Rogers Corp. will open its Elastomer Components Sales and Service Center in Rogers, CT. The site will function as a local customer-service base for business with its ENDUR® elastomer materials and Nitrophyl® float customers in North America. Earlier this year, Rogers announced the closing of its Windham, CT, plant and the transfer of its operations to Rogers Technologies, Ltd., in Suzhou, China, by the end of 2004.

Power and automation-tech provider ABB, Zurich, Switzerland, will open a new corporate research center at its industrial computer-control system facility in Wickliffe, OH, near Cleveland. The CRC will concentrate on advanced computer process control and robotics to improve the efficiency and capability of industrial plants and electric utilities. Approximately $25 million has been invested in CRC operations in Wickliffe; Raleigh, NC; and Windsor, CT, which perform research and development projects with leading universities.

Substrate provider Celplast Metallized Products, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, will become an official distributor of Ceramist transparent SiOx-coated, high-barrier films from Alcan Packaging in Switzerland. Ceramis is manufactured by the electron-beam evaporation of silicon-oxide onto PET, nylon and OPP substrates, providing packaging solutions for the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and high-tech industries.

Oshkosh, WI-based prepress house OEC Graphics, Inc., acquires Image I.T., Appleton, WI, a specialist in high-end data asset management and color separation. The new division, named OEC Graphics-I.T., complements OEC's extensive line of flexo and offset products and services. Founder Tom Running will remain with OEC-I.T. as a strategic partner.