Akzo carves further into Asia

Akzo Nobel has opened a new powder coatings factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in partnership with Chang Cheng Securities, marking the 12th powder coatings site in the Asia Pacific region for the company.

Akzo Nobel has opened a new powder coatings factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in partnership with Chang Cheng Securities, marking the 12th powder coatings site in the Asia Pacific region for the company.

"This opening in Vietnam is another important landmark in our sustained efforts to build the geographic spread of our Powder Coatings business," said Rudy van der Meer, member of the Akzo Nobel Board of management responsible for coatings. "It represents the latest in a series of strategic investments by the coatings group in the Asia Pacific region."

The facility will produce the full range of Akzo Nobel's Interpon powder coatings.

" It also strengthens our leadership position in the Asian powder coatings market, which was boosted last year by the acquisition of the powder coatings business of Ferro corporation in Asia Pacific and the Americas," added van der Meer.

According to the Azko employee it has always been the strategy of the company to have a significant presence in every region and in every market segment, "so that we may best serve our global powder customers - wherever they operate," continued Bill McPherson, general manager of Akzo Nobel Powder Coatings. "Since we commissioned the plant we have successfully transferred business to Vietnam which had previously been serviced from our other factories in the region. We are now servicing our customers on a local level with the full range of our products."

The factory is located on a 10,000 m2 site and currently employs a total of 80 people.