AkzoNobel Opens Powder Coatings Plant in Wuhan    

AkzoNobel has underscored its ambition to double revenue in China within the next five years by opening its sixth powder coatings facility in the country on October 25th. The plant is located in the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone, a major industrial and manufacturing hub in Hubei province, central China.
   The new factory will manufacture AkzoNobel Powder Coatings' flagship Interpon (R ) range of products and joins the business' five existing sites in Shenzhen, Langfang, Ningbo, Suzhou and Chengdu.
   The Wuhan facility's current production capacity is 4 000 tons per year and can be further expanded. The additional capacity boosts AkzoNobel's ability to meet growing demand in what is one of the largest powder coatings markets in the world.
   "China has the fastest growth rate in the world in terms of powder coatings demand," explained Rob Molenaar, Managing Director of AkzoNobel Powder Coatings. "This demand is being driven by a number of factors, especially the rapid pace of urbanization and the associated growth of the housing, construction and automotive sectors. By taking advantage of these trends, our own activities have achieved strong growth in recent years."
    AkzoNobel currently employs around 6,500 people in China, with the country hosting 11% of the company's Research, Development and Innovation resources. Revenue for 2009 totaled US$1.5 billion. The company's focus on China will be further strengthened next month when AkzoNobel officially inaugurates its new Euro 275 million multi-site in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.