Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc., Columbus, OH, has announced preliminary results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2009.

Univar Chairman and CEO Gary Pruitt announced today that he has decided to retire as chief executive officer.

The Associated Press reports that General Motors will eliminate 1,600 white-collar jobs over the next few days as part of a cost-cutting strategy to qualify for additional government aid.

The Associated Press reports that Italian automaker Fiat Group SpA will pass up the opportunity to take a 20% stake in Chrysler if the U.S. automaker’s unions do not agree to major cost cuts.

Reuters reports that U.S. consumer prices have dropped on a year-by-year basis for the first time in more than 50 years.

MAPEI, a world leader in the production of adhesives for the building sector, has acquired the assets of All-Purpose Adhesive Company (APAC) of Dalton, GA.

The Dow Chemical Co. recently announced that Rohm and Haas, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Co., has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the stock of Morton International Inc., the salt business of Rohm and Haas, to K+S Aktiengesellschaft.

H.B. Fuller Co. announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Nordic Adhesives, a developer and manufacturer of flexible packaging adhesives based in Buxtehude, Germany.

According to the Associated Press, 3M has announced plans to reduce its worldwide work force by 1,200 due to the global economic slump.

At the request of the Obama administration, Rick Wagoner has stepped down as chairman and CEO of General Motors, effective immediately.