With impending VOC regulations casting its net around the coatings industry, suppliers and manufacturers alike are being forced to evolve to meet these new demands. The main challenge is finding ways to deliver the high quality performance customers expect while complying with the regulations.

Keeping this in mind, I point you to several topics in this issue of Coatings World, including our annual look at wood coatings (page 28) and corrosion (page 33). Find out how manufacturers of both are balancing performance with health, safety and environmental issues.

Also featured in this issue is our M&A Update, written by Stephen Einhorn and Jackie Christiansen of Einhorn Associates, Inc., who take you through the merger and acquisition activity throughout 2005.

For those of you who are seasoned readers of Coatings World you are already familiar with our "Log On, Learn More" tag. For newcomers, this is something we add to the end of feature stories, guiding you to www.coatingsworld.com, where you can learn additional information about feature topics beyond what was covered in the print edition of the magazine.

As Internet dependence and savviness continue to progress, Coatings World is undergoing its own Internet evolution. In the coming months, Coatings World will be launching several web exclusive features for the online edition of the magazine. We hope you, our readers, will be as excited about this as we are. Stay tuned for updates in the near future and visit coatingsworld.com for all your coatings information needs.

Have a great day!