Coatings World - JULY 2013

Kansai Paint Co., Ltd.
Osaka, Japan
www.kansai.co.jp

PUBLIC COMPANY
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1918
REVENUE: $3.122 billion t (2011: 3.250 bn)

MARKETS SERVED

• Automotive coatings • Decorative coatings • Industrial coatings • Marine and protective coatings

KEY EXECUTIVES

Shoju Kobayashi, chairman; Yuzo Kawamori, president; Koichi Imada, executive vice president.

Operating in Japan, Europe, the U.S., Southeast Asia, India nd China, Kansai Paint Co. Ltd. offers a broad range of coatings solutions for various markets. It divides its business into automotive ( 39 percent), industrial ( 28 percent), decorative ( 25 percent), and marine and protective ( 8 percent) segments.

With $3.122 bn in sales revenue for 2012, Kansai Paint operates three state-of-the-art automotive paint plants from its headquarters in Osaka, Japan and is the leading supplier of automotive coatings to Toyota, Suzuki, Nissan, Honda, Peugeot and Renault worldwide.

In Japan, which is Kansai’s largest operating segment, in the area of automotive OEM coatings, the company has been investing in developing new technologies which give improved appearance, and actively works to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.

Kansai’s automotive OEM coatings saw a slight decrease in sales due to reduced exports. Industrial coatings recorded a slight increase in sales due to increased demand for coatings applied to construction machinery to be used in reconstruction projects following the earthquake of 2010. In the fields of auto refinishing, decorative and marine and protective coatings, sales decreased due to the effect of the sluggish domestic economy.

In India, the next largest operating segment, automotive coat-
ings, sales of automobiles have slowed due to the tightening of
the money market. However, sales of coatings have grown due to
increased sales to local manufacturers. The company reported an
increase in sales in decorative coatings as domestic demand has
expanded and soaring raw materials costs have been transferred
and are reflected in higher prices for products.

Kansai Paint Becomes Manchester United’s First Global Paint Partner

Kansai Paint has entered into a three-year partnership with Manchester United Football Club, as its first global paint partner.

Kansai acquired Plascon, the iconic South African paint brand to grow their leadership in decorative coatings and the flourishing African market. The partnership between Kansai and Plascon has created Kansai Plascon, the leading paint brand on the continent. Kansai Plascon has operations in six African countries and exports into more than 17 countries in Africa. As the successful host of the soccer World Cup in 2010, South Africa has a passion for football and this sponsorship will help to grow the Kansai Plascon brand in Africa.

Manchester United is one of the most successful sports teams in the world, playing one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth. Through their 134-year-long heritage, they have won 60 trophies, while developing the world’s leading sports brand and a global community of 659 million followers.

Kansai Plascon Africa CEO, Nauman Malik, with Jonathan Rigby (head of marketing, Manchester United), with Manchester United players Shinji Kagawa (left), Phil Jones (center) and Danny Welbeck (right).