Coatings World - June 2008

Fresh Paint

install the complex should be finalized and operations of longitudinal welded large diameter pipes are planned to start in 3rd quarter 2008 followed by launching new section of an anticorrosion coating in 4th quarter 2008.

TIKKURILA TO SELL ITS STAKE
IN JV STO-TIKKURILA TO STO AG

Tikkurila has signed an agreement to sell its 50% stake in Sto-Tikkurila to the other party, Sto AG of Germany.

The joint venture Sto-Tikkurila was established in June 2006 in Moscow, Russia, with the business idea of production and project sales of various coatings systems for facades. Now the Germany-based Sto AG wishes to continue the business on its own, while Tikkurila will continue operating in the Russian facade coatings market under its own brands. The markets for facade systems are

developing rapidly due to the strong growth in construction activity.

Tikkurila has been exporting paints and coatings to Russia since the 1970s, and started local production in St. Petersburg in 1995. Today the company has six paint plants and a distribution network covering 100 cities and towns in the country. The most popular brands are Tikkurila, Finncolor and Teks with a common market share of nearly 25% of the Russian decorative paints market.

Sto AG Group is one of the most significant producers of construction paints. Its main products include high-quality facade elements and renders, plasters and paints for exterior and interior applications.

RPM ACQUIRES FLOWCRETE GROUP RPM International Inc. has acquired Flowcrete Group, a global manufac-

turer and marketer of resin flooring systems for industrial and commercial applications. Flowcrete, established in 1982 and headquartered near Manchester, England, has sales of approximately $85 million.

Flowcrete’s range of decorative and high-performance flooring systems are sold to applicators, contractors and end users under the Flowcrete, Flowfresh, Isocrete, Deckshield and Mondeco brands. These flooring systems are predominately used in manufacturing plants, stadiums, schools, hospitals, parking decks and other industrial or commercial environments that require lasting, decorative seamless systems.

Flowcrete will remain a stand-alone business under its current management team.

BASF COATINGS EARNS PACE HONORABLE MENTION

BASF Coatings Solutions received an Automotive News PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence) honorable mention at a ceremony held April 14 in Detroit, MI. The 14th annual PACE Award is jointly presented by Automotive News, Microsoft, SAP and Transportation

Research Center Inc.

BASF was recognized for its Eco2 AdBloc technology, an adhesion promoting primer for thermoplastic polyolefin substrates. This innovation is a new, proprietary BASF resin technology that can be used in place of traditional chlorinated polyolefin resins because it promotes adhesion without the use of chlorinated compounds. The use of this technology provides for a 70% reduction in chlorine content compared to the previous BASF adhesion promoter. The coating in which the resin is incorporated has low HAPs content and pro- vides for higher transfer efficiency of the basecoat that is sprayed over it. The latest formulation of AdBloc has allowed for a 95% reduction in HAPs from BASF’s previous adhesion promoter.

From left to right: Dan Wright, N-ECO product marketing manager; Tim December, N-ECO group leader; Jay Baker, ECN group vice president; Deanna Dowell, N-ECO product manager; and Greg Menovick, N-ECO technical manager.

ROHM AND HAAS ACQUIRES POWDER
COATINGS DISTRIBUTOR IN FRANCE

Rohm and Haas Europe Sarl acquired ACIL, its former exclusive distributor for the French powder coatings market. Based in Savigneux, France, ACIL has for 14 years positioned itself as a strong player in the French powder coating industry.

“Through this acquisition we are clearly demonstrating our commitment to the powder coatings market,” said Xavier Susterac, general manager powder coatings Europe. “We keep investing in this market, both in research and development, manufacturing excellence and in people. France remains a major market in the overall European powder coatings arena and one where we expect to see considerable growth opportunities through ACIL’s excellent reputation and customer reach.”