Vertellus Specialties Inc., Indianapolis, IN, a leading manufacturer of castor oil, castor oil polyols and derivatives, announced agreements with two new distributors.

RPM International Inc. reported marked increases in net sales, net income and diluted earnings per share for its fiscal 2012 third quarter ended February 29, 2012.

Emerald Kalama Chemical, a division of Emerald Performance Materials, has begun construction of a 60-percent capacity expansion for K-FLEX^® non-phthalate plasticizers at its Kalama, WA, facility.

Manufacturers and developers of architectural coatings will be the primary users of a new ASTM International standard, ASTM D 7786, Test Method for Determining Enamel Holdout.

In reporting its earnings guidance for the first quarter of 2012, PPG Industries announced plans to reduce its workforce by 2,000 employees.

An explosion and fire that broke out March 31, 2012, at Evonik’s CDT plant on the grounds of the Marl Chemicals Park, Marl, Germany, killed two Evonik employees and threatens to disrupt the supply of CDT-based products.

Argex Mining Inc. (Argex) has entered into a technical collaboration agreement with PPG Industries to develop and optimize PPG’s technology for titanium dioxide (TiO₂) pigment for coatings applications to be produced by Argex.

Gema, a leader in powder coating equipment, is now operating as a new business unit of the Graco Corp.

Dunn-Edwards announced the launch of zero-VOC colorants for tinting, which virtually eliminate volatile organic compounds from paint.

INX International Ink Co.’s office in Sacramento, CA, recently became the second company in Sacramento County to earn Platinum certification as a Sacramento Sustainable Business (SSB).