American Coatings Association

By George R. Pilcher, The ChemQuest Group, Inc. The Great Supply Chain Crisis of 2022 alerted the entire world to the fact that something had changed in the relatively static global trading dynamic, and that it was highly unlikely to be a portent of good things to come.

ACA welcomes David Bloomgren as its Director of External Communications, effective Aug. 24, 2026.

Your Markets. Our Members. ACA member companies represent the manufacturers, formulators, distributors, and business leaders who purchase the raw materials, equipment, technologies, and professional services that keep the coatings industry innovating. Sponsorship puts your brand in front of the customers you want to reach — throughout the year and across multiple touchpoints. ACA strategic partnership and sponsorship opportunities are exclusively available to ACA Supplier member companies.

HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. announced that its U.S. subsidiary, HydroGraph USA Inc., has executed definitive agreements with Western International Gas & Cylinders, Inc. to secure a long-term supply of acetylene gas and lease land for HydroGraph’s first large-scale U.S. graphene production facility, to be located in Bellville, Texas.

Elinor Coatings has received ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D (2016) certification. The certifications, issued by Performance Review Institute (PRI), confirm that Elinor Coatings’ quality management system meets the requirements of general industry under ISO 9001:2015 and the specialized needs of aviation, space and defense organizations under AS9100D (20216).

OXERRA Group has announced plans to expand its Complex Inorganic Colour Pigments (CICP) platform in China. The investment adds 4,000 metric tonnes of manufacturing capacity and supports OXERRA’s long-term CICP roadmap. “We are confident that our expanded platform will drive innovation, new product development, and technological advancements,” said Terence Yu, OXERRA Group CEO.

Univar Solutions, a chemical and ingredient distributor, has acquired H.M. Royal, a specialty distributor of rubber, plastics, and adhesive additives. According to Univar, the addition of H.M. Royal is expected to expand Univar’s Performance Materials business within its Ingredients + Specialties division.

Tioxide, a UK-based manufacturer of titanium dioxidepigments, has launched the second phase of its recruitment program for positions at its Greatham facility, located in Hartlepool, as the company plans to bring the facility to full production capacity. According to the company, Tioxide has recruited more than 60 employees since its establishment in April and plans to create 60 additional roles in this second phase of recruitment.

Washington, D.C., Aug. 3, 2026 — The American Coatings Association (ACA) is seeking submission of abstracts for its 2027 CoatingsTech Conference to be held March 15-18 at the Loews Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. This biennial conference features a multi-track forum, industry awards, and presentation opportunities for both industry professionals and students.

RPM International Inc. has named David C. Dennsteadt as president and chief operating officer, effective July 17, 2026. As president and chief Operating officer, he will oversee RPM’s operating groups and corporate development activities. Dennsteadt has held several leadership roles since starting as an engineer with the RPM’s Stonhard business in 1995. He served as group president of RPM’s Performance Coatings Group (PCG) from 2018 to 2025, when he was elected RPM executive vice president.