Coatings World - August 2008

Fresh Paint

On May 20, 2008, Antonio Molina, chairman of Mäder, Kazumoto Ohashi, chairman of Ohashi and Michael Borner, CEO of Spraylat, signed a mutual cooperation agreement and gave birth to Automotive Coatings World Alliance (ACWA).

This association between these three independent paint manufacturers, focused especially in the field of automotive interior coatings, aims to create a global supply and service offer to all car companies and their main suppliers wherever located in the world.

To support their global development, the three partners agreed on sharing technology, commercial strengths and approvals, and manufacturing facilities in order to meet and exceed their customers’ demanding expectations in terms of interior innovation and quality.

The three partners generate a yearly revenue exceeding $450 million including $100 million in the field of plastics coatings materials such as those used in automotive interiors.

ACWA associates already serve most of the global automotive companies through their major Tier Ones. Together they combine the strengths and skills of more than ten R&D centers as well as 20 manufacturing sites over Asia, North America and Europe.

BECKER INDUSTRIE
FURTHERS ITS ADVANCE

Leveraging its position as a leader in France, Becker Industrie, the industrial paint specialist and French subsidiary of Swedish group Beckers, has further expanded its business by setting up a subsidiary in the state of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The company’s goal is to obtain 30% market share in the Middle East market within three years and to become the market leader there as well.

RHODE ISLAND SUPREME
COURT OVERTURNS JUDGEMENT

The Rhode Island Supreme Court recently overturned a 2006 jury verdict against former manufacturers of lead pigment used in house paint decades ago. The National Paint and Coatings Association (NPCA), which filed an amicus brief with the Rhode Island Supreme Court in the state’s public nuisance action against former lead pigment manufacturers (Rhode Island v. LIA, et al), hailed the Supreme Court decision as consistent with the state’s precedence of applying public nuisance doctrine, as well as all other major state supreme court rulings, including New Jersey, Missouri, and Illinois, involving historical lead-based paint and pigment sales.