Arkema’s Pebax Clear was chosen and specified by Under Armour for the first time in a new high-tech baseball shoe, scheduled to be released in Japan in December 2009.

Dow has announced the opening of a new laboratory for its Elastomers Business. The lab is located at the Freeport R&D facility.

Werner Wenning, 62, Bayer AG CEO since 2002, is to extend his contract of service by eight months to 30 September 2010, a few weeks before his 64th birthday. Bayer’s Supervisory Board appointed Netherlands-born Dr. Marijn E. Dekkers, 51, currently President and CEO of US laboratory equipment manufacturer Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., to succeed Wenning as CEO from 1 October 2010.

Additional machines have been installed and staffing levels increased for the production of colour and additive masterbatches at the Gabriel-Chemie Group’s European sites. Production capacity at the main site in Gumpoldskirchen, Austria, has been increased by 2,000 tons p.a. with six new extruders.

The Polyurethanes division of Huntsman has launched three new grades of Irogran thermoplastic polyurethane specifically designed to meet with the European Union's Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations EC2023/2006.

RocTool will be launching 3iTech, Integrated Internal Induction Technologies, a new moulding by induction technology.

Speciality chemicals company Eliokem announced the appointment of four regional directors in the USA, India, China and Asia Pacific.

TPE-S compounds of Kraiburg TPE have been chosen by BMW for the production of the windshield gaskets for the new BMW 7 series and the BMW 3 series convertible. The Bavarian carmaker is also using compounds supplied by the Bavarian TPE specialist for other exterior applications, and has optimised manufacturing by doing so. Recognition was not long in coming.

Austin Simmons has been appointed Satra’s top executive position after Richard Turner retired as Chief Executive at the end of June 2009. Simmons, who was Deputy Chief Executive from 2007, has worked closely with Turner for 13 years with a direct involvement in developing corporate strategy and initiatives across the company’s consumer and industrial product sectors.

Study 2504, The Freedonia Group, Inc., Cleveland, 2009, 507 p., USD 6,100.00