Dr. Carl Voigt, executive vice president of the company's Coatings & Advanced Fillers division, outlined the goal of the project, which was begun in November 2000. "We wanted to bring the R&D and technical services for our coatings-related businesses together at one location," he said. "We already had labs at this site for colorants, crosslinkers, resins and silanes. Now, with these new labs for the AEROSIL(r) fumed silicas; Sivento(r) silanes; AQUA-TRETE(r), CHEM-TRETE(r) and PROTECTOSIL(r) flatting agents; and PRINTEX(r) and other specialty carbon blacks, we have created a strong technical center to better serve the NAFTA region."