Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), headquartered in San Antonio, and the Beijing BSS Corrosion Protection Co. Ltd., in Beijing, China, have entered into a representation and master agreement. BSS will represent SwRI's interest in products and services related to sensor systems, nondestructive evaluation, surface engineering, coatings and corrosion. The agreements were effective March 15.
SwRI has been active in China since 1984. In July 2003, SwRI opened an office in Beijing to promote and coordinate the expanding automotive business of SwRI in China and throughout Asia. In 2005, SwRI established a joint venture with the state-owned China Automotive Technology and Research Center to form the Tianjin SwARC Automotive Research Laboratory Co. Ltd. In 2007, SwRI entered into a strategic alliance agreement with the Institute of Metal Research–Chinese Academy of Sciences.
"This new agreement allows SwRI to better promote its successful sensor, nondestructive evaluation, surface engineering, and corrosion products and services to industries in China," said Dr. Ben Thacker, director of the Materials Engineering Department in SwRI's Mechanical Engineering Division. "We look forward to working with BSS on this important initiative."
Southwest Research Institute is one of the oldest and largest independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organizations in the U.S. SwRI has a staff of more than 3,000 and annual revenues in excess of $548 million. Beijing BSS Corrosion Protection Co. Ltd., established in 1997, has a staff of more than 500 specializing in research, development and manufacture of industrial corrosion-proof coatings.