Companies making headlines

The Sherwin-Williams Co. and three partners announced the development of polyurea-based construction technology designed to provide resistance to the effects of explosions

ASTM International, the U.S.-based standards-development organization, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the national standards body of China, the Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China (SAC).

In a significant development for the coatings industry in the state with the nation's toughest environmental regulations on coatings, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the appointment of Ellis Paint Co. President and CEO Sandra (Sandy) Berg to the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

The Valspar Corp. completed the purchase of certain assets of the forest-products business of Associated Chemists Inc., including a product line of edgesealers, surface primers, paints and stains, ink, and specialty chemicals used by manufacturers of oriented strand board and other wood products.

Rockwood Specialties Group Inc.'s Rockwood Pigments (UK) Ltd. subsidiary completed the acquisition of the Pigments and Dispersions business of Johnson Matthey plc for approximately $50 million.

The Sherwin-Williams Co. completed the acquisitions of Duron Inc. and Paint Sundry Brands Corp. in separate transactions valued at approximately $625 million, including the assumption of certain financial obligations.

ICI Paints said it has donated nearly 40,000 gallons of paint to Habitat for Humanity International in the first two years of an ongoing program established to assist the nonprofit organization.

California Polytechnic University-San Luis Obispo announced that Dunn-Edwards Corp. and company owner Ken Edwards are contributing $600,000 to the College of Science and Mathematics' Western Coatings Technology Center at the university.

The Cleveland Society for Coatings Technology announced preliminary plans for the 48th annual Technical Symposium of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Societies for Coatings Technology, scheduled for May 2005.