As We Go To Press
AkzoNobel targeting growth in India
AkzoNobel is set to break ground on a
new coatings manufacturing plant in
India, signaling the company’s ambition
to become one of the country’s leading
industrial players.
The new industrial finishes facility,
which will produce coil and specialty
plastic coatings, is being built in
Hoskote near Bangalore and is the latest strategic step in a measured
approach to expanding in a region with
clear growth potential.
“We are convinced that India will
develop into one of the world’s economic
powerhouses and it ranks very highly on
our list of priority countries for growth
and investment,” said AkzoNobel CEO
Hans Wijers. “We are already well represented in India, but as a leading global producer of coatings and specialty
chemicals we are committed to making
a significant contribution to India’s continued development.”
Wijers, who recently took part in the
launch of the two-week Amsterdam
India Festival—an event sponsored by
AkzoNobel—added that the company
has targeted a substantial increase of its
turnover in India, which currently totals
around €200 million.
The new industrial finishes plant is
being built on an existing AkzoNobel
site, which manufactures marine and
protective coatings and powder coatings,
as well as coil coatings. The latest addition will expand capacity for coil coatings produced primarily for the high
performance steel and aluminum construction markets in India and neighboring countries. Increasing demand in
India for lifestyle goods such as mobile
phones and the ability to better serve
global customers located in the region
has driven the need to expand the business’ specialty plastics activities.
“We have achieved steady growth in
these markets and now require a capac-
ity expansion which was not feasible
within our current production unit,”
explained Binoy Chakraborty, general
manager of AkzoNobel’s industrial finishes business in India. He added that
construction on the first phase of the
project is expected to be completed in
early 2010.
AkzoNobel currently employs approximately 1,500 people in India and operates six production facilities, two
research laboratories and around a
dozen sales locations.
HEMPEL ACQUIRES
HEMPEL-HAI HONG IN CHINA
Hempel A/S has reached an agreement to acquire Hempel-Hai Hong in
China. The deal is completion expected to close on January 5, 2009 and
will cost Hempel A/S ~$170 million
(DKK $1 billion). Increasing its share
in Hempel-Hai Hong from 36% to
100% will give Hempel A/S full control of its activities in China. Hempel-
Hai Hong has a strong brand identity
and is already responsible for 25% of
Hempel A/S’s global turnover, making
it one of the leading companies in the
Hempel Group.
Ever since its creation in 1991 as a
joint venture between the Hempel
Group and China Merchants Holdings
(International) Co. Ltd., Hempel-Hai
Hong has been a successful operation.
Now both parties have realized the need
to focus on their respective core businesses—ports and port-related activities
for China Merchants Holdings (
International) Co. Ltd., and worldwide
marine, protective and decorative coatings for Hempel A/S.
“China Merchants’ understanding of
business in China and their good connections at all levels of Chinese society
have been essential in building a strong
position in the region,” said Hempel
CEO, Pierre-Yves Jullien. CW
Index to Companies
This index gives the starting page for a department or feature with
a significant reference to a manufacturer of paint, coatings, adhe-
sives and sealants. Subsidiaries are indexed under their own names.
Aegeon Advanced Coatings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
AkzoNobel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 10, 18
Aremco .................................................. 28
BASF Coatings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 28
Bondaflex Technologies ..................................... 28
Colorcon ................................................. 10
Dürr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
DuPont .................................................. 10
Hempel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Henkel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
InternationalPaint .................................. 10, 28, 80
Krylon Commercial Coatings ................................ 28
The Muralo Company ...................................... 28
Qioptiq Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Textured Coatings of America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Tikkurila Oy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Worthen Industries ........................................ 28
