VpCI™-373 from Cortec^® Corp. is a low-VOC water-based wash primer designed to promote adhesion on aluminum, stainless and galvanized metals and to eliminate previously required hexavalent chromate or acidic washes.

EXEL North America, Inc., a finishing equipment manufacturer that includes in its brands Kremlin, Sames and Rexson, is consolidating its two U.S. operations to Michigan.

Arkema, a manufacturer of the high performance technical polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) distributed under the tradename Kynar, intends to increase its production capacity at its Calvert City, KY facility by more than 2,000 tons a year.

Fusion UV Systems, Inc. recently appointed Attila Nagy as Sales Manager for Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

PPG Industries has named Jane E. Harrington manager of color styling for its automotive coatings business unit.

Eastman Chemical Co. has reached a definitive agreement to sell its wholly owned Arkansas chemicals and biofuels subsidiary to Viceroy Acquisition Corp. for $75 million.

BASF closed its acquisition of Johnson Polymer on July 1, 2006. The acquisition includes Johnson Polymer's production sites in the United States and in the Netherlands, as well as technical centers and offices in Asia Pacific.

A collaborative, holistic approach has yielded an environmentally friendly automotive wheel finishing technology.

Solid-state UV sources based on LED technology may present automakers with a new tool to overcome some of the limitations of traditional higher power sources.

More than 2,700 people attended RadTech's biennial e|5: UV & EB Technology Expo & Conference, April 24-26 2006, at McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill., which was a record for the event.