Coatings World - March 2016

Officiating at the ceremony for the 15,500 square meter center in the Minhong Industrial Development Zone, Shanghai are Charlie Shaver, Axalta chairman and CEO and other Axalta executives, Zhang Guokun, Deputy Governor of Minhong District, Xue Hong, Vice President of Shanghai Real Estate Group, and Feng Xiaoming, General Manager and Executive Director of the Minhong Group, the company that has jointly invested with Axalta to construct the facility.

Scheduled to be operational in third-quarter 2016, the regional technology center will be equipped to undertake fundamental research and develop new coating applications, including the latest generation paint formulations, colors, resin development, dispersion technology, spray application and analytic evaluation of paint performance. The center will have technical support capabilities to serve light vehicle OEM, commercial vehicle and refinish customers as well as those in the industrial and architectural sectors. With a workforce capacity of up to 500 employees, the center is poised to support all Axalta businesses with high quality paints, lean processes, and sustainable applications.

“Our goal is to provide coatings that
increase durability, enhance customer
productivity and, of course, add color,”
explained Shaver. “Axalta’s coatings
enable the materials they protect to last
longer. Our application systems are de-
signed to help our customers be more
productive by saving time and energy
when applying our products. The com-
bined benefits also support long term
environmental goals by protecting and
conserving resources. I sincerely thank
the Minhong District Government,
the Minhong Group, the Shanghai
Real Estate Group, and the Minhong
Economic Development Zone for their
cooperation and their shared vision of
our building as a hub for innovation in
China and the wider Asia-Pacific region.”
“We aim to support Minhong District
to be the innovation hub in southern
Shanghai and even to be in the forefront
of China’s technological research and
development. We are excited with the
commitment Axalta has for this new Asia
Pacific Technology Center as its vision
aligns with what we plan to do. Axalta is
an admired company with sustainability
values and cutting-edge coating technolo-
gy. We are proud to be a partner of Axalta
and we eagerly look forward to the center
opening next year,” said Mr. Feng.
The technology center will be part of
Axalta’s global network of global inno-
vation centers in North America, Europe
and Latin America. The facility will house
Axalta’s Refinish Color Development
Center, a new Refinish Training Center
for customers, and extensive laboratories.
Dr. Barry Snyder, Axalta’s
Senior Vice President and Chief
Technology Officer said, “As
part of Axalta’s global network
of technology centers, the APTC will
combine our global expertise and next-
generation tools with local talent and
market knowledge of China and the larg-
er Asia Pacific region to provide custom-
ers with innovative coating solutions and
applications.”
At present, Axalta has technology de-
velopment capabilities in Shanghai and
at the company’s operations center in
Changchun as well as four refinish train-
ing centers in China and a new OEM
technology development center adjacent
to its Jiading manufacturing complex.

Axalta has conducted business in China since 1984. In addition to the recently expanded Jiading waterborne coatings facility, Axalta operates a plant in Changchun and six powder coating facilities in collaboration with its joint venture partner. Axalta has also located its Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters in Shanghai.

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