Coatings World - July 2011

dent, PPG Asia Pacific. “The
Asia Pacific region is critical for
PPG’s global growth plans. In
fact, sales in Asia Pacific ex-
ceeded $2 billion in 2010 and continue
to account for a greater share of PPG’s
total sales.”
PPG first invested in China in the
1980s, according to Sekmakas. Today,
PPG operates 14 manufacturing plants
and two research and development cen-
ters throughout China. The company
produces and sells a wide range of prod-
ucts in China such as paints and coat-
ings, glass, fiberglass, optical products
and aerospace materials.

Lord begins construction of factory in Itupeva, Brazil A subsidiary of Lord Corporation has started the construction of a site near São Paulo, Brazil, in the city of Itupeva. The industrial park in Jundia, which has been occupied by the company since 1974, will be deactivated after all equipment has been moved to the new headquarters, which will be ready by the second-half of 2013, the company said. In Itupeva Lord will have 10,200 square meters of built area, and a total area comprising 40,500 square meters to allow for several expansions to accommodate an aggressive growth plan over the next twenty years. Construction work is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2012. The company said that the new site will be critical for it to be able to achieve its goal of doubling sales volume every five years. The new plant will begin operations with installed capacity twice larger than its current output.

Hempel acquires Crown Paints Danish-based Hempel has acquired Crown Paints. The UK-based decorative coatings manufacturer will help Hempel to grow its decorative coatings business. The company said the decorative segment represents a significant part of the global coatings industry and therefore, the acquisition of a company strong in the decorative market is an important part of its strategy. The acquisition will not change Crown Paints’ brands’ iden-tities, and the daily management and de-

cision power will also remain local. Hempel will also continue to carry out Crown Paints’ existing objectives.

Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions
enters Mexico traffic paint
market

Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions’ traffic paint products have been approved for sale and distribution by the Mexican government. Ennis company officials, government representatives and distributors held a launch event in Mexico City to discuss the Ennis entry into the paint market and regional headquarters in Mexico. The launch event was highlighted by a review of Mexican paint and thermoplastic standards by Ing. Alfonso Mauricio Elizondo Ramírez, co-ordinator of transportation standards and infrastructure for the Mexican Transportation Institute.

“Our product success on a global basis
has resulted from having local offices and
facilities run by local people, and we are
making a significant investment in Latin
America and Mexico,” said Scott Seeley,
Ennis’ director of global marketing, Cen-
tral U.S. and Latin America. “Most of our
products currently come from Texas, but
we are evaluating ways to move our prod-
ucts and services closer to Mexico and
Latin America.”
Leading the Ennis team in Latin
America is Alberto Merinos, marketing
and sales manager for Latin America and
the Caribbean. Ennis has distributed
products in Mexico for more than 20
years including Stimsonite raised pave-
ment markers and thermoplastic pave-
ment material.

LKQ Corporation acquires AkzoNobel’s North American paint distribution business LKQ Corporation has closed the acquisition of AkzoNobel Coatings Inc.’s paint distribution business consisting of 40 locations across the U.S. In addition to distributing Akzo’s paint in these 40 markets and the other markets in which LKQ currently distributes Akzo’s paint, LKQ will continue to distribute paint for other manufacturers in the approximately 38 markets in which LKQ currently distributes paint and related products.

Jotun Saudia opens facility in Riyadh Jotun Saudia recently opened the company’s new offices in Bilda Mall, Riyadh. The new office will act as the company’s sales, marketing and administrative office and also house the protective marine and powder functions. The opening reflects Jotun’s continuing business growth in the Kingdom and also complements the company’s initiatives that are aimed at providing better customer service. Jotun’s warehousing and customer service department (CSD) facilities will still be based in its old facility in Solay, Riyadh. Jotun Saudia (Paints) maintains a strong presence in KSA with more than twp environmentally friendly factories in key locations such as Yanbu and Jeddah. The company’s new offices are located within accessible distance to the warehouse and CSD, and maintains a fully computerized set-up, which is equipped with the latest communication software that allows them 24/7 seamless connection to the Jotun global network.

Dow Microbial Control
partners with Valspar

Dow Microbial Control partnered with Valspar to launch the inaugural Innovation Day in Shunde, Guangdong Province, China. This event not only represented the business innovative strategy of “Innovate with Customers,” “In China, For China,” and a global vision, but also demonstrated its firm commitment to growing with customers together.

Dow Microbial Control offers leading expertise and a complete portfolio of microbial control products to help solve all kinds of microbial problems including plant hygiene, in-can preservation, dry-film protection and antimicrobial coating, etc and meets the evolving regulatory needs of our customers. Dow Microbial Control Quality Inspection Center, in particular, brings together the experts and laboratory facilities of Dow Microbial Control Technical Customer Application Center. It is therefore well positioned to providing specialized monitoring and testing of microbial biocides and preservatives, while helping customers solve the problems of microbial control, from specialty products to commercialization.