facility in Chonburi, Thailand.
With an investment of € 31 million, AkzoNobel expands its footprint with this ninth production
site in the South East Asia region. The new
site will help to better serve AkzoNobel
customers, and reflects AkzoNobel’s continued commitment to the region.
Commenting on the opening, Bill
Collins, corporate director of AkzoNobel
Performance Coatings business, said:
“This new facility highlights our contin-
ued focus on adapting to market needs in
order to better serve our customers with
essential color and protection. It will also
play a key role in driving organic growth
for the Performance Coatings business.
The large size of the new site and the al-
ready established infrastructure enables
later-phase investments for expansion.
The Chonburi site will then provide op-
Furthermore, the new Chonburi site
follows AkzoNobel’s sustainability vi-
sion: the plant uses state-of-the art tech-
nology pioneered in the US and Europe
that will maximize operational efficiency
and minimize waste generation. It also
adds to AkzoNobel’s organic growth mo-
mentum and provides a continuous sus-
tainable footprint.
The new Chonburi site supplies a
number of businesses within AkzoNobel
and supports the growth and improved customer service for several
Performance Coatings’ businesses, as well
as Decorative Paints. The Performance
Coatings businesses supported include
Metal, Protective, Specialty and Marine
Coatings. The site also provides possible future expansion opportunities for
Powder Coatings.
This site currently employs about 100
people, and that number is expected to
grow to 200 employees.
Axalta Completes
Acquisition of Valspar’s
North American Industrial
Wood Coatings Business
Axalta Coating Systems has completed
its previously announced acquisition
of The Valspar Corporation’s North
American Industrial Wood Coatings
business. Valspar divested the business
in connection with the antitrust approval of its acquisition by The Sherwin-Williams Company.
The purchase price for the transaction
is $420 million, subject to certain adjustments set forth in the Asset Purchase
Agreement. The acquired business had
net sales of approximately $225 million
in 2016. Axalta expects the transaction
to be accretive to earnings in the first full
year, but less accretive to near-term results including the anticipated integration
costs to be incurred largely in 2017.
The North American Industrial Wood
PPG PAINTS Brand Unveils 2018 Color of the Year: Black Flame
Blake Flame is a blend of black and indigo.
The PPG PAINTS brand’s 2018 Color of the Year is Black
Flame (PPG1043-7). According to PPG color experts, this state-ment-making black, infused with an undertone of the deepest
indigo, evokes the privacy, hope and classic modernism that
many consumers crave today. Embodying the spirit of a tailored
tuxedo or a little black dress, it is dressed-up, coveted, unapologetic and – most importantly – timeless.
“Black Flame acts like a black curtain, allowing your other
décor elements to take center stage,” said Dee Schlotter, PPG
senior color marketing manager. “It’s a fantastic blend of black
and indigo, two classic hues. Black creates the silence we crave
in an information-heavy world, while the indigo offers possibility and a deep hopefulness. The blend of two colors makes it
incredibly versatile – use it on a statement wall, with a matte finish on a ceiling, with high gloss on a naturally-lit staircase, on
cabinets, interior and exterior doors, and in many more places.
The versatile hue can also provide strength and a modern luxe
vibe to spaces with a lot of whites, blush pinks and soft pastels.”
The color was unanimously selected by PPG’s more than 20
color stylists from around the world, who specialize in industries
such as consumer electronics, architectural, automotive and
aerospace. These experts study consumer insights, building
material trends, décor trends and more to select a color forecast
that resonates and is reflective of current consumer attitudes.
“We’re already seeing retailers reinventing the classic black
hue in the form of building materials such as wood flooring,
“Black is often referred
to as the absence of color,
but it also signifies a rebirth.
It has the unique ability to
take away weakness in a
space and allow for regen-
eration to make it even
stronger,” she said. “Our
societal craving for privacy
is the catalyst to being
tracked by technology, overworked and pressured to overshare
via social media. PPG’s research showed some consumers want
to balance this social obligation by hiding portions of their per-
sonal life from the public eye, which are reflected in their home
décor and paint color preferences.”
With society facing overstimulation and a need to take ref-
uge, PPG Paints brand’s Black Flame offers a comforting retreat,
and a chance to start new, she added. This color is the anchor
color in the broader 2018 PPG Global Color Trends palettes,
which encompasses four themes that connect and resonate with
current consumer mindsets.
