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.
Petro Canada has appointed Fitz Chem Corp., Itasca, Ill., distributor of synthetic coating fluid in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
ALTANA Electrical Insulation, a business unit of ALTANA Chemie AG, announced the start of operations of a production plant in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China.
The Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry (API) issued a call for papers and posters to be presented at the Polyurethanes Technical Conference and Trade Fair 2005, scheduled for Oct. 19-22, 2005, in Houston.
Akzo Nobel announced plans to sell its Coatings Resins business to Nuplex Industries Ltd. of New Zealand for 110 million euros, or approximately $137 million.