BASF Opens R-M Refinish
Competence Center
R-M, BASF’s premium automotive refinish brand, opened a new International
Refinish Competence Center (RCC) in
Clermont, France. It is now one of the
most modern training facilities in Europe.
With an investment of approximately
€2.5 million, the extended and modernized center is equipped with the latest technical standards and multimedia
training tools ensuring that R-M offers
its customers significant flexibility to
meet their refinish training needs, according to the company. Annually, more than
800 trainees and business partners can be
accommodated in the new R-M Brand
Center. A new brand space is dedicated to
the latest color trends, exhibiting concept
cars as well as design objects. On this occasion a partnership was signed in France
with the Oise Chamber of Commerce and
Industry to promote careers in automotive refinishing.
The modernized Refinish Competence
Center serves as a training facility and
marketing platform for R-M and its
business partners and has been planned
according to the standards of the BASF
RCC policy. Some highlights include the
R-M Cube, which is entirely dedicated to
the R-M premium brand image and visualizes the brand and its value for the customers. The R-M Cube provides a unique
opportunity to exhibit the latest color
trends, design themes and concept cars.
In-line with the R-M spirit of being
actively involved in the development of
future trends and the next generation of
talent, the specially designed cubes and
elements have been arranged in cooperation with students of the “product, design
and innovation” section of the University
of Technology in Compiègne.
Rust-Oleum Acquires XIM
Products
Rust-Oleum Corporation has acquired
certain assets of XIM Products, Inc., a
producer and marketer of specialty primers and coatings based in Westlake, OH.
XIM offers a range of primers offering
excellent adhesion to difficult-to-paint
surfaces, as well as other problem-solving
coatings, according to the firm. Their
brands, including Peel Bond, UMA and
TILE DOC and are widely available in
paint stores.
“XIM brands and products broaden
our portfolio of specialty coatings, enabling us to offer more solutions to customers seeking to solve difficult painting
problems,” said Tom Reed, president and
chief operating officer of Rust-Oleum.
PPG Heavy-Duty Equipment
Coatings Plant Starts
Operation in Tianjin
PPG Industries recently opened a new
manufacturing facility for the production of heavy-duty equipment coatings in
Tianjin, China. The Tianjin site also has
installed equipment to help reduce VOC
emissions and preserve the local environment, the company reported. With annual
capacity of approximately 9,000 tons, the
new plant will produce industrial coatings for China-based manufacturers of
heavy-duty machinery, such as agricultural, construction and mining equipment.
“Demand for premium coatings
products in various industries and by lo-
cal and multinational companies operat-
ing in China continues to grow rapidly,”
said John Richter, PPG vice president of
operations, coatings, Asia Pacific. “We
are pleased, and this investment demon-
strates our continuing business and en-
vironmental commitment to the region
and toward meeting the expanding cus-
tomer demand.”
Along with the Tianjin plant, PPG has
a research center and a powder coatings
plant in Suzhou to help improve local
product development, supply-chain ef-
ficiency and technical service. The new
manufacturing operation in Tianjin im-
proves the regional capacity of PPG’s
industrial coatings. After the opening cer-
emony, PPG held an industrial coatings
seminar and invited attendees to discuss
the company’s products and future market trends.
“PPG pursues a sustainable develop-
ment strategy for all its operations and
expansion projects, which is reflected in
its eco-friendly products and technolo-
gies, energy-efficient production methods
and environmentally-responsible manu-
facturing practices,” said Willie Wu, PPG
vice president, industrial coatings, Asia
Pacific. “The strategy not only benefits
PPG, its plants and the nearby commu-
nities, but it also benefits our customers.
The plant opening and installation of new
emissions-treatment equipment marks an
essential step in our progress toward sus-
tainable development.”
The overall Tianjin coatings operation
was the first PPG coatings plant built in
China, and it has developed into PPG’s
largest coatings production base in the
world. The factory currently supplies au-
tomotive OEM coatings and industrial
coatings to the China market
PPG Donates $15,000
to Air Force Museum
Foundation
The PPG Industries Foundation has donated $15,000 to the Air Force Museum
Foundation for construction of a fourth
major building at the National Museum
of the United States Air Force, located
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near
Dayton, OH. The grant was made on
behalf of PPG Industries’ aerospace business, which includes an application support center in Indianapolis.
“We are extremely grateful to PPG
for supporting the expansion of this
national treasure,” said Lt. Gen. (Ret.)
Richard V. Reynolds, chairman of the
Air Force Museum Foundation’s board
of managers. “In addition to helping the
museum better tell the story of the Air
Force’s contributions to peace and security around the globe, the expansion will
include exciting new educational exhibits
