News, Notes, and Quotes

New Logo For Nuplex
Resin manufacturer Nuplex Industries recently revealed its new logo intended to strengthen its position as a world leader in resin technology. Nuplex currently has operations in North and South America. Following the record profit announcement made in August, Nuplex has confirmed that it will be consolidating its manufacturing plants and distribution centers across 15 countries under a single Nuplex brand. The new logo was created in collaboration with Velocity Design and is intended to signal Nuplex’s renewed vitality and presence on the world stage. John Hirst: 0061.417.133.334.

Interplastic Purchases Mahogany Distribution Company
Interplastic Corporation recently announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent to purchase the composite materials distribution business assets of Mahogany Company of Mays Landing. Mahogany operates two distribution centers in Mays Landing, N.J., and stocking locations in Everett, Pa., and Duncan, S.C. Terms were not announced. The sale was expected to close at the end of November. The business distributes a variety of thermoset resins, fiberglass reinforcements and associated products to customers from Maine to North Carolina. The purchase does not include Mahogany Kit Cutting, but does provide for exclusive distribution rights within the territory of Mahogany produced composite kits. The business will be operated by North American Composites, Interplastic’s distribution subsidiary. Bobbi Jensen: 651.481.6860; bjensen@Interplastic.com.

In Memoriam
Randal “Randy” Ralph Miles, son of Norma and Ralph Miles and nephew of two-time ACMA President Lowell Miles, Miles Fiberglass, passed away September 26, 2006 due to complications related to leukemia. He was well-known in the composites industry as NW Regional Sales Manager for Composites One. He enjoyed boating, camping and golfing with friends, all while spending time with his family and loved ones. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Portland, Oregon.

New I-Core Composites Establishes Distribution Agreement
I-Core Composites, a new globally competitive structural core composite manufacturer, named Advanced Plastics as its first full-line distributor to the composites market. Advanced Plastics will offer the full line of EG Balsa structural core, manufactured by I-Core. Headquartered in Cullman, Ala., I-Core manufactures and supplies a complete standard line of structural core materials, including custom products. Products are available through Advanced Plastics, with eight locations: Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis and Chattanooga, Tenn.; Birmingham and Elberta, Ala.; St. Louis, Mo.; and New Orleans, La. Keith Walton: 201.444.3681; www.icorecomposites.com.

Senior Management Team Acquires Emabond Business from Ashland
Emabond Solutions announced that a senior management team has acquired the Emabond Business Group from Ashland, effective October 6, 2006. Financial terms were not announced. The business will be managed by a team led by Steve Chookazian, general manager and global sales; Drew LaMarca, manufacturing and technology; Joon Park, design and process engineering; and Mark Chookazian, founder and inventor of the Emabond technology. Emabond Solutions will be headquartered in Norwood, N.J. with sales, marketing and product design offices located to support customer requirements. Steve Chookazian: 201.767.7400; schookazian@emabond.com.

Crane Acquires Noble Composites
Crane Composites recently announced the closing of the acquisition of Noble Composites, located in Goshen, Ind. Current Noble Composite management will continue to manage and operate the facility and provide consultation services. With the addition of the Noble Composites product line to the Crane Composites Recreational Vehicle product offering, OEMs will be able to purchase a variety of sidewall panels, along with roof panels and other products from one source. Kate Stakenas: 815.467.8637; kstakenas@cranecomposites.com.

Blue Hawaiian Fiberglass Pools Opens New North Carolina Plant
Blue Hawaiian Fiberglass Pools recently opened a second manufacturing plant to meet increasing demands. The majority of the pools, which use Vipel® F010 vinyl ester and Altek®H834 unsaturated polyester from AOC, are sold to the Eastern U.S. and Canada, but the company has shipped as far away as Germany. Headquartered in Largo, Fla., the new plant will open in Rocky Mount, N.C. and significantly reduce transportation costs for the product. The Sandy Cove model from Blue Hawaiian Fiberglass Pools features a curved corner and a semi-circular niche. Steve Martin: 901.854.2847;
smartin@aoc-resins.com.

Gerber Technology Assumes Spain Distribution
Gerber Technology has announced that it has acquired selected assets of their distributor Rapida Sistemas integrals enabling direct operations in Spain with the opening of a new head office in Barcelona. Gerber believes that Europe remains an important and growing market, and that Spain is a strategic market with strong apparel brands and a rapidly growing industrial segment. Gerber hopes to better meet the needs of this marketplace with the recent opening in Spain. Cheryl D. Tuttle: 860.871.3748; ctuttle@gerbertechnology.com.

PPG Plans to Meet European Market Needs
PPG Industries’ Wigan, England, fiberglass plant is proposing to transform its manufacturing processes and work force to direct its focus on the European market for single-end, direct-draw rovings. The proposed restructuring involves significant streamlining of the facility’s manufacturing processes at the site and, at the same time, a reduction of approximately 100 jobs by the end of March 2007. The objective of the transformation is to enable the Wigan facility to be more competitive in select European markets, according to Steve Verdin, Wigan plant manager. Larry O’Reilly: 412.434.2450.

Higgins Promoted to VP of Sales at HK Research
Hickory, N.C.-based HK Research announced the promotion of David Higgins to Vice President of Sales. Higgins formerly served as national sales manager at HK Research, and has been with the company since he graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1985. Higgins earned the promotion based on the sales team he put together, which increased sales as well as the company ranking as a manufacturer of polyester gelcoats. In his new position, Higgins will have added budgetary responsibilities and becomes a member of the company's Board of Directors. David Higgins: 800.334.5975; www.hkresearch.com.

Arkema Increases Production in Epoxidized Oils
Arkema has announced it will increase production capacity for it’s line of Vikflex® epoxidized oils by 22 percent at its Blooming Prairie, Minn. facility starting in December. Randy Loula, worldwide business director for Arkema’s epoxides business unit, reported that the company is committed to providing high quality epoxidized oils and an uninterrupted supply to the flexible PVC and other markets requiring epoxidized soybean oil, and by expanding its production in the U.S., Arkema is positioned to handle the changing market needs. Arkema is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., consisting of three strategically related business segments: vinyl products, industrial chemicals, and performance products. Jim Bell: 215.419.5293; jim.bell@arkema.com, www.arkema.com.

New Thermoset Composite for Heavy Truck Market
Thermoset molding compound manufacturer IDI Composites introduced SMC AV-206, a new sheet molding compound (SMC) developed to meet the unique material requirements of the heavy truck market. The new material, available in either 100 percent vinylester or polyester/vinylester blends, is an ideal replacement for aluminum die-cast under-the-hood components due to its high physical and mechanical strengths. The new material features 35 percent glass content, giving it superior dimensional stability, and high strength-to-weight ration, as well as offering an excellent NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) rating. SMC AV-206 also offers heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and is electrically non-conductive and lightweight, making it appropriate for heavy truck applications such as drain pans, timing chain covers, and intake manifolds. IDI Composites: 317.773.1766; info@idicomposites, www.idicomposites.com.

AXEL Launches Next Generation Mold Release for Closed Molders
A new semi-permanent mold release from Axel Plastics Research Laboratories, XTEND®19CMS, addresses one of the greatest problems that plagues composite closed molding operations—excessive molding residue that dirties molds and forces production to stop for cleaning, currently used to manufacturer skim boards. “Our goal was to deter the onerous styrene and monomer buildup that typically occurs on closed molds after several molding cycles and commonly creates a rough textured surface, particularly on B sides of composite tooling,” says Nancy Teufel, Global Product Manager for AXEL. “XTEND® 19CMS is the first product in AXEL’s new generation of closed molding releases. These semi-permanent mold releases are designed to cure more quickly and completely, providing a tougher release interface that resists entrapment of molding debris.” Nancy Teufel: 718.672.8300, ext.16; nteufel@axelplastics.com.

Your Face on a Boeing?
Dutch airline Transavia celebrated forty years of business by holding a photo contest, reported Springwise. Forty photos were selected to be blown up and printed on stickers, and stuck to several of Transavia’s planes. Winning photos can be viewed at www.transavia.com. www.springwise.com.

South Carolina Helps Manufacturers Convert to Advanced Composites Suppliers
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) with a third phase of a grant to continue to transform small manufacturers in six Upstate counties into advanced composites suppliers. The total grant is $141, 645, of which $65,000 was awarded by ARC and the remaining $76,645 is being matched by SCMEP. SCMEP began a program in 2004 to help both existing composites companies and manufacturers who wished to transform themselves into advanced composites manufacturers. In Phase One of the ARC funding, SCMEP defined the growth opportunity of composites in South Carolina and created a forum for small, struggling entrepreneurial manufacturers to create partnerships with large manufacturers needing suppliers. In Phase Two, SCMEP visited small composites manufacturers in the state and conducted in-depth assessments to increase operational, business, and production capacities. Dana Todd: 803.463.5278; dtodd@scmep.org.

One-Stop Federal Compliance Website for Businesses
A new website for business owners, www.business.gov, promises to be a one-stop-shop for federal compliance information. The website searches for compliance news, information and federal forms from nearly 100 government websites, and compiles government compliance contact information. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, the average small business owner spends &7,647 per employee staying in compliance with government regulations. Business.gov will help these businesses stay in compliance with information from agencies ranging from the Dept. of Agriculture to Veterans affairs, including the EPA and Departments of Labor, Commerce and Treasury. Bill Bradner: 703.207.0933.

Israel-based Plasan Sasa Acquires Vermont Composites’ Automotive Business
Plasan Sasa, an Israel-based company working in the field of ballistic armor solutions, announced the acquisition of the automotive composites business of Vermont Composites, located in Bennington, Vt. Vermont Composites manufactures carbon fiber component parts for the automotive market. Plasan Sasa’s acquisition helps facilitate the company’s plans to expand into the U.S. Sales have increased from $7.4 million in 2000 to $145 million in 2005. More than 70 percent of Plasan Sasa’s orders come from the U.S. and Europe.

New Motion Control Association Launched
Executives from leading global motion control companies have launched a new trade association, Motion Control Association (MCA), to serve the interests of motors, drives and controls companies. The new trade group will promote the use of mechanical and electronic (mechatronics) motion control technology, which currently accounts for more than $44 billion in annual sales globally. MCA plans to develop and coordinate industry standards, provide educational programs, host an executive-level business conference and become the leading resource for motion control technology. In addition, Motion Control Online (www.motioncontrolonline.org), a global web resource for the industry, was launched in October 2006, and provides users of motion control an easy-to-navigate online buyer’s guide, articles and technical papers, new product information, user tips, an ‘ask-the-experts’ forum, career center, and bookstore. Dana Whalls: 737.994.6088; dwhalls@motioncontrolonline.org.

Core Molding Acquires Premix
Core Molding Technologies, Columbus-based manufacturer of fiberglass parts for cars, trucks, and other products, agreed to buy Premix Holding of North Kingsville, reported The Columbus Dispatch. Core Molding has acquired three smaller businesses, but Premix is by far the largest with $75 million in sales last year. Premix is nearly 50 years old and makes products for a variety of industries, including automotive and aerospace. Core Molding was recently named by Forbes as one of America’s 200 best small companies.

MATERIAL Opens New U.S. Office
MATERIAL S.A., a Brussels-based company for engineering and software for composite materials and filament winding technology, has signed a cooperation agreement with SKINNER CREATIVE, to become MATERIAL’s new sales and engineering center for North America. The increasing demand for more complex applications in the composite industry made this expansion step necessary. The new site, MATERIAL USA, will provide sales support and engineering services including part and process design, winding program calculation, process optimization, and production planning as well as prototyping capability using MATERIAL’s winding laboratory in Brussels. Michael L. Skinner: 801.809.2886; info@material-usa.com.

American Clay Featured in Good Housekeeping
American Clay was recently part of a home renovation called “Your Green House,” presented by Good Housekeeping magazine. American Clay is a natural finish for interior walls and ceilings and covers the central stairwell in the New York City project in which a family’s historic Manhattan brownstone will become a true “green” house. The transformation will be documented in a November special supplement called Your Good House, which is circulated to Good Housekeeping’s highest-income subscribers. Julie Du Brow: 310.821.2463; julie@dubroworks.com.

SBIC to Receive National Institute of Building Sciences’ 2006 Honor Award
The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) will be the recipient of the National Institute of Building Sciences’ (NIBS) Honor Award for 2006, to be presented at the NIBS’ Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday, January 24, 2007. Now in its fourteenth year, the Institute’s Annual Honor Award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made exceptional contributions to the nation and the building community. Josephine Mooney: jmooney@SBICouncil.org.

New Delta Dash from Bayer
The new Delta Dash is a customizable boat dashboard made from Baydur® 667, a polyurethane RIM system from Bayer MaterialScience. The system is light in weight, rigid and properly supports the instruments, switches and gages on the dash. Bayer technicians worked with Indiana Marine and EPW engineers to create the product. EPW manufactures the Delta Dash using a foam-in-place, vinyl-clad molding process. It is then shipped to Indiana Marine, where the part is further customized by thermoforming the instrument and switch clusters. Thomas Erdner: 412.777.5200; thomas.erdner@bayerbms.com.

TPI Opens New Ohio Facility
TPI Composites, manufacturers of large-scale composite structures, recently announced that it will open its newest facility in Springfield, Ohio. The 45,000 square-foot facility will produce a newly designed light-weight platform deck to be used in the Gunderson Auto-Max freight car. TPI’s operation expects to produce eight railcar decks per day and initially employ 36 people. Cindy Sebrell: 401.453.4748; csebrell@advertisingventures.com.

Laubscher Joins Interplastic
Interplastic Corporation announced the appointment of Robert Laubscher as the company’s business manager of the Thermoset Resins Division. In this new position he will be responsible for managing all aspects of the Genmar relationship, as well as other national accounts. Laubscher brings over 20 years of experience in the specialty chemical industry, with operations, technical, and commercial responsibility, most recently serving as general manager for Valspar Corporation’s composites group. He is a graduate of the University of Cape Town, South Africa with Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, and received his MBA from Kellstadt School of Business in Chicago, Ill. Bobbi Jensen: 651.481.6860; bjensen@interplastic.com, www.interplastic.com.

FormaShape Dedicates New Staff to Go Lean
Peter Yakachuk was recently promoted from his quality control manager position to the newly created position of lean coordinator at FormaShape, a division of Whitewater Composites. “This newly created position of lean coordinator cements our commitment to the Lean philosophy by dedication full-time resourced to the implementation of Lean thinking,” said FormaShape President Peter Jeffrey. Yakachuk has been a critical advocate in the company’s transition from a traditional manufacturing facility to a Lean organization in his 16 years with FormaShape. To further its Lean efforts, FormaShape has also hired a chemical engineer, Mohammad Hossain, who will be responsible for conducting research into improving existing processes, reducing waste, and enhancing the quality of final products. www.formashape.com.

New Sales Representative at Westech
Scott Bobrow has joined Westech Aerosol—a Seattle Wash.-based manufacturer of industrial strength aerosol adhesives— as regional sales representative for the Northeast Region. Bobrow will be responsible for introducing new products, as well as maintaining key client relationships. Jenn Downes: 360.674.2051; www.ok2spray.com.

DIAB To Double U.S. Foam Capacity
DIAB of DeSoto, Texas, manufacturer of Divinycell foam cores announced it has added resources in property, plant and equipment with the goal of doubling foam capacity by May 2007. The company has invested in product re-formulations, equipment additions and modifications and plant space at DeSoto in order to reach this goal. In addition, DIAB has invested in equipment upgrades designed to add capacity, streamline production and expand finishing. Petr Bartusek: 972.228.7600; petr.bartusek@us.diabgroup.com.

Industrial Kaolin Clay Brochure Available from Huber
Huber Engineered Materials, part of J.M. Huber, has released a new technical broc¬hure covering the use of its kaolin clay in industrial (non-paper) applications. The bro¬chure includes discussion on the im¬portance of bright¬ ness, particle size, finishing forms, and engineering (ben¬e¬ficiation) when select¬ing either a water-washed, delaminated, treated or calcined clay. Application notes are included that profile the use of industrial kaolin for paint, coatings, ink, adhesives, plastics, rubber/tire, free-flow-type, and crop protection applications. To request the brochure visit www.hubermaterials.com. Tim Butler: 404.949.5464; tbutler@huber.com.

Fiberglass Stain Remover Available from Davis Instruments
Hayward, Calif.-based Davis Instru¬ments has released Fiberglass Stain Re¬mover (FSR), a gel that removes oil, rust, exhaust, waterline, and transom stains from fiberglass. The nonabrasive quality makes the cleaner safe for use on white painted and gelcoated surfaces, with no sanding or compounding required. Davis Instru¬ments: 510.732.9188; info@davisnet.com, www.davisnet.com.

Stiles Offers Horizontal Drill and Dowel Insertion
The Weeke ABD 100—a horizontal drill and dowel insertion machine—has been released by Stiles Machinery, offering fast and accurate part processing. The new machine can be used to with a nested-based CNC machining center, or can function independently as a stand-alone solution for horizontal drilling, gluing and dowel insertion. By minimizing set-up times and maximizing production times, the ABD 100 can increase efficiency. The ABD 100 comes standard with Windows-based WoodWOP software, fiber-optic cables for communication between the drive system and machine control, and remote/web-based diagnostics for technical support. Stiles supports the ABD 100 with advanced equipment integration, experienced manufacturing consulting, and superior service and support—all part of the company’s full range of Total Production Solutions. Steve Waltman: 616.698.7500; swaltman@stilesmachinery.com, www.stilesmachinery.com.

Ontario Utilities to Pay Green Families Back
The Washington Post recently reported that “Canada’s Ontario province has ordered utility companies to pay homeowners or business for any electricity they generate from small solar, wind, water or other renewable energy projects.” The plan will drastically reduce the current 50-year recoup time homeowners can expect when purchasing a rooftop solar system. The plan is modeled after similar standards in Europe but fairly new to North America. The Post reports a rush of activity in Ontario, including installation of everything from solar panels to wind turbines. www.washingtonpost.com.

Shaq Scoffs NBA’s New Composite Ball
According to espn.com, Miami Heat Center Shaquille O’Neal is not in favor of the new composite basketballs to be used this season. The new ball, a microfiber composite, is the first change in game ball made by the NBA in 35 years. Shaq anticipates lower shooting percentages and higher turnovers because “when the ball gets wet you can’t really control it.” However, the league changed balls so that the ones used in games will be uniform throughout the league, and the breaking-in period typically needed with leather balls are unnecessary with the composite. http://sports.espn.go.com.