Fresh Paint
waxes, polishes, cleaners, conditioners
and protectants. 3M’s automotive aftermarket division provides products for
auto body repair professionals and auto
enthusiasts. Products include abrasives
and accessories, performance cleaning
products, waxes, masking tapes, panel
bonding adhesives, general adhesives
coatings and sealers, paint finishing
polishes and compounds, and paint
application systems.
Approximately 40 Bonny employees will
transfer with the business. The acquisition will extend PPG’s distribution network and customer base, according to J.
Rich Alexander, senior vice president of
coatings. The amount of the deal was not
disclosed. The growing number of car
owners in China will drive “sustained
future growth,” Alexander said.
INVER TO ACQUIRE BECKER
POWDER COATINGS IN EUROPE
Inver S.p.A., the Italian company specializing in industrial liquid and powder
coatings, and AB Wilh Becker, one of the
leading paint and coatings manufacturers in the world, announced the agreement for Inver S.p.A. to acquire the
European powder coatings businesses of
AB Wilh. Becker.
Inver is acquiring Becker Powder
Coatings’ (BPC) four European production plants located in France (Thouars),
UK (Liverpool), Poland (Debica) and
Italy (LAquila). BPC’s French and UK
businesses are the top three and top five
in their respective markets and this
strong position gives Inver the ability to
achieve a solid competitive platform and
to further penetrate these European
powder coatings markets, characterized
by high entry barriers.
This acquisition will make Inver the
fourth largest producer in the European
powder market. This disposal enables
Becker to focus their energy and
resources on further developing their
market leading positions in industrial
coatings, wood coatings and artists
materials.
JOTUNS 1,000TH MULTICOLOR
CENTER IN MIDDLE EAST
Jotun Paints has launched its 1,000th
Multicolor Center (MC) in the Middle
East. Located in Al Qusais, Dubai, the
new center is part of the paint manufacturer’s ambitious plan to establish
a total of 1,000 MCs in the region
before the end of 2008. Company officials are also looking at doubling the
number of Jotun MCs in four years,
with aims of increasing its retail market share, which currently stands at
40% of the total regional market.
Among the most popular features of
the MCs that have caught the attention of regional customers is the
Colour Bar, which contains over 950
color samples, as well as an expert
group of multicolor shop personnel
who educate visitors on different
paint techniques and textures, and
suggest hues for exterior and internal
paints. The ColorAdvisor is also a popular aspect of the center as it gives
customers the opportunity to choose
from a color palette and see the color
in different environments, furniture
settings and under different lighting
conditions.
PPG ACQUIRES COATINGS
BUSINESS IN CHINA
PPG has acquired a private automotive
coatings business in China. PPG will
own all brands, the customer list, trademarks, technology and working capital
of Bonny Coating-Made Co., Ltd., in
Guangzhou, in southern China.
A PROFILE OF THE ITALIAN PAINT INDUSTRY
IRL has published its new report, “A Profile of the Italian Paint Industry, 2nd
Edition.” According to the report, Italy is one of the three western European
paint markets where demand reaches more than one million tons, standing at
1,141,000 tons in 2007.
All segments of the Italian paint market will continue to grow in the future,
some considerably quicker than others. Furthermore, paint production in Italy
is also on a markedly upward path, serving both indigenous demand and foreign markets. Rapid growth in Italian paint exports has made this one of the
most important and successful segments of industry, with businesses in Italy
scoring supply contracts worth more than $1 billion.
Decorative coatings account for 54% of the Italian paint market of which
30% is professional and 24% DIY; industrial wood coatings account for
13%; general industrial 11%; powder coatings seven percent; and all other
industrial coatings 15%.
“In Italy there is one of Europe’s largest and most important paint and coatings markets, where a host of factors such as tradition, quality and style are
paramount. Fortunately, the Italian paint and coatings sector is supported by
a strong R&D philosophy, which continues to assist the industry with the
development of high-technology coatings, particularly at a time when many
customers are reluctant to sacrifice quality for environmental compliance,”
said Terry Knowles, business manager at IRL and author of the report.
“Future growth in the market looks positive yet modest at around three percent per annum,” he continued. “IRL’s forecast is that Italian paint demand
will reach more than 1.31 million tons by 2012. This alone is equivalent to
growth of 170,000 tons across five years. Coupled to a strong supply situation
in foreign markets, Italy should be seen as a major paint production center
gaining even greater importance within the chemical industry.”
