US chemicals group Arch Chemicals Inc. has acquired two UK-based companies as part of a strategy to strengthen the firm’s presence in that country’s market for coatings products and services.

The companies are Butler Mabbutt & Wrighton (BM&W), of Northampton, which produces finishes for leather, wood and plastic products, and the Industrial Division of Humbrol Limited, based in Hull, which specialises in varnishes, textured finishes and other industrial coatings. The acquisitions mean that Arch Coatings UK will become one of the top three coatings suppliers in the UK and illustrate the ambitions of Arch Chemicals Inc to become a global force in the coatings market.