3M acquires Hoechst AG's interest in Dyneon.

3M, St. Paul, MN, has completed its acquisition of Hoechst AG's interest in Dyneon, previously a joint venture. Dyneon will operate as a 3M subsidiary and report in through 3M's Specialty Material Markets organization. Dyneon sales in 1998 were approximately $350 million. Dyneon is a global producer and marketer of fluoroelastomers, polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), fluorothermoplastics and related products. The company has over 700 employees at production and development sites in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Dow Polyurethanes, a business group of Dow Chemical and its subsidiaries, will increase production of polyols at a Dutch facility and of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) at locations in the Netherlands and in Portugal. At Terneuzen, the Netherlands, a new reactor and flexible slab polyols finishing train will be built and will start up in November 2000. This will increase Dow's flexible polyol capacity from 440 million to 616 million pounds (200,000 to 280,000 metric tons), and rigid polyol capacity from 77 million to 99 million pounds (35,000 to 45,000 metric tons), a total polyol capacity increase of 198 million pounds (90,000 metric tons). At Delfzijl, also in the Netherlands, Dow will add a new distillation unit to an existing monomeric MDI plant, increasing capacity by 60%. Start up will also be in November 2000. At Estarreja, Portugal, Dow's MDI capacity will be expanded from 165 million to 198 million pounds (75,000 to 90,000 metric tons) and will start up in early 2000.

In line with Dow Chemical's growth goals in polyurethanes and its commitment to the global formulated products and systems business, Dow, Midland, MI, has reached an agreement to acquire Flexible Products, Marietta, GA. Flexible Products is said to be one of the largest polyurethane systems suppliers in North America and a leader in custom polyurethane foam formulations and dispensing technology. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Wynn's International, Orange, CA, has completed the acquisition of all of the capital stock of Goshen Rubber, headquartered in Goshen, IN. Goshen is a privately held manufacturer of o-rings, Tetraseals, gaskets and other rubber, plastic and urethane products, with annual revenues of approximately $172.6 million for its fiscal year ended June 30, 1999. At the closing, Wynn's provided total consideration of approximately $88 million to purchase all of the outstanding stock of Goshen and to retire Goshen's outstanding bank debt. Wynn's International is a worldwide supplier of high quality o-rings and sealing products, specialty chemical products, equipment and related service programs, and builders hardware supplies.

Milacron, Batavia, OH, has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Vienna, Austria plastics extrusion systems business to SMS Aktiengesellschaft, Dusseldorf, Germany. Subject to regulatory approvals, Milacron will receive about $47 million for the business, which SMS will operate as an independent entity under the name Cincinnati Extrusion Ges.m.b.H. With annual sales of approximately DM 115 Mio, this operation, based in Vienna, Austria and Kawasaki, Japan, employs about 325 people and produces twin and single screw extruders and systems for the European, Asian and South American markets. SMS Plastics Technology, a supplier of extrusion systems through its Battenfeld companies, will acquire all assets of the business and operate it as an independent entity.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Akron, OH, will build a logistics center in Victorville, CA. Construction of the 830,000 square foot facility, which will be operated by a third party logistics provider, is expected to begin this month. The facility is expected to be operational during the first quarter of 2001. It will employ about 90 people.

DSM, Heerlen, the Netherlands, recently reached agreement with Menzolit-Fibron, Germany, on the sale of its compounds activities, DSM Compounds. This fits with DSM Industrial Resins & Compounds' strategy of further focusing on unsaturated polyester resins (structural resins), its core business. DSM is said to be the materials development partner and key supplier of unsaturated polyester resins to players in the automotive supply chain. The company has reinforced its position in this field by establishing a competence center for automotive compounds in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

M.A. Hanna, Cleveland, OH, has expanded its Asian operations with the acquisition of a majority interest in Star Color, Ltd., a producer of colorants and additives for plastics in Thailand. Star Color operates a manufacturing facility in Samutprakarn, near Bangkok, which employs about 180. Sales in 1999 were about $10 million. In addition to serving customers in the Asian countries, Star Color exports to Kenya, Belgium, Germany and Australia. M.A. Hanna has acquired a 75% interest in Star Color, with the option to purchase the remaining 25% after four years. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Leading U.K. technology organizations, Materials Engineering Research Laboratories Ltd. (MERL) and Rapra Technology Ltd., announced a management buyout deal of MERL which gives a controlling interest to MERL's own management and employees. Rapra acquires a minority 29% stake in the company. MERL provides research, development and technology in the field of polymers in engineering applications.

UCB, Brussels, Belgium, is building a research and development center for specialty chemicals in Drogenbos. The center will allow UCB to coordinate more closely research work in its two specialized markets, including Radcure resins curable by UV/EBC rays, and Crylcoat polyester resins for solvent-free powder paints. UCB has also decided to extend its production capacity for OPP (bioriented polypropylene) films at Wigton, U.K., to respond to the growing demand for these specialty films.

After two years of construction, Heubach has commissioned a new plant for zinc ferrite pigments on the premises of its Langelsheim operation in northern Germany. The core of this unit is a 60 foot rotary kiln in which the pigments are synthesized at a temperature of 800 [degrees]C. Zinc ferrites are highly heat stable inorganic pigments with an orange-brown color.

Marathon Equipment, Vernon, AL, announced its launch into the conveyor market. Marathon purchased a 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility in nearby Fayette, AL.