The monthly roundup from Editor Teresa McPherson.



It may be springtime when this issue hits your mailbox, but as I sit down to write this month's editorial, several inches of snow lay outside my window, blanketing the frozen earth with white. It's this time of year that makes me especially glad to be with ASI and get the opportunity to travel during the winter, especially to warmer locales.

In February I had the chance to attend RadTech uv.eb West in Los Angeles. The event, the first for RadTech on the West Coast, was a success, boasting more than 400 attendees during its two days. While West Coast delegates accounted for about one-third of attendees, over 30 states and nine countries were represented at the event. The organization's next big event is e|5: UV & EB Technology Expo & Conference at McCormick Place in Chicago, April 24-26, 2006. Watch for more details in future issues of ASI.

Also in February I was invited to visit Eastman Chemical Co.'s corporate headquarters in Kingsport, TN. The property is impressive, with more than 500 buildings located on the five-miles-by-one-mile site, with the South Fork Holston River running through it. The Eastman Division, which contains the Coatings, Adhesives, Specialty Polymers and Inks (CASPI) Segment, was the focus of my visit. The largest market by volume the segment is involved in is tapes; the company's top three markets, in order, are pressure-sensitive tape, nonwovens and labels.

Eastman bases its success on its reputation as a global supplier with multiple regional production sites, allowing it to stay close to large manufacturers without forgetting about its smaller customers. Watch for more details on the company and its strategies for growth in the May issue of ASI.

Several exciting adhesives industry events are taking place in the near future as well. The Adhesive and Sealant Council, Inc. (ASC)'s spring convention takes place April 17-20 in Columbus - see p. 42 for more details. The PSTC will hold its Week of Learning, which includes its Tech XXVIII technical seminar and Tape University 100 and 102 courses, May 2-6 in Baltimore (more information is on p. 62). Also, the ASC and ASI Magazine are offering "Building Strategic Alliances: Doing Business with China and India," a management-tier seminar to teach attendees how to conduct business in and with China and India, on May 17 at the Embassy Suites hotel at Baltimore's BWI airport. For more information see p. 20 or visit our website at mcphersont@bnpmedia.com. Letters must include the sender's address, phone number and e-mail address, when possible. Letters may be edited for space and clarity..