DuPont buys out Standox, Spies Hecker

News

DuPont Performance Coatings announced in March it will increase its ownership of the Australian coatings manufacturer Croda Herberts Pty from 50 per cent to 100 per cent. This means it is now sole owner of the Standox, Spies Hecker and DuPont Refinish brands in Australia, in line with the majority of the company's other markets.
According to Michel Bladt, vice president Refinish for Europe and Asia/Pacific, the move will allow further regional development of the company's three brands -- Standox, Spies Hecker and DuPont Refinish. Bladt said DuPont Performance Coatings expects additional volume to be required in the Asia/Pacific region and this initiative will see that it is better equipped to handle the increased demand. Currently, DuPont Performance Coatings is the largest OEM and refinish coatings supplier to the automotive industry worldwide.
"We believe that close links to our OEM business, DuPont Herberts AutomotiveSystems, coupled with an extensive portfolio of over 60 aftermarket approvals from car manufacturers, gives us a competitive advantage," Bladt said.
DPC Refinish Systems is a division of DuPont Performance Coatings, the world's largest coating supplier overall. In addition to coatings for new vehicle production and the automotive aftermarket, DuPont Performance Coatings is now a major supplier of digital inks, industrial and powder coatings. DuPont Performance Coatings employs 13,500 people in 35 countries.
Standox Australia and Spies Hecker Australia were owned by a joint venture between British company Croda and German firm Herberts. The German company was acquired by DuPont in March 1999 and DuPont has now bought out the remaining 50 per cent of the joint venture from Croda.
DuPont will continue with the three brands as it has in other countries, however activities such as marketing and research are expected to be conducted under the one roof at DuPont's headquarters in Sydney.

Paint -- how the industry has changed

August 1998 PPG Industries acquires Orica technical brands which include ICI
Autocolor and Dulux brands
March 1999 DuPont acquires worldwide Herberts business including therefore,
50 per cent of Croda JV in Australia
July 1999 Glasurit forms joint venture with Wattyl as Sikkens and Wattyl
part company
July 1999 Akzo Nobel enters Australia to market its Sikkens brand
January 2001 DuPont buys out remaining 50 per cent of Croda Herberts Australia

Spray booth committee meets again
A second meeting of the EL014-08 Spray Booths Standards Committee took place in Sydney this March to further discuss the revision of the present AS/NZS 4114 standards following a similar meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand in December 2000.
Standards Australia would not comment on the meeting other than to say that the committee was working through the proposed revisions and the aim of releasing a draft of the new standard later this year had not altered. Among other things, heat exchanges and ventilation profiles are being examined. A new appendix to the standard, concerning auxiliary areas, including paint mix rooms, will be added to AS/NZS 4114, a draft of which will also be released this year.
Two working parties have apparently been set up to look into the issue of booth certification and safety issues. A proposal that AS/NZS 4114 include provisions for a designated spray area, was raised at the Christchurch meeting.
A spokesperson for Standards Australia said the organisation was "extremely happy" with proceedings, this despite a backdrop of in-fighting between committee members. Concerns have been raised by certain parties over the operations of QAS, the quality assurance body affiliated with Standards Australia, and even the make-up of the EL014-08 committee itself. One committee member has expressed dissatisfaction at the standards system and has even gone as far as saying that Standards Australia may have a conflict of interest when it comes to handing out licenses, through its sister company QAS. The member questions whether QAS has the inclination, the technical ability and the power to properly carry out its regulatory duties, especially in light of several recent instances of faulty booths approved by the body. Another committee member has expressed concern at the lack of certification of booth makers in the Australian market.
The committee is chaired by Jim Watson of the SA Office of the Gas Regulator, and other members include Jose David of Standards Australia, Chris Agius of QAS and representatives of booth manufacturers. At present only two spray booth manufacturers in Australia are certified, with one other apparently in the process of applying for certification.