The Flood Co. announced the formal dedication of the company's newly expanded and renovated Research and Development Center, named in honor of former Chairman and CEO Earl F. Flood.
PPG Industries Inc. announced that Coatings Scientist Kurt Olson and two other significant contributors to business and technology achievements have been elected to the PPG Collegium, the company's highest research and development honor.
Reichhold Inc. announced the creation of a team of Business Development representatives focusing on new-product introductions in the coatings industry.
DuPont announced plans to build a $10-million automotive-coatings laboratory in Japan to facilitate technical approvals for coatings used by Japanese auto manufacturers worldwide and to support auto-assembly operations.
BASF announced plans to consolidate its coatings-manufacturing operations in North America in moves that will include the discontinuation of automotive liquid-coatings production at the company's Morganton, N.C., site and the transfer of production there to facilities in Decatur, Ala.; Greenville, Ohio; Tultitlan, Mexico; and Windsor, Ontario.
Akzo Nobel CEO Hans Wijers said the Netherlands-based coatings, chemicals and pharmaceuticals company will pursue growth of its Coatings segment as part of a strategy to focus on core operations.
Bayer MaterialScience L.L.C. announced plans to close an aromatic polyisocyanate production unit at the company's New Martinsville, W.Va., site by the end of the first quarter of next year.
Scott Bader Inc. has appointed Palmer Holland Inc., North Olmstead, Ohio, to an expanded distribution territory that includes Ohio, Michigan (excluding the Upper Peninsula), Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Western Pennsylvania, Western New York and West Virginia.
The Pacific Northwest Society for Coatings Technology is issuing a call for papers for its annual Spring Symposium, Coatings Fest Northwest, to be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Tacoma, Wash., on May 5-7, 2005.