Bayer, already one of the world's
largest suppliers of
raw materials for
coatings and
colorants, today
announced a major initiative in the
powder coatings market, including the
Formation of a U.S.-based Global
powder coatings Business Group.
"Our goal is to become a major
raw materials supplier to the powder
coatings market. We want to enhance our product and technical service
offering to this key segment of our business," said Dr. John L. Williams,
an Executive Vice President of
Bayer Corporation and President of the
Coatings and Colorants Division. "Bayer's long-term strategy is to
become a leading player in environmentally friendly coatings technologies.
And, powder coatings are a key component of that strategy, as well as a
leading-edge market segment that has exhibited high annual growth
rates."
Bayer has already taken steps toward its goal.
Through its acquisition in the fall of 2000 of Sybron
chemicals Inc., and
its RUCO
polymers Inc. subsidiary, Bayer has expanded its product
portfolio to include Rucote®
polyester resins that can be used in
polyester/polyurethane powder coatings, and in non-polyurethane
powder coatings.
"Bayer's Coatings and Colorants Division already supplied two of the
three elements -
isocyanates and
pigments - needed to make powder
coatings," explained Randy Dearth, who has been tapped to head
Bayer's new Global Powder Coatings Business Group.
"With the acquisition of RUCO, Bayer is now the largest supplier of
polyester powder resin to the powder coatings industry in the United
States. Now, we want to leverage Bayer's global distribution network to
take this business worldwide," he continued.