DuPont Acquisition Beefs Up Safety Offerings

DuPont Co., the Wilmington, Del., science-based products and services company, said on Oct. 14 that is has acquired Coastal Training Technologies Corp. (www.coastal.com), a global producer and marketer of cutting-edge training programs, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va. The transaction is expected to fuel significant growth for DuPont Safety Resources (www.safety.dupont.com), a safety consulting business within the DuPont Safety & Protection segment. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The acquisition includes transfer of all customer agreements, patents, copyrights, brands, equipment and personnel. It will allow DuPont, an established global provider of industrial safety services programs, to provide a broader mix of delivery systems to a growing global audience. Coastal Training Technologies, with offices in the United States, Mexico, Europe, Brazil, India and the Philippines, will gain access to DuPont’s broad customer network for its library of training products.

Expanding presence

“Coastal is a dynamic and creative company that produces world-class training products,” said James R. Weigand, vice president and general manager, DuPont Safety Resources. “By combining their capabilities with our innovative science and safety experience, we will be able to address a wide range of client needs from consultative safety leadership to instructor-led training to e-learning based systems.” The acquisition is part of the company’s strategy to expand its presence in emerging markets and safety industries.

According to a report issued by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), U.S. organizations alone spent about $50 billion on overall external training services in 2007. DuPont estimates the global market for safety training materials and programs at more than $600 million annually. E learning programs continue to be the fastest growing tools in the industry. Over a five-year period beginning in 2001, the use of technology-based programs nearly tripled—growing from 11 percent to 30 percent.

DuPont Safety Resources
www.safety.dupont.com

Coastal Training Technologies Corp.
www.coastal.com