Revista Paint & Pintura - Edição 227

CLIPPING PAINT&PINTURA | Novembro 2017 | 15 America as aproducer and supplier of liquidepoxy resins, caustic soda, and chlorinated organic chemicals. Olinwas founded in 1892 in East Alton, Illinois, in order to supply blasting powder to the coal mines in theMidwest. Also founded in 1892wasMathieson Chemical Corporation, which built its first chlorine and caustic soda plant in the United States four years later, in 1896. In 1931, Olin acquiredWinchester Repeating Arms, as we’re told by Luiz Pimentel, business director for Latin Ame- rica. “Both companies continued to expand and diversify their operations, until they merged in 1954 for form Olian Mathieson Chemical Corporation. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the company underwent a business diversification process and broke into markets ranging from other chemicals, such as polyurethanes, phosphates and metals, to consumer goods, such as skis and camping equipment.” Between the 1970’s and 2000’s, the company decided to resume get its focusbackon its corebusiness, divestingmanyothers and focusing on the production chlor alkali, according to Pimentel. “Finally, in2015weacquiredTheDowChemical Company’s  chlor alkali business on the Gulf Coast of the United States and vinyls, global epoxy and chlorinated organics businesses worldwide, making Olin the world’s largest caustic soda and epoxy resin producer.” Pimentel says that Olin currently employs more than 6,300 pe- ople at production sites and offices spread over six continents, meeting ever-growing customer requirements in nearly 100 countries across the globe. “On February 15, 2017, Olin became the 24 th company to celebrate 100 years of continuous listing on the New York Stock Exchange, and in June of the same yearwasincludedontheFortune500listforitsfourthtime.” Olin has a very significant presence in Latin America, with around 100employees spreadamongArgentina, Brazil, and Mexico, according to Pimentel. “The company is the only producerof liquidepoxy resins inall of LatinAmerica,where we alsomanufacture solid resins andepoxy resin solutions. Wearealso the region’s leadingsupplier of caustic sodaand chlorinated organics.” EVENTS - IMCD SIGNS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH BASF PIGMENTS BUSINESS Expansion project contemplates newbusiness development in South America. IMCD has intensified its actions toward supplying different niche markets where specialty products are in demand, but without any compromise on its logistical excellence as a sup- plierofcommodities.Itsinvestmentinapplicationlaboratories and trainingprogramshasboosted thepositionof traditional brands of high technical value. Working together with firmly established partners, such as Evonik, Covestro, and BASF, and with highly engineered products for the coatings and constructionindustries,thecompanyisalwaysseekingtoadd value to its customers’ end products, according to Ricardo Franze,businesshead,Coatings,Lubricants,Plastics&Rubber. Accordingly,afterreportinginmidJulythatithadtakenonthe distributionofAshlandproductsforthebuildingandconstruc- tionindustry,IMCDnowannouncesithasstruckapartnership