Coatings World - Breaking News

Walmart Chooses AkzoNobel as its Paint Supplier in the U.S.

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

AkzoNobel has been selected by Walmart to be the primary paint supplier for the retailer’s U.S. stores. The company will develop and manufacture a portfolio of interior and exterior paints for more than 3,500 Walmart stores nationwide. This agreement builds on the existing relationship with Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, for paints in Puerto Rico and Canada, and with Liquid Nails adhesives in the U.S.

“This is an excellent opportunity for us to work with Walmart and offer their customers an exciting new in-store program,” said Tex Gunning, the AkzoNobel board member responsible for decorative paints. “This is a landmark deal which will significantly boost our market share in the U.S. and contribute to further enhancing the value of our Glidden brand there.”

Walmart will begin the transition to AkzoNobel early next year. AkzoNobel Decorative Paints in the Americas (Canada, US and Latin America) currently employs around 7,200 people and generates revenue of close to €1.5 billion. It operates eight paint manufacturing and distribution sites in the U.S. and a global research and development center in Strongsville. The portfolio consists of architectural coatings and wood care products, as well as adhesives and caulks.

Hydrite Begins Manufacturing Epoxy Resins at Wisconsin Plant

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Hydrite Advanced Resins, LLC, (HAR), a new company formed from the combined resources of Hydrite Chemical Co. and the technologies of Polymers 2000 LTD, has begun epoxy resin production at its new facility in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. In March, HAR commissioned a major expansion at Hydrite Chemical Co.’s facility near Madison, Wisconsin, including twin 12,500 gallon reactors custom designed for the manufacture of epichlorohydrin derivatives including specialty liquid epoxy resins. The HAR equipment is housed in a new custom designed process building adjacent to Hydrite Chemical’s Organic Processing site. Hydrite Chemical serves as the toll (contract) manufacturer for HAR in providing all manufacturing and support services in the production of HAR’s epoxy resins and other epichlorohydrin derivatives. The site’s existing extensive organic synthesis and distillation equipment complements the epoxy plant with capabilities of downstream processing and advancement of epoxy resins as well as purification by fractional distillation and/or thin film evaporation. The expansion includes bulk storage of epichlorohydrin as well as solid and liquid co-reactants. HAR’s initial offering includes resorcinol diglycidyl ether (RDGE) and a series of mono and multifunctional glycidyl ethers commonly used as reactive diluents in epoxy formulations. The design includes the capability of vacuum distillation of epichlorohydrin and processing solvents, including azeotropic separation. Multiple support vessels provide the ability to achieve very low levels of hydrolyzable chloride (HCC) and residual epichlorohydrin.

Nubiola Expands Production Capacity of Ultramarine Violets and Pinks

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Pigment supplier Nubiola is set to expand capacity of its ultramarine violets and pinks by 30 percent at its Llodio production plant in Basque Country, Spain. The expansion will be achieved by installing new equipment that operates with Nubiola’s proprietary manufacturing technology and is scheduled to be fully operational in early 2011. This investment strengthens the position of the Llodio plant as a “Center of Excellence” for the production of high added value ultramarines specialties.

“Ultramarine violets and pinks are key products in many of our customers' applications," said Alex Capuz, Nubiola’s global marketing manager. "Market demand has grown significantly in recent years and we want to ensure that our production capacity is sufficient in avoiding any supply tightness that could affect the operations of our customers. This additional capacity is a key step forward we want to take as a responsible ultramarines leader."

Teknos and Oliva Merger in Poland

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Teknos and Oliva have signed an agreement to merge together and become one of the leading players in the Polish metal paint market. According to the agreement the new company will operate under Teknos-Oliva name and brand. This deal is expected to close by the end of October.

Oliva is a well-known brand in Poland in the metal industry paints and yacht paints markets. The company has 90 employees with its main office and paint factory in Gdynia. Olivia recorded sales of approximately €8 million. The new company Teknos-Oliva will have a turnover above €20 million and it will be one of the leading players in Polish metal and industrial wood coatings markets. Production will continue in Gdynia.

Krzysztof Bruski, owner and CEO of Oliva Group, will continue to work for Teknos-Oliva as a member of the supervisory board and managing director of Teknos Poland. Piotr Niedziólka will be the managing director of the new Teknos-Oliva.

SCS Opens New Coating Center in Czech Republic

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Specialty Coating Systems (SCS) opened a new parylene coating facility in Plzen, Czech Republic, approximately 100 kilometers southwest of Prague. The new coating facility in Plzen will meet the needs of SCS' mainland Europe customer base and enable the company to provide parylene coating services to a broader regional group of medical device, electronics, automotive and military/aerospace customers. The 930 square meter facility is SCS' third European coating facility, joining existing sites in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and represents the company's tenth coating center worldwide. The two-level facility is comprised of dedicated rooms for shipping/receiving, cleaning and component preparation, and a large production area for coating, in addition to several offices and a conference room. Headquartered in Indianapolis, IN/USA, SCS is a leader in parylene conformal coating services, systems, and materials.