UGL files for Chapter 11
Dogged by asbestos claims, United
Gilsonite Laboratories (UGL) has filed a
voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in a Pennsylvania
U.S. district court. The paint and coatings
manufacturer is seeking court approval to
establish a trust fund to settle outstanding
claims and an injunction preventing as-bestos-related awards except though the
trust. UGL used asbestos in joint compound
but discontinued the practice more than
thirty years ago, according to the company.
“In recent years we’ve been burdened
with significant asbestos claims that threaten
to undermine our strong company,” said
Thomas White, president of UGL, in a pre-
pared statement. “This filing is a proactive
step to ensure the continued success of UGL
for the long-term and we are pleased that
there is a clear path to effectively resolve
these historic liabilities fully and finally.”
If the court approves the establishment
of a trust, UGL and its insurers would cre-
ate a pool of revenue and asbestos claimants
would petition a committee for payments.
“We will put money in the court-ap-
proved trust for asbestos victims in order to
win immunity from future lawsuits,” said
Michele Margotta Neary, UGL’s public re-
lations director. “Once that trust is funded,
UGL will immerge in the free and clear. This
will be the only money available to asbestos
victims. It is a sound financial decision be-
cause at this point, we were fighting claims
with no end in sight and with uncertainty of
the dollar amount.”
clearcoat is designed for force-dry/booth
applications and is recommended for use
on multi-panel repairs or overall finishing.
Celanese appoints Algol
Chemicals distributor for
Russia and Ukraine
Celanese Emulsions Polymers has appointed Algol Chemicals as its distributor
in Russia and the Ukraine for all its water-based binders into all end use applications.
Representatives from both companies
signed the agreement on Wednesday at the
European Coatings Show to emphasize the
commitment of both parties to the paint
and coatings industry in Russia.
“Algol Chemicals has a long history
of doing business in Russia and we are
convinced they will assist us in reaching
our growth goals by extending the reach
of vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) emulsions
in this region,” said Rolf Kuropka,
Celanese sales director for EMEA.
“Celanese Emulsions is pleased to wel-
come Algol Chemicals into its distribu-
tion network, as they are a good fit with
our philosophy of strong customer ori-
entation and technical support.”
Algol Chemicals plans to open a coat-
ings laboratory in the Moscow area, to
provide formulation and application
development assistance for local paint
manufacturers. The lab will focus on the
Mowilith brand of dispersions for use in
waterborne paints, which are gaining
favor in Russia for their reduced emis-
sions and costs versus solventborne
alternatives. CW
Index to Companies
This index gives the starting page for a department or feature with a signifi-
cant reference to a manufacturer of paint, coatings, adhesives and sealants.
Subsidiaries are indexed under their own names.
GM approves 1100755 Elegance
Clearcoat from Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes
General Motors has approved new
1100755 Elegance clearcoat from Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes
(SWAF) on a global basis. The clearcoat
has undergone certification to meet the
GMW15406 standard that General Motors sets to assure that vehicles repaired at
its dealerships use automotive refinish
products of high quality. Elegance
3M. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
AkzoNobel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 24, 45, 50
BASF ................................................. 10, 19, 24
Bluestar Silicones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
H.B. Fuller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
International Paint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Jotun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 19
Kelly-Moore ................................................. 31
Master Bond ................................................. 24
MesoCoat ................................................... 10
Muralo Paint Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
PPG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 18, 31
Rust-Oleum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Sherwin-Williams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
United Gilsonite Laboratories .....................................8
Whitford .................................................... 10
8 | Coatings World
www.coatingsworld.com
April 2011