Joseph M. Lynch acquires the outstanding stock July 31 of Richfield, Ohio-based J.E. Doyle Co., from previous owners Robert and Ellen Gutermuth. The purchase includes two affiliated companies, J.E. Doyle Co., Ltd., a U.K. subsidiary, and Statikil, Inc. Lynch will serve as the new company president. Doyle manufactures cleaning systems, related quality-control equipment and static-elimination products for the printing, paper converting and papermaking industries.

Thame, U.K.-based Sherman Treaters and Pillar Technologies, Hartland, Wis., both autonomous divisions within ITW, Inc., will unite their comprehensive lines of products and services. Both companies will continue to offer corona-treating equipment. Pillar will also offer Sherman's line of flame-treatment and ozone-generation equipment. As in the past, engineering and manufacturing activities for the brands will be handled by Pillar in Hartland and by Sherman in England. As of August 6, customers can direct all U.S. and Canada Sherman inquiries to Pillar Technologies.

Morganton, N.C.-based Environmental Inks and Coatings Corp. opens a new 12,000-sq-ft facility in Morganton for the development and production of UV inks and coatings. The building is dedicated to the company's UV product lines, which include inks and coatings for flexographic, letterpress, rotary screen and flatbed screen applications.

Pressmaker Valmet Rotomec wraps up performance trials for its new EG 400 Series CI-flexo press at the company's San Giorgio Monferrato, Italy, plant. Launched at Drupa 2000, the digitally-controlled, gearless press was tested before its customer. Features of the system include double end-seal doctor blades to improve filling of the anilox cells; a special CI-cylinder drive connection to precisely control the position of the CI surface in the relation to the print cylinders; and direct-coupled and gearless drive connections to both the anilox and print cylinders.

Ridgefield Park, N.J.-based Agfa expands its plate-manufacturing capacity in Branchburg, N.J. Products to be added to the production line are Thermostar, Agfa's thermal offering, and the N91 plate, part of the company's visible-light assortment. Completion of the $6 million project is expected in Oct., with full manufacturing ramp-up for thermal and visible-light plates by the end of 2001.

Slitter/rewinder maker Greystone Mfg., Cooperstown, N.Y., forms a strategic alliance with U.K.-based Omega Systems to distribute and service the full line of Greystone products throughout Omega's agent network. Greystone will continue to distribute its products in North America.

Employees can get up to speed on packaging with Packaging 101, a new online course offered by Michigan State University this fall. According to the East Lansing, Mich.-based university, the course provides a solid foundation in packaging materials, product handling/distribution, regulatory issues and package design. Industry-specific issues will be explored. The course will be taught entirely via Internet by faculty from MSU's School of Packaging. More info: 517/432-5179.