Eastman Chemical Co.'s board of directors elected J. Brian Ferguson chairman and CEO, effective Jan. 1. Ferguson succeeds Earnest W. Deavenport Jr., who earlier announced his plans to retire at the end of 2001.
- Elementis plc has sold Harcros Chemicals, the company's U.S. chemical-distribution business, for approximately ¿23.0 million, or $32.4 million, to HCI Acquisitions Inc.
Cabot Corp., Billerica, MA, has appointed E.T. Horn Co., La Mirada, CA, West Coast distributor for CAB-O-Sil fumed silica and specialty grades of carbon black.
Sartomer Co. has acquired Rohm and Haas Co.'s line of Uvithane oligomers, a group of five urethane acrylate oligomers that includes two aromatic and three aliphatic products used in coatings, ink and adhesives.
BASF Corp. outlined the details of organizational changes announced earlier last year as part of BASF's global "Fit for the Future" business strategy, a program that aims to achieve greater market focus and facilitate growth by improving the speed, quality and execution of business processes.
Degussa Corp.and Engineered Carbons Inc. announced plans to combine their North American carbon-black businesses into a new, 50-50 joint-venture company.
Kemira Oyj, the target of a takeover bid by Industri Kapital of Sweden, said the Finnish government had withdrawn its support for a plan to separate Kemira's fertilizer business as a prelude to a merger of the companies.
BASF Corp., Southfield, MI, announced the commercial introduction of DynaSeal, a dual-cure (UV and thermal) sealer for coating sheet molded composite (SMC) materials.