Significant growth of the construction industry, environmentally friendly characteristics, durability, and better aesthetic appearance are all driving architectural coatings consumption. Increasing investments in emerging markets and less-regulated regions provide growth opportunities for market players.

Verdezyne Inc., a synthetic biology company producing biobased chemicals, and Connell Bros. Co. LLC (CBC), a marketer and distributor of specialty chemicals in the Asia-Pacific region, announced an agreement for sales and distribution of Verdezyne's BIOLON™ DDDA (biobased dodecanedioic acid or DC12).

Connell Brothers, a marketer and distributor of specialty chemicals and ingredients in Asia-Pacific, has named Azita Owlia President of Connell Brothers, which is a Wilbur-Ellis company.

Research firm MarketsandMarkets has released a new study on the market for epoxy curing agents.

To meet the demands of its fast-growing Asian markets, Michelman has invested in additional production equipment at its Singapore manufacturing facility, which increases capacity by 40 percent.

Chemical distributor Brenntag has signed an agreement to acquire TAT Group, a Singapore-based distributor for industrial chemicals.

On August 12, BASF inaugurated its new resin and electrocoat plant at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) in Shanghai.

Exova Group plc, a testing, calibration and advisory services provider, has opened a new laboratory in Johor, Malaysia.