Coatings World - March 2015

“Jones-Blair is a company that
we have been following for years
and we finally got the chance to
acquire it,” said Hempel’s group
president and CEO Pierre-Yves Jullien.
“Jones-Blair has proven to be one of the
best coatings manufacturers in the region.
It has a unique market position, great
technical knowledge and many years of
experience. The acquisition will create
the best conditions for us to achieve our
objectives in North America, and also
supports our goal of becoming one of the
world’s top- 10 largest coatings suppliers
by the end of 2015.”
Jones-Blair’s business is focused on two
distinct markets: Oil & Gas (industrial coat-
ings) and Construction, especially water-
proofing through the NEOGARD brand.

According to Kim Junge Andersen,
Hempel’s group executive vice president
& CFO, the two company’s product port-
folios complement each other perfectly.
“By combining our strengths, we can
serve our customers better and with more
complete solutions compared to what
each of us could do on our own,” he said.
“The acquisition will provide Hempel
with a solid and diverse platform for the
continued development of our business in
the region.”
The transaction is expected to close in early
March 2015, subject to regulatory approval.
Hempel acquired the U.S.-based pro-
tective coatings manufacturer Blome
International Inc. in 2012. Hempel has
seen significant growth in the Americas as
a result and many Blome products are now
available to Hempel’s global customers.

At the end of 2014, Hempel completed its latest acquisition when it acquired Schaepman, a Dutch coatings manufacturer.

Furniture Maker
Switches to AkzoNobel’s
Formaldehyde-Free Coating
System

U.S. office furniture producer Paoli has
switched to a formaldehyde-free wood
coating system supplied by AkzoNobel
that meets the latest indoor air quality
standards and exceeds the levels of prod-
uct performance of the previous system.
As well as complying with industry
regulations, the move will enable Paoli
to meet growing customer demand for
products that meet the indoor air quality
standards of groups such as BIFMA and
the Greenguard Environmental Institute.

“The challenge was to develop a new system that would work on Paoli’s existing finish lines and maintain the high quality look and performance achieved with the existing system,” explained Ron Cooper, North America regional sales manager for AkzoNobel’s Wood Coatings business.

“We worked closely with the finishing team at Paoli, which has been a key AkzoNobel customer and development partner for more than 30 years. The experience of their finishing staff and leadership team was vital in helping to develop and implement the new

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June 1 to June 4, 2015
at The Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Attend The Conference Of Dynamic Speakers
Giving Insights Into The Science, The Manufacturing
And The Marketing Of Coatings!

Visit With Suppliers To The Coatings Industry On Our Trade Show Floor For Registration, Hotel And Program/Show Information Go To Our Website: www.easterncoatingsshow.com