As We Go To Press
Walmart chooses AkzoNobel as its paint
supplier in the U.S.
AkzoNobel has been selected by
Walmart to be the primary paint supplier for the retailer’s U.S. stores. The
company will develop and manufacture a portfolio of interior and exterior paints for more than 3,500
Walmart stores nationwide. This
agreement builds on the existing relationship with Walmart, the world’s
largest retailer, for paints in Puerto
Rico and Canada, and with Liquid
Nails adhesives in the U.S.
“This is an excellent opportunity for
us to work with Walmart and offer their
customers an exciting new in-store pro-
gram,” said Tex Gunning, the AkzoNobel
board member responsible for decora-
tive paints. “This is a landmark deal
which will significantly boost our mar-
ket share in the U.S. and contribute to
further enhancing the value of our
Glidden brand there.”
Walmart will begin the transition
to AkzoNobel early next year.
AkzoNobel Decorative Paints in the
Americas (Canada, US and Latin
America) currently employs around
7,200 people and generates revenue
of close to €1.5 billion. It operates
eight paint manufacturing and dis-
tribution sites in the U.S. and a glob-
al research and development center
in Strongsville. The portfolio consists
of architectural coatings and wood
care products, as well as adhesives
and caulks.
Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. In March,
HAR commissioned a major expan-
sion at Hydrite Chemical Co.’s facility
near Madison, Wisconsin, including
twin 12,500 gallon reactors custom
designed for the manufacture of
epichlorohydrin derivatives including
specialty liquid epoxy resins. The
HAR equipment is housed in a new
custom designed process building
adjacent to Hydrite Chemical’s
Organic Processing site. Hydrite
Chemical serves as the toll (contract)
manufacturer for HAR in providing
all manufacturing and support servic-
es in the production of HAR’s epoxy
resins and other epichlorohydrin
derivatives. The site’s existing exten-
sive organic synthesis and distillation
equipment complements the epoxy
plant with capabilities of downstream
processing and advancement of epoxy
resins as well as purification by frac-
tional distillation and/or thin film
evaporation. The expansion includes
bulk storage of epichlorohydrin as
well as solid and liquid co-reactants.
HAR’s initial offering includes resor-
cinol diglycidyl ether (RDGE) and a
series of mono and multifunctional
glycidyl ethers commonly used as
reactive diluents in epoxy formula-
tions. The design includes the capa-
bility of vacuum distillation of
epichlorohydrin and processing sol-
vents, including azeotropic separa-
tion. Multiple support vessels provide
the ability to achieve very low levels
of hydrolyzable chloride (HCC) and
residual epichlorohydrin. 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, adhesives and
sealants. Subsidiaries are indexed under their own names.
HYDRITE BEGINS MANUFACTURING
EPOXY RESINS AT WISCONSIN PLANT
Hydrite Advanced Resins, LLC,
(HAR), a new company formed from
the combined resources of Hydrite
Chemical Co. and the technologies of
Polymers 2000 LTD, has begun epoxy
resin production at its new facility in
AkzoNobel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 10