Elcometer, Inc. has agreed to be the exclusive distributor for an eye-safe violet light emitting diode (LED) inspection light developed by SureFire, LLC for the industrial protective coating and marine coating inspection markets.

UCECOAT® 7631 waterborne UV curable resin from Cytec Industries Inc. is designed for use in topcoats on outdoor wood joinery. The aliphatic polyurethane dispersion reportedly offers superior weathering resistance, as well as outstanding chemical and mechanical resistance.

Crosslink has unveiled a new family of conductive polymer coatings for capacitor anodes, called Crosslink EMPACT. According to the company, the new coatings offer upgrades in functionality and ease of application over current capacitor coating technologies.

International Paint LLC, a division of Akzo Nobel, has hired Martin Goodman to serve as senior account executive over protective coatings sales in South Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. A coatings-industry veteran of more than 25 years, Goodman previously worked in sales for two years at Sumter Coatings.

ZincOx Resources plc has completed pre-feasibility studies on an integrated zinc and iron recycling project, which will include a new facility in Ohio and the modification and refurbishment of the Big River Zinc plant near St Louis, MO.

Audi is now using Soliant Fluorex® paint film on the roofing strips of select models of the Audi A8. The roofing strips are being color-matched to paint using body-colored plastic and the Fluorex paint film.

Songwon Industrial’s affiliate, Songwon International AG, has opened European headquarters in Frauenfeld, Switzerland. “This is the culmination of the efforts last year to establish Songwon International as our direct channel to market in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Western Asia, and the Americas,” said Jongho Park, chairman and CEO of Songwon Industrial Co. Ltd.

R-M Refinish Coatings, a division of BASF, is preparing to wrap up entries for its sixth international “Best Painter Contest.” First-round winners will participate in the national final in June 2007 at one of the UK’s leading refinish training facilities.

3M has made an offer to acquire E Wood Holdings PLC, a North Yorkshire, UK-based manufacturer of high performance protective coatings for oil, gas, water, rail and automotive industries. The transaction is expected to close in April.

SEI Chemical of Northridge, CA, has purchased 21st Century Coatings Ltd. of Vancouver, BC, Canada. According to SEI, the buyout will enable customers in more markets worldwide to access a range of leading-edge coating, additive and specialty cleaning technologies from a single source.