The NPCA's 2003 Annual Meeting will feature forum sessions on global alliances for small and medium-size companies, market trends, the challenges of rising energy and raw-material costs, and the latest edition of the NPCA's "U.S. Paint & Coatings Market Analysis."

CEPE, the European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists’ Colours Industry, recently issued a position paper criticizing certain provisions included in a European Union (EU) proposal to enact VOC-emissions limits on architectural coatings.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc. and Nanotechnologies Inc. announced a joint development agreement and an equity investment by Air Products in Nanotechnologies aimed at commercial development efforts in select strategic market segments.

Columbian Chemicals Co. announced a global reorganization and the creation of a new Marketing, Sales and Carbon Black Technology group that combines the company's Marketing and Sales groups with the Product Development and Technical Service groups.

Former Congressman John Kasich, who as chairman of the House Budget Committee was the chief architect of the plan that balanced the federal budget for the first time in decades, will be the keynote speaker at the National Paint & Coatings Association's 2003 Annual Meeting.

Huntsman Corp. announced that MatlinPatterson Global Opportunity Partners completed a restructuring of Vantico and the transfer of the business to HMP Equity Holdings, MatlinPatterson's partnership with Huntsman L.L.C.

The NPCA waged a successful campaign to derail a proposal to impose a 20 cents-per-gallon tax on architectural paint in Maine, designed to help fund household hazardous waste programs.

Bran+Luebbe, Lightnin and Waukesha Cherry-Burrell have merged to create a new company, SPX Process Equipment, a supplier of process equipment and systems based in Delavan, WI.

The Los Angeles Society for Coatings Technology announced plans for the society's first annual LASCT Technical Conference and exhibition, scheduled for Oct. 1-2 at the Sequoia Conference Center, Buena Park, CA.

X-Rite Inc. has acquired the assets of Monaco Systems, a Massachusetts-based supplier of color-management software for the graphic-arts and photo markets, in a cash and stock transaction totaling $10.6 million.