ASAHI TO REDUCE CRT GLASS PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. will stop operations of production furnaces at its CRT glass production bases in Singapore and Thailand by the end of June. The decision is in line with the company’s policy to continuously downsize the CRT glass business to improve profitability as part of JIKKO-2007, its three-year medium-term management plan started in 2005. The company projects that the demand for CRT glass used in personal computers and televisions will decline to about 120-130 million units for the fiscal year ending December 2007, down from about 200 million units in fiscal year 2006. Asahi will continue panel and funnel production in China and South Korea for its CRT glass business.
The company’s website is located at www.agc.co.jp.

CERMA GOLF CLASSIC TO BE HELD IN AUGUST
The Ceramic Manufacturers Association (CerMA) will hold its annual Golf Classic August 7 at the Eagle Sticks Golf Club in Zanesville, Ohio. The outing, which includes lunch and dinner, will cost $110 for CerMA members and $205 for nonmembers. Tee time is 1:00 p.m., and sponsorship opportunities are available for lunch, 19th hole, individual holes and door prizes.
For additional information, call (740) 588-0828 or e-mail myrawarne@yahoo.com. CerMA’s website is located at www.cerma.org.

AUSTIN APPOINTED VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS FOR FERRO
Ferro Corp. recently announced that W. T. (Tom) Austin has joined the company as vice president, Operations. Austin spent 30 years at The Dow Chemical Co. in manufacturing and plant management roles across several of the company’s operations. In his new position, he has senior management responsibility for environmental health and safety performance and security processes and systems. Austin will work with operating and plant management at Ferro’s facilities across the world on work process enhancement and standardization to optimize manufacturing operations.
Ferro’s website is located at www.ferro.com.

GENERAL SHALE TO PURCHASE ARRISCRAFT
General Shale Brick, Wienerberger AG’s North American subsidiary, has submitted a purchase proposal to Arriscraft International, a brick, stone and marble producer based in Canada. The acquisition of the Cambridge, Ontario-based company would mark General Shale’s first acquisition of a manufacturing entity outside the U.S. “This acquisition will give General Shale and our parent company, Wienerberger, a stronger market position in North America,” said Dick Green, president and chief executive officer of General Shale. “Arriscraft is a leader in the stone industry, and it is a natural fit for General Shale to be associated with a well-respected company that is known throughout North America for its complete line of high-quality architectural products.”
For additional information, call (423) 282-4661, e-mail mark.kinser@generalshale.com or visit www.generalshale.com . Arriscraft’s website is located at www.arriscraft.com.

NHA ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTORS, OFFICERS
The National Hydrogen Association (NHA) recently elected three new directors and two officers. The new members of the board of directors were elected by the NHA membership, which includes more than 110 companies representing all areas of the hydrogen industry. The new directors include  Michael Smith, president and chief operating officer of Air Liquide Advanced Technologies U.S. LLC; John Elter, chief technology officer of Plug Power; and Steve Gilchrist, vice president of government affairs for the Canadian Hydrogen Energy Co. In addition, the new board also elected two experienced board members to become officers of the NHA: NHA Vice Chairman Mike McGowan, head of Hydrogen Solutions, North America for The Linde Group; and NHA Secretary Rob Friedland, senior vice president of Technology for Proton Energy Systems.
The association’s website is located at www.HydrogenAssociation.org.

ORNL NAMES MASON LABORATORY DIRECTOR
UT-Battelle recently announced the selection of Thom Mason, Ph.D., as laboratory director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), effective July 1. Since 2001, Mason has served as associate lab director for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). “We are genuinely excited to have a person of Thom Mason’s talent and experience to lead ORNL,” said John Petersen, Ph.D., University of Tennessee president and UT-Battelle vice chair, and Carl Kohrt, Ph.D., Battelle president and UT-Battelle chair, in a joint statement. “As a world-class scientist who has already made a mark in the research community, Thom represents the future of ORNL.”
Call (865) 574-4160 for additional information. ORNL’s website is located at www.ornl.gov.

OHIO DOD NAMES BARBASH ACTING DIRECTOR
Lt. Governor Lee Fisher and Chief Economic Development Officer Mark Barbash recently announced that John Griffin has been named acting director of the Technology Division of the Ohio Department of Development (DOD), effective immediately. Barbash joined the DOD in 2005 as manager of the university-business partnership group within the Technology Division. Prior to joining the DOD, he was managing director of Taratec Corp. and a partner at Celeste & Sabety, Ltd., where he provided assistance to economic development organizations around the country. Barbash was also at Battelle for 25 years, including five years as vice president responsible for the Science & Technology Consulting Practice.
For more information, visit www.odod.state.oh.us.

LAB ATTRITOR FOR BIOTECH DEVELOPED BY UNION PROCESS
Union Process, Inc. recently announced that it has produced an 01-HD Laboratory Attritor with a water-cooled shaft for the dry reactive milling of organic compounds. Union Process modified its typical design to specifically meet the customer’s requirements, which included a special water-cooled shaft and a tight clearance of 1 1/2 mm between the arms and the tank wall that necessitated increasing the length of the tungsten carbide-coated agitator arms. The customer’s application also called for closing off the entire processing environment in order to allow grinding under inert gases. The unit features a one-piece stainless steel cover with a MECO shaft seal, gas inlet and outlet, and a charging port for grinding under inert gas in a closed system.
For additional information, call (330) 929-3333, e-mail eli@unionprocess.com or visit www.unionprocess.com.

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