ASTM announced a name change to ASTM International, a move the organization said reflects the increasingly global application and use of ASTM standards.
OM Group Inc. has acquired the metal organics division of Rhodia in a deal that includes Rhodia's Metal Organics businesses and two manufacturing plants, in Manchester, UK, and Bethlehem, PA.
PPG Industries Inc. has acquired 27 Duron Inc. paint stores in the Chicago, Indianapolis and Columbus, OH, markets in a move that continues an expansion of PPG's retail architectural-coatings operations in North America.
The Valspar Corp.'s Pittsburgh plant has been accepted into the U.S. EPA's National Environmental Performance Track program, becoming only the second paint and coatings manufacturing facility to earn the designation, the company said.
Klaus Peter Lobbe will assume responsibility for BASF AG's newly created Ressort IX, based in Mount Olive, NJ, on March 1, the company announced. BASF's Coatings and North America divisions will become part of Ressort IX.
Vincentz Verlag, Hannover, Germany, announced program plans for the European Coatings Conference, "Polyurethanes for High-Performance Coatings II," scheduled for March 14-15 in Berlin.
In a decision favorable to the National Paint & Coatings Association and the coatings industry, a Maryland judge granted a defendants' motion to dismiss a Maryland lead property class-action suit filed on behalf of "one million Maryland homeowners" seeking billions of dollars in damages and abatement relief.
International Specialty Products Inc. (ISP) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary ISP (Canada) Inc. has acquired the Industrial Biocides business of Creanova Inc., a subsidiary of Degussa Corp.
ICI plc has agreed to delay the sale of its 30% stake in the Huntsman International joint venture until 2003 due to financing problems encountered by venture partner Huntsman Corp.