Masco Corp. announced that courts in California and Washington have given final approval to settlements that are expected to conclude all class-action lawsuits pending in the United States against Masco and its Behr Process Corp. subsidiary related to exterior wood-coating products formerly manufactured by Behr.

People on the move

BASF has acquired the Vistanex LM polyisobutylene business of ExxonMobil Chemical Co., a purchase that BASF said expands its polyisobutylene product line.

Buhler AG, a supplier of plant systems and processing equipment, announced plans to acquire the business activities of Draiswerke GmbH Mannheim's Dispersion and Micro Wet Grinding Technology unit.

Degussa, Parsippany, NJ, announced a change in the name of its Aztec Peroxides L.L.C. subsidiary to Degussa Initiators L.L.C. The business, based in Elyria, OH, is a unit of Degussa's Catalysts & Initiators business unit.

Eastburn Sales Associates Inc., Salt Lake City, has been launched by Bill Eastburn, a former sales and marketing manager with PPG Aerospace and Akzo Nobel.

Germany is the top exporter of coatings worldwide, with 18% of the total global export market, a recently issued study concludes.

Ameron International Corp., Pasadena, CA, announced the completion of a two-for-one stock split, paid in the form of a stock dividend, to shareholders of record on May 1, 2003.

ICI Paints, Cleveland, announced that its Glidden brand offered what the company says is the paint industry's first live online color seminar, "Color and Design 101."

Akzo Nobel, the world's biggest coatings manufacturer, will seek to divest businesses worth 500 million euros as part of an overall strategy to improve financial results.