Axalta Celebrates 150 Years
of Innovation in China
Axalta Coating Systems recently celebrated its 150th anniversary in the coatings industry with
special events in Shanghai, headquarters
for its greater China operations. The daylong series of events included an exhibition of company products and history
and was capped off by a celebration with
customers, business partners, officials,
industry association representatives, and
other guests who have supported Axalta’s
growth in China since it began operations
there more than 30 years ago. Axalta also
recognized employees who have been
fundamental to the company’s success at
an event of their own.
“We wanted to honor our employ-
ees in greater China and thank our cus-
tomers, partners, government agencies,
and others who have consistently and
enthusiastically supported Axalta,” said
Charlie Shaver, Chairman and CEO of
Axalta, who came to Shanghai to par-
ticipate in the celebration. “Our ability
to contribute to China’s growth is due
to support we have received from many
individuals and institutions. Our celebra-
tion represents our steadfast commitment
to lead our industry through innovation
and to develop coatings that can help
promote sustainable economic growth. I
am delighted that China has played such
a crucial role in Axalta’s innovation jour-
ney and look forward to our continued
long term growth here.”
The exhibition at the event showcased
the company history with displays that
depicted the evolution of Axalta’s 150
years of developing innovative coating
solutions for the vehicle manufacturing
and repair, industrial, oil and gas, archi-
tectural and construction, and energy
sectors. Axalta’s first coatings were de-
veloped in Europe in 1866 for carriages.
As cars emerged as the leading form of
personal transportation in the 20th cen-
tury, Axalta’s lacquers revolutionized
the application of coatings with the first
spray-applied, fast-drying automotive
finish. The new technology not only cut
paint-drying times from days to hours,
but also offered customers a range of new
color choices.
Since then, Axalta has grown into a
leader of the coatings industry. Today,
Axalta is one of the top suppliers to light
vehicle original equipment manufactur-
ers and the number one global coatings
supplier to heavy duty truck and bus
manufacturers. Axalta is also the num-
ber one global supplier in the refinish
segment supporting body shops and the
vehicle repair industry. It is the number
two supplier of coatings in the electrical
insulation, powder coatings, and indus-
trial electrocoat markets.
Shanghai will be the home of one of
Axalta’s four global technology cen-
ters, the Asia Pacific Technology Center
(APTC), a 15,500 square meter facility.
Ms. Sun Lianying, Chair of the China
Coating Industrial Association, said,
“China has entered an era of the economic ‘new normal’, a constant process
of industrial transformation and upgrading. The coatings industry in China
seeks innovative breakthroughs and development in order to continue to support the nation’s growth and enable our
infrastructure to evolve. As a leading
enterprise with a singular focus on coatings, Axalta consistently promotes our
innovative industry and the many product benefits that can help materials last
longer and increase productivity in the
sectors we serve.” 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.
AkzoNobel........................................................................................... 10, 44, 58
Axalta ......................................................................................................... 8, 44
BASF .............................................................................................. 10, 30, 44, 82
Chugoku Paints............................................................................................... 62
Ennis-Flint....................................................................................................... 10
H.B. Fuller ...................................................................................................... 10
Kansai Paint .................................................................................................... 40
Nippon Paint................................................................................................... 42
PPG...................................................................................................... 10, 30, 44
R.M. Lucas ..................................................................................................... 30
Sherwin-Williams ............................................................................................ 30
Sika ................................................................................................................. 10
Valspar ............................................................................................................ 60
Vermont Natural Coatings .............................................................................. 30
