Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/692967
indoor and outdoor recreation equip- ment, community facilities, and trans- portation terminals. The anti-graffiti product line offers good durability due to excellent chemical resistance, very good UV weathering properties, and outstanding film hardness. Blasdel Enterprises, Greensburg, Ind., has hired Kathy Long as marketing manager. Long has a varied background in sales and marketing in the consumer packaged goods and logistics industries. Blasdel designs and fabricates heat and motion technologies, including electric infrared ovens, high-velocity convec- tion air ovens, conveyors, and other spe- cialty equipment. Stephen Walters has been elected pres- ident of the Northern Illinois Chapter of the Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI-NI), a technical and professional organization that pro- vides information and training on sur- face coating technologies. Walters is president of Progressive Coating in Chicago, Ill. CCAI works to raise the standards of finishing operations through educational meetings and sem- inars, training manuals, certification programs, and outreach programs with colleges and universities. Members of the American Coatings Association (ACA),Washington, D.C., have elected two industry veter- ans with a combined 70 years of experi- ence to serve on the association's board of directors. Charles W. "Charlie" Shaver, chairman and CEO of Axalta Coating Systems, will serve as ACA chairman, and Charles E. "Chuck" Bennett, chairman of Randolph Prod- ucts Inc. and vice chairman of Dixie Chemical Co., will serve as ACA vice chairman and treasurer. Both Shaver and Bennett will serve 2-year terms. ACA is a nonprofit trade association representing paint and coatings manu- facturers, raw materials suppliers, dis- tributors, and technical professionals. The Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA), Taylor Mill, Ky., has announced its 2016-2017 Board of Directors and Executive Officers. Serv- UPDATE:People 10 POWDER COATING, June 2016 Corrosion Technology Week 2016: Sept. 25-29. Royal Sonesta, Houston, Tex. Sponsored by NACE Interna- tional. Contact NACE at 800/797- 6223; fax 281/228-6300; firstser vice@nace.org; www.nace.org. 2016 Polyurethanes Technical Con- ference: Sept. 26-28. Baltimore, Md. S p o n s o r e d b y t h e C e n t e r f o r t h e Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Contact ACC at 202/249-7000; fax 202/249-6100; patrick_hurston @ a m e r i c a n c h e m i s t r y . c o m ; p o l y urethane.americanchemistry.com. Aluminum Association Annual Meeting 2016: Sept. 26-28. Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Aluminum Associa- tion. Contact the Aluminum Associa- tion at 703/358-2960; fax 703/358- 2961; info@aluminum.org; www.alu minum.org. 2016 ACIL Annual Meeting: Sept 26- 29. Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, St. Louis, Mo. Sponsored by the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL). Contact ACIL at 202/887- 5 8 7 2 ; f a x 2 0 2 / 8 8 7 - 0 0 2 1 ; i n f o @acil.org; www.acil.org. Courses July July 6-8: Polymer Compounding, Formulating, and Testing of Plastics, Rubber, Adhesives, and Coatings. Akron Polymer Training Center, Akron, Ohio. Sponsored by the Uni- versity of Akron. Contact the training center at 330/972-8303; fax 330/972- 8141; aptc@uakron.edu; www.uakron .edu/aptc. AkzoNobel to buy BASF coatings business AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands— AkzoNobel has agreed to buy BASF's Industrial Coatings business for $530 million. The transaction would include technologies, patents, and trademarks, as well as the transfer of two manufac- UPDATE:Suppliers turing plants, one in the UK and one in South Africa. The planned transaction, which is subject to required consulta- tions and regulatory approvals, is ex- pected to close by the end of 2016. " T h i s p r o p o s e d a c q u i s i t i o n w i l l strengthen our position in the impor- tant coil coatings market and fits well with our existing business, allowing us to offer essential solutions to our cus- tomers," said AkzoNobel CEO Ton Büchner. The business generated rev- enue of about $333 million in 2015, and supplies products for a number of end uses, including coil, furniture foil and panel coatings, wind energy and general industry, and commercial trans- port. Axalta begins production at Mexico facility, introduces new colors and coatings PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Axalta Coat- ing Systems LLC, a leading global sup- plier of powder and liquid coatings, has begun production at its expanded resin manufacturing facility in Tlalnepantla, Mexico. The facility will produce the resins that are the foundation of its wa- terborne coatings and traditional sol- vent-borne coatings. In addition, the company has intro- duced two new options in the AR300 RAL color palette used in its Alesta powder coatings—Pearl Beige and Pearl Gold. These additions offer the powder coating industry even more premium colors that combine excellent color retention and weatherability. The new colors deliver a smooth, glossy cov- erage with excellent abrasion and corro- sion resistance. They are TGIC-free and contain virtually no VOCs or tar- geted hazardous air pollutants, making them a sustainable and environmentally responsible solution. Axalta has also globally launched its Alesta Anti-Graffiti powder coatings product line after a successful introduc- tion throughout Europe. These coat- ings protect against graffiti and reduce the time, effort, and costs associated with repairing the damage caused by spray-painting vandals. The coatings are ideal for sound barriers along motor- ways and railway lines, marker boards, lockers, restrooms, information signs,