A VIP list of political, business and economic development leaders helped Bostik celebrate the grand opening of its expanded business and technology center in Wauwatosa, Wis., late last year.

For many years, we have been hearing about green adhesives, paints, household cleaners and buildings—basically, green everything.

I’m writing this column one day after the horrific terror attacks in Boston. Authorities are unsure whether the origination was domestic or foreign, and we’ve all got more questions than answers. The thoughts and prayers of all of us at ASI are with those affected by the attacks.

The now world-famous powerboat that was driven up the Thames by David Beckham to bring the Olympic flame to the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony was a Bladerunner BR RIB 35.

Technological advancements, industry innovations and regulatory updates: all these features and more will be highlighted at the 2013 Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) Spring Conference and Expo in Atlanta, Ga. The adhesives and sealants community will gather at the Hyatt Regency from April 21-23 to share business information, discover the latest innovations, and network with industry leaders.

Today’s elastomeric joint sealants are quite remarkable. For a relatively low cost, they provide much of the protection against air or water intrusion for many types of assemblies. In these applications, a sealant must adhere tenaciously to the substrates and maintain prolonged flexibility while being bombarded by wind, rain, heat, ultraviolet (UV) light, ice, dirt, and so on.

Moisture-cure polyurethane adhesives, or more particularly, moisture-cure polyurethane binders, are used extensively to combine particulate materials into a solid form either by molding or other processes. These particulate materials can be diverse in physical characteristics ranging from sand and small stones to recycled tire crumb, flexible urethane foam scrap, wood, and fiber.

In today’s mercurial economy, it is increasingly difficult for any printer or converter to remain profitable. Pressures come from multiple sources, including the fluctuating costs of utilities, the rising costs of raw materials and the continuous demand for ecologically friendly resources.

Spring is such a great time of year. As the trees start to bud and the flowers peek up out of the dirt, we begin to feel like anything is possible.

First produced commercially in 1951, glutaraldehyde provides broad efficacy, is readily biodegradable and formaldehyde free, and is also non-carcinogenic, non-persistent and non-bio-accumulative, which distinguishes it from many other biocides.