Ellen Van De Woestijne to lead global marketing efforts for its feed and specialty additive products.

Officials with U.S. Zinc, Houston, announced Rodrigo Daud has been promoted to President of the company.

H.B. Fuller Co. has finalized the purchase of Engent Inc., Norcross, GA, a provider of manufacturing, research and development services to the electronics industry.

Consumer confidence improved slightly in August due to consumers’ more favorable evaluations of their present financial situations, according to University of Michigan economist Richard Curtin, Director of the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.

AkzoNobel has been ranked in first place in the Chemicals supersector on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI).