ALCOA OFFERS TO ACQUIRE ALCAN
Alcoa Inc. expects to make an offer today to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Alcan Inc. for $58.60 in cash and 0.4108 of a share of Alcoa common stock for each outstanding common share of Alcan. Based on Alcoa’s closing stock price on May 4, 2007, the offer has a value of $73.25 per Alcan share or approximately $33 billion in enterprise value. “This offer follows almost two years of discussions between our companies regarding a variety of potential business combination transactions, including unsuccessful board-level discussions of a merger transaction last fall,” said Alain J.P. Belda, chairman and chief executive officer of Alcoa. “We are very disappointed that those efforts did not result in a negotiated transaction, a conclusion we would have strongly preferred. We believe firmly in the compelling strategic rationale behind the combination of Alcoa and Alcan, and are convinced that this transaction creates substantial value for both sets of shareholders and for our customers around the world.”
Additional details are available at www.alcoa.com. Alcan’s website is located at www.alcan.com.

DOE NAMES TWO NEW DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARIES
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recently announced the appointment of two deputy assistant secretaries. David E. Rodgers will become the first deputy assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency in the DOE’s history, and Steven G. Chalk will become the deputy assistant secretary for Renewable Energy. Together, they will oversee the technology development and deployment of the Nation’s applied R&D portfolio for clean, domestic and affordable technologies. Both have extensive background in energy policy, technology and the DOE’s commercialization efforts. “The escalating importance of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to address critical national needs of energy security, environmental stewardship and economic competitiveness demand us to evolve the way we manage and lead the portfolio for acceleration of market penetration of the technologies the taxpayer has invested in over the last quarter-century,” said Assistant Secretary Alexander Karsner.
For additional information, visit www.eere.energy.gov.

CHEMICALLY DISTINCT POLYIMIDE FILM AVAILABLE FROM GOODFELLOW
Goodfellow Corp. recently announced the availability of a polyimide film with a chemical structure that provides greater hydrolytic stability (e.g., resistance to steam) and better resistance to alkali solutions than other commercially-available grades of polyimide. These features, in combination with the exceptional properties of polyimide in general, such as high heat resistance, high tensile strength and modulus, radiation resistance, low flammability and smoke emission, low creep, and high wear resistance, offer designers a material with an outstanding range of mechanical and physical properties. Polyimide films are used for capacitors, insulation, printed circuit boards and aerospace applications, among others.
For more information, call (800) 821-2870, fax (800) 283-2020, e-mail info@goodfellow.com or visit www.goodfellow.com.

LIBBEY MAKES PERSONNEL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Libbey Inc. recently announced that Gregory T. Geswein has been appointed vice president, chief financial officer and will join Libbey as an officer of the company on May 23, 2007. Geswein comes to Libbey from Reynolds & Reynolds Co., where he has served as senior vice president, chief financial officer since 2005. Before joining Reynolds & Reynolds, he was senior vice president, chief financial officer for Diebold, Inc. from 2000 to 2005. In addition, Scott M. Sellick, previously chief financial officer, was named to the new position of vice president, chief accounting officer.
Libbey’s website is located at www.libbey.com.

KRYSTYNIAK NAMED MANAGER OF STRATEGIC ALLIANCES FOR PPG
PPG Industries has appointed Robert Krystyniak manager, strategic alliances, for the company’s Construction Market Team. In his new post, Krystyniak will identify and develop collaborative opportunities in the construction market. Krystyniak, a sales and marketing veteran of more than 25 years, joins PPG from Calgon Carbon Corp., where he served as executive director of sales and marketing. Previously, he held senior business development, sales and marketing positions with Harbison-Walker Refractories Co. and A.P. Green Refractories. Krystyniak is a graduate of Yale University, where he earned a degree in economics, and he obtained a master’s of business administration degree from the University of Houston.
For additional information, visit www.ppgideascapes.com.

DATES SET FOR TECNARGILLA 2008
With the theme “The Future of Ceramics,” the 21st Tecnargilla will be held September 30 to October 4, 2008, at the Rimini Exhibition Centre in Rimini, Italy. The exhibition of technologies and supplies for the ceramic and brick industries is organized by Rimini Fiera in cooperation with Acimac (Italian Ceramic Plant and Machinery Manufacturers’ Association). Tecnargilla will be held at the same time as Cersaie to emphasize the importance of the Italian ceramic sector and to enable international visitors to attend both shows in a single trip. Tecnargilla will retain its biennial frequency and will host the same theme sections as in 2006: the fourth Kromatech, the aesthetics and color show; the third Claytech, the show devoted to heavy clay technologies; and the second Kermat, the space devoted to advanced ceramics.
Visit www.tecnargilla.it for more information.

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

Insaco is a precision machining company that provides finished pieces to customers' specifications from ultra hard materials, including oxide ceramics, nitrides, carbides and quartz, and especially industrial sapphire. NEW capability allows the company to machine within a 102” x 31” x 70” envelope and still hold tight tolerances. Visit www.insaco.com.

Copyright © 2007 by BNP Media. All Rights Reserved.