The Coatings & Colorants Business Unit of Degussa AG has announced plans to build a colorants plant and a manufacturing facility for the production of coating polyesters at the Shanghai site of Degussa Chemicals (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.

Jack Hunter, formerly of Bayer Chemicals and Polymers, has joined Plas-Pak Industries and will direct its newly patented Ratio-Pak HSS (High Solids Spray) Technology and Business.

ESSEMTEC, the worldwide leader for SMT production equipment for the low/midsize volume market, has opened its new sales and service organization in the US.

IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries has announced that it will sponsor Capitol Hill Day on Wednesday, May 12, 2004, in Washington D.C., immediately preceding IPC's Spring Technology Market Research Council Meeting on May 13-14, 2004, in Baltimore.

BASF Aktiengesellschaft increased its sales in the third quarter of 2003 by 2.1 percent to €7.7 billion when compared with the same period in 2002.

Universal Instruments is to provide SMT placement capabilities at service centers owned by WC Heraeus GmbH & Co KG in Germany and China.

Chemcentral Corp. has announced a new sales initiative to build top-line growth and to solidify its position in specialty chemicals.

Adhesives Research has promoted two members of its management team in the Medical Business Unit to support business growth.

TruSeal Technologies Inc. has announced Lori Postak's promotion to associate director of research and development.

Halliburton Energy Services has entered into exclusive negotiations with United Minerals & Properties by signing a Letter of Intent to sell Cimbar Performance Minerals, its barium sulfate operation, for an undisclosed sum.