AkzoNobel has officially opened what the company is touting as the world’s most advanced and
sustainable paint plant in Ashington, in
the UK.
The facility – which cost more than
€100m to build – represents the largest global investment by the company’s
Decorative Paints business. It will become
the new center of production for Dulux,
the UK’s leading decorative paint brand.
The Ashington plant uses a variety
of renewable energy sources, including
photovoltaic cells and a biomass boiler,
alongside a highly automated manufacturing process which saves water, waste
and energy. The company estimated that
the carbon footprint per liter of paint
produced at the site will be reduced by
50 percent compared with the production
facilities at the plants it is replacing.
“This is a significant investment in the
UK – a vital strategic market for us – and
an important milestone for AkzoNobel,”
said CEO Thierry Vanlancker. “We continue to invest in highly innovative and
sustainable production facilities to maintain and grow our leadership position,
ensuring the best products for our customers in the UK and around the world.
“Our growth strategy means that
we will continue to lead the paints
and coatings industry, both in terms of
the strongest brands and the most ad-
vanced technology.”
The factory will be capable of doubling
AkzoNobel’s current UK production lev-
els to 200 million liters a year - approxi-
mately enough paint to redecorate every
living room, bathroom and kitchen in the
UK. Covering an area of 100,000m2, the
facility also has capacity to expand in or-
der to support future growth plans.
Added Ruud Joosten, COO of Paints
and Coatings at AkzoNobel: “Ashington
secures AkzoNobel’s future as a manufac-
turer of cutting-edge products, including
paints that improve air quality, increase
energy efficiency and protect against
bacteria. We have taken the best technol-
ogy available globally, improved on it and
put it all under one roof, ensuring that
this new facility represents a significant
step forward for the whole industry.”
Commenting on the new plant,
Secretary of State for International
Trade, Dr. Liam Fox, said: “The huge
investment by AkzoNobel in Ashington
has delivered the most advanced paint
factory in the world, and an impor-
tant boost to the local economy. As an
international economic department,
we encouraged AkzoNobel to choose
Northumberland because the UK has
the right skills base, infrastructure and
supply chains to grow their business.
Their decision is a vote of confidence in
the Northern Powerhouse as a destina-
tion for foreign investment, and dem-
onstrates the rock solid relationship
between the Dutch and UK economies.”
All manufacturing technologies within
the plant are managed by a single inte-
grated computer system. Every activity
- from the ordering of raw materials to
the shipping of finished products - can be
initiated without operator intervention. A
highly agile production system means the
plant is capable of producing paint across
the entire AkzoNobel range, which in-
cludes Dulux, Dulux Trade, Cuprinol,
Polycell, Hammerite and Armstead.
Ashington will also house the sec-
ond Dulux Academy in the UK. The
customized training center is designed
to provide painters and decorators with
the expertise and know-how they need
for business success. The first academy, in
Slough, has already trained 1,600 people.
Axalta-Huajia Coatings
Recognized as 2016 Most
Influential Powder Coatings
Brand in China
Axalta-Huajia Coatings, a joint-venture
company of Axalta Coating Systems has
won the title of 2016 Most Influential
Powder Coatings Brand at the recently
held 2017 China Coatings Brand Summit,
which was organized by hc360.com, one
of China’s B2B e-commerce platforms.
The judging process for the summit,
now in its 11th year, began in March.
Industry peers, including distributors,
buyers, and customers evaluated pow-
der coating brands before a judging
panel comprised of industry experts se-
lected the winners. As one of ten award
winners in the category, Axalta-Huajia
Coatings was recognized not only for
providing excellent service, but also for
its exceptional powder coating brands
Nap-Gard and Alesta.
“We are grateful for this prestigious
recognition of our commitment to inno-
vation as well as our customer-oriented
approach,” said Gary Cao, General
Manager of Axalta-Huajia Coatings.
“Our coating distributors and customers
AkzoNobel Launches
Sustainable Paint Factory
