Posted in: Industry News
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Powder Perspective

Posted on Saturday, September 1, 2012

Carlyle Group to buy DuPont Performance Coatings Business for $4.9 Billion

Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group and DuPont announced that they have signed a definitive agreement whereby Carlyle will purchase DuPont Performance Coatings (DPC) for $4.9 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter 2013, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. DPC is a global supplier of vehicle and industrial coating systems with 2012 expected sales of more than $4 billion and more than 11,000 employees. The investment will be funded with equity from Carlyle Partners V and Carlyle Europe Partners III.

DuPont remains committed to serving the automotive industry. Following the closing of this transaction, DuPont will generate more than $3 billion in sales of advanced materials to the auto industry. Beginning with the third quarter 2012, DuPont will classify and report results of DPC as discontinued operations on a retroactive basis. DuPont expects 2012 full-year earnings from discontinued operations to be in the range of $.41 to $.47 per share. Full-year 2012 guidance was last updated on and as of July 24, 2012, and is not being updated today. The company will begin providing full-year 2012 guidance from continuing operations when it issues its third quarter earnings announcement on Oct. 23. DuPont plans to eliminate general corporate overhead costs that were previously allocated to DPC but are not part of the transaction. Additional details will be provided during DuPont's third quarter earnings announcement. As part of the transaction, Carlyle will assume $250 million of DuPont's unfunded pension liabilities. DuPont will use the net aftertax proceeds of this sale in a manner consistent with its cash deployment principles and goal to maximize shareholder value creation. Carlyle's industrial and automotive investments include Allison Transmission, Hertz, and PQ Corp., as well as recent commitments to invest in Hamilton Sundstrand Industrial, Sunoco's Philadelphia refinery and regional rail freight operator Genesee & Wyoming. Founded in 1922 and headquartered in Wilmington, Del., DuPont Performance Coatings is the leading global manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of advanced coating systems primarily for the transportation industry. The company is made up of four segments: refinish, OEM, industrial liquid, and powder. The company operates manufacturing sites on six continents, serving customers in 120 countries directly and through 4,000 distributors.

Cytec Initiates Sale Process for Its Coating Resins Business

cytec Industries has initiated a formal sale process for its Coating Resins business. Cytec’s target is to complete a transaction by the end of the year. The company has been pursu ing a strategy to increase focus on its Engineered Materials, In Process Separation, and Additive Technology segments. As part of this strategy, Cytec C retained J.P. Morgan Securities LLC to assist in an analysis of alternatives available to effect a separation of its entire Coating Resins business. As part of this analysis, Cytec recently announced the sale of its Pressure Sensitive Adhesive product line. Consistent with its growth strategy, the company announced earlier this year the acquisitions of Umeco plc, an international provider of advanced composite materials, and Star Orechem International Private Limited, an India-based manufacturer of extraction technology that supports the growth of the In Process Separation segment. The Coating Resins segment includes the following product lines: Powder Coating Resins, Radiation-Cured Resins (Radcure Resins), Liquid Coating Resins and Additives (including Waterborne Resins, Solventborne Resins, Urethane Resins, and Additives), and Amino Crosslinkers.

Prismatic Powders New Offerings

Prismatic Powders has introduced one-pound minimum powder orders. Customers can now order exactly what they need, from one pound and up, anytime at www.PrismaticPowders.com. In addition to smaller minimums, the company has announced their commitment to same-day shipping of orders placed on in-stock items before 1 pm EST. RAL colors are also available online and can be ordered in any quantity. The company also launched its latest product videos, featuring the Two-Coat Kit System and multiple lines of exclusive powder coatings at www.YouTube.com/PrismaticPowders. Three videos highlight the advantages of the two-coat system, specifically with the use of the transparent topcoats Shocker Yellow, Peeka Blue, and Lollypop Red over 14 exclusive base coats, creating a multitude of custom colors that are not possible in a single-coat applica- tion. Each topcoat video is just one of 11 topcoats featured in the Prismatic Powders Two-Coat Kit System, and when combined with the 14 base coats, 179 colors can be achieved. Prismatic Powders also launched product videos featuring its single-coat Splatter, Ironstone, and Sandstone line of powders.

SME Releases Manufacturing Ed Strategy

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) announced a national action plan, “Workforce Imperative: A Manufacturing Education Strategy,” at the 2012 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) at Chicago's McCormick Place. The plan calls for manufacturers, educators, professional organizations, and government to coordinate and standardize efforts aimed at reversing the U.S. skills gap crisis and preparing a skilled workforce for the high-tech manufacturing jobs of today and tomorrow. The white paper addresses a manufacturing education void where 600,000 jobs are currently unfilled due to a shortage of properly trained workers. By 2015, that number is projected to reach 3 million openings. SME’s white paper is the culmination of two years of research by SME’s Task Force on the Role of SME in Higher Education and members of SME’s Manufacturing Education & Research Community, who closely examined the state of manufacturing education. The research was conducted through a series of events held to discuss manufacturing education, which engaged hundreds of stakeholders from industry, government and education. For more information on SME’s recommendations or to download a copy of the strategy, visit www.sme.org/WorkforceImperative or send an email to WorkforceImperative@sme.org.

McClatchey Retires as SAF president

Atlanta-based Southern Aluminum Finishing (SAF) announced the retirement of John McClatchey, Ph.D., from the position of president, effective Sept. 1. McClatchey, 67, has been president since 1988. He will continue to serve on the Board of Directors and plans to work as chief financial officer of SAF for at least another two years. James, 62, and Penn McClatchey, 50, will share the CEO job, assuming the titles co-CEO. James will take responsibility for Sales, IT, and Finance. Penn will take responsibility for Operations, Engineering, and Marketing. SAF is a nationwide aluminum extrusions and sheet distributor, aluminum fabricator, and aluminum finisher specializing in Kynar painting and architectural anodizing. SAF also distributes column covers, architectural panels, and commercial roofing trim to architectural specifiers, glazing contractors, and other industries. Customers can order batch aluminum anodizing, painting, coil anodizing, powder coating and custom fabricating.

PCI Certification

T he PCI 3000 Certification Program, which is available to all custom coaters applying powder coatings, acknowledges coaters who can meet a standard of product quality that fits their market and meets or exceeds all of their market needs and advertised standards. In addition, PCI offers the PCI 4000 Certification Program, which is designed and offered to all original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) applying powder coatings. This is the certification that DSI has earned.

The audit process exposes the powder coater to a thorough examination of their equipment and process used for application. It also examines their business operation from raw materials to finished products. This includes the safety culture within the company, inventory control, quality control, process control, and customer satisfaction. The entire operation is examined to make sure that the powder coater can deliver their expressed level of quality on a regular basis. In addition to the initial audit, the coater is required to perform routine internal audits and they are required to schedule an annual audit by PCI to reaffirm their continued compliance with the goals of the program.

During the auditing process PCI closely examine each of 12 operating elements. These elements include: 

1. Pretreatment of the substrate 

2. Ovens used for drying and curing 

3. Application of the powder coating 

4. Incoming material quality control 

5. Training practices and competencies 

6. Maintenance of the system 

7. Customer satisfaction 

8. Safety record and practices within the operation 

9. Process control 

10. Warranties, guarantees and performance expectations 

11. Final quality control practices 

12. Loading, unloading and packaging 

Within each element, the powder coater must meet a minimum required score in order to receive the approval of PCI and become certified.