Industry News (Week of 7/10/06)

ACCUPLACE AND PARAFIX SIGN DISTRIBUTOR AGREEMENT

Parafix Tapes & Conversions Ltd. has announced its confirmation as a value-added reseller for AccuPlace's product line of film adhesive placement machines. Accuplace, Plantation, FL, is a recognized leader in the field of film adhesive placement technology. Parafix is one of Europe's leading converters and distributors of self-adhesive materials from the world's leading manufacturers.

For more information, visit http://www.parafix.com or http://www.accuplace.com .

ADVANCED APPLIED ADHESIVES ANNOUNCES BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Advanced Applied Adhesives (AAA) has announced its newly appointed Board of Directors, which consists of top executives from the electronics industry. The Board of Directors are: Ron Benham, former president of Dexter Corp.'s Electronic Materials division; John Boruch, former president of Amkor Technology; William Dawson, former president of AVX Materials Division; Frank Husson, president and CEO of AAA; and John Thompson, senior vice president of Corporate Development for Invitrogen Corp.

KRATON UNVEILS NEW BRAND IDENTITY

Kraton Polymers LLC, Houston, recently introduced a new logo and brand identity. Kraton's vision, to be a leading performance polymer company that delivers breakthrough products for innovative customers, is captured in its new brand, logo, and tagline. The company's new tagline, Giving Innovators Their Edge™, recognizes Kraton's customers as true value creators, and embraces a partnership approach to innovation.

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

NATAS ANNOUNCES 34TH CONFERENCE

The 34th North American Thermal Analysis Society (NATAS) Conference will be held Aug. 6-9, 2006, at the Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel in Bowling Green, KY. The Technical Program consists of 17 symposia encompassing areas such as pharmaceuticals, kinetics, polymers, energetic materials, etc.; two workshops ("Lifetime Prediction of Materials," "Microcalorimetry & Isothermal Titration Calorimetry"); a general poster session; and a student poster session. NATAS' acclaimed two-day short course will immediately precede the conference on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 5-6. The practical hands-on workshop will overlap the NATS conference Aug. 8-10. An exhibit will feature the latest developments in thermal analytical equipment and services, and the annual awards banquet will recognize outstanding achievements by contributors to the field of thermal science.

For more information, visit http://www.natasinfo.org/ .

NSL ANALYTICAL SERVICES ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS

NSL Analytical Services Inc., Cleveland, has named Nicholas Stadnyk as a metallographer charged with evaluating the failure of parts and determining the cause of failure. Stadnyk has 21 years of experience in specialty chemicals and lubrication research and development at Lubrizol, and most recently served as a metallurgist at ASM International. Michael Barona has been named Organic Section leader, with responsibility for building the organic testing business, evaluating new equipment, working with customers and overseeing day-to-day operations. Barona has over 15 years of experience in laboratory work, including experience with gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS), FTIR, inductively coupled plasma and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy.