Lord Corp.'s Chemical Products Division announced plans to acquire 100% of Metech Inc., a manufacturer of thick-film electronic materials in which Lord currently holds a minority stake.

Bayer Corp. announced an agreement in principle to acquire a portion of Lyondell Chemical Co.'s aliphatic diisocyanates (ADI) assets, including Lyondell's remaining Luxate product inventories and intellectual properties, effective Jan. 1.

Resolution Performance Products L.L.C. announced the startup of new 20,000-metric-ton-per-year production facility for Cardura E10P glycidyl ester.

Eastman Chemical Co.'s Accurate Dispersions division, South Holland, IL, announced plans to open a new Architectural Color Lab.

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The Valspar Corp. announced the acquisition of certain assets of the coil, spray-applied door and rigid-packaging businesses of Benjamin Moore & Co.'s Technical Coatings Co.

The city of Philadelphia in November unveiled a huge, 6,000-square-foot American flag mural painted on the side of a Philadelphia warehouse facing Interstate 95, in a project commemorating the tragic events of Sept. 11.

Q-Panel Corp. announced the opening of the company's new international headquarters in Cleveland.

BASF announced the introduction of the experimental "Constellation Colors" for automotive coatings, which the company says use various technical approaches to make colors on vehicles visible at night.

The Henkel Group completed the sale of Cognis, the company's specialty chemicals business, to an investment consortium that includes Permira, GS Capital Partners and Schroder Ventures Life Sciences.