An increasingly complex global industry structure has resulted in the concentration of coatings manufacturing in the hands of various industrial companies and private-investment firms as well as the giant chemical and "brand-management" concerns, a new industry study concludes.
Cytec Industries Inc. announced a definitive agreement to purchase the Surface Specialties business of UCB Group in a cash and stock deal valued at 1.5 billion euros, or approximately $1.8 billion.
Intertech announced plans for two pigment-industry conferences, "TiO2 2005" and "High-Performance and Functional Pigments 2005," scheduled for early next year.
Akzo Nobel said it has joined the United Nations' Global Compact, an initiative designed to promote responsible global development and good corporate citizenship worldwide.
The Detroit Society for Coatings Technology issued a call for papers for the society's 30th annual FOCUS Conference, scheduled for May 5, 2005, at the MSU Management Center, Troy, MI. The conference carries a theme of "Racing to a High-Performance Finish."
Akzo Nobel announced an agreement to sell its Ultra Violet/Electron Beam (UV/EB) Resins business to Cray Valley S.A., part of the Total Group of France. Terms were not disclosed.
Testimony was under way in a $1.4-billion asbestos trial in Angleton, TX, in which Kelly-Moore Paint Co. is seeking a verdict against Union Carbide Corp., now a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Co.
Henkel Corp., the U.S.-based affiliate of the Henkel Group of Germany, announced an agreement to acquire Sovereign Specialty Chemicals Inc., an adhesives, sealants and coatings manufacturer based in Chicago, in a transaction valued at $575 million.
Akzo Nobel announced the establishment of a regional headquarters office in Shanghai in a move the company said marks a major milestone in its ongoing program of expansion in China.