ARKEMA NAMES ROBERTS PLANT MANAGER AT AXIS FACILITY

Daryl Roberts has been named plant manager at the Arkema Inc. facility in Axis, AL. In this new position, Roberts assumes responsibility for the safe and environmentally responsible operation of the Axis facility, which manufactures quality products for Arkema's Additives and Thiochemicals divisions. Roberts has worked at the Axis facility as operations manager since 2003. His career with Arkema began in 1998 in Geneseo, NY, where he served as process/project engineer, assistant operations manager and operations manager. Prior to going to Arkema, Roberts worked for Bailey Consultants and Eastman Kodak. Roberts was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve, and served as executive officer, Delta company, 98th Division Reserves in Rochester, NY.

For more information, visit http://www.arkema-inc.com .

DEGUSSA PUTS COLORANTS AND POLYESTER PLANTS IN SHANGHAI ON-STREAM

Degussa AG, Düsseldorf, Germany, recently celebrated the start-up of its new polyesters and colorants plants at its multi-user site in Shanghai. The investments for this site are pooled in Degussa Specialty Chemicals (Shanghai), a subsidiary of Degussa's Chinese holding, Degussa (China) Co. Ltd. The polyester and colorants plants of the Coatings and Colorants business unit are the first projects at this site.

For more information, visit http://www.degussa.com .

FLOWSERVE PARTNERS WITH AL RUSHAID GROUP ON FACILITY IN MIDDLE EAST

Flowserve Corp., Irving, TX, and Al Rushaid Group, Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) have ratified an agreement to build the largest original equipment manufacturer pump repair, manufacturing and training facility in the Middle East. The 20,500 square meter complex - to be located at the Al Rushaid Oil Field Center in Dhahran - is expected to be fully operational in Oct. 2007. The Al Rushaid/Flowserve pump facility will be comprised of two units: a 17,500 square meter (188,370 sq. ft.) pump repair, manufacturing and test facility (Quick Response Center), and a 3,000 square meter (32,290 sq. ft.) hydraulics training center. Total cost of this joint project will be approximately $14 million. The facility will employ more than 100 people and will be fully compliant with Saudisation requirements promulgated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

For more information, visit http://www.flowserve.com .

HEXION COMPLETES PURCHASE OF AKZO NOBEL INK & ADHESIVE RESINS BUSINESS

Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc., Columbus, OH, has announced the completion of its purchase of the global ink and adhesive resin business of Akzo Nobel for €88 million. The Akzo Nobel business produces resins used to manufacture inks for commercial printing and packaging, digital inks for laser and photocopier printing, and pressure-sensitive adhesives used in tape and labeling applications. It will become part of Hexion's Performance Products and Inks division.

For more information, visit http://www.hexion.com .

NETZSCH PROMOTES HILL TO SALES MANAGER

NETZSCH Fine Particle Technology LLC, Exton, PA, has promoted John M. Hill to the position of sales manager, mid-Atlantic region. Hill will manage all aspects of NETZSCH customer relationships in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and southern New York. Hill is responsible for growing the customer base throughout those states for NETZSCH's grinding division. He will be the key point of contact for NETZSCH customers - from the initial meeting through the purchasing process - with the primary objective of increasing customers' profitability.

For more information, visit http://www.netzsch.com .

NUSIL TECHNOLOGY EXPANDS GLOBAL CAPABILITIES WITH ASIAN OFFICE

NuSil Technology, Carpinteria, CA, has announced the opening of its first technical support office in Asia. The office, located in Penang, Malaysia, will specialize in the areas of optoelectronics and electronic packaging, and will support all of NuSil's customers, distributors, and representatives in Asia. According to a NuSil representative, Asia has always been a significant site for electronics manufacturing, and the company noticed recent growth in the Asian optoelectronics industry. NuSil has found success in its dedication to providing on-site technical support, as evidenced by the significant growth of its European operation since it opened in 1993. NuSil determined Asia as the logical next step in building a global infrastructure to serve its customers.

For more information, visit http://www.nusil.com or call (805) 684-8780.