MOSCOW (MRC) -- AkzoNobel has announced plans to invest in its Performance Coatings business in Vietnam. As well as doubling capacity at its powder coatings facility in Dong Nai, the company also intends to open a new office for Performance Coatings in Ho Chi Minh City, said the producer on its site.

The new production line in Dong Nai will be ready in November and will be supported by a 20 percent increase in workforce. In addition to serving the local market, the expanded plant will also supply customers across Southeast Asia, India, Australia and New Zealand.

"Vietnam has proven to be strategic market for AkzoNobel in Southeast Asia and we are strongly committed to expanding our position," said Alan Alex, Business Manager for AkzoNobel's Powder Coatings business in Southern Asia. "With focused investment, we aim to sustain our high double-digit growth in the domestic market in Vietnam, as well as Southern Asia overall."

Commenting on the investment, Conrad Keijzer, AkzoNobel's Executive Committee member responsible for Performance Coatings, added: "Vietnam is strongly emerging as a manufacturing base in Asia, which continues to be an attractive growth market. These investments ensure that we are well positioned to meet customer demand going forward."

AkzoNobel is the largest paints and coatings company in Vietnam, with four manufacturing locations producing both decorative paints and performance coatings, and employing more than 800 people.

As MRC reported earlier, in April 2015, AkzoNobel launched an ultra-reflective powder coating which can increase the effective output of commercial lighting fixtures by up to 30%. Developed by the company’s Powder Coatings business, Interpon ReFlex delivers outstanding levels of light reflectance which make it very cost-effective. What's more, because the product is solvent-free (like all powder coatings), it also has a lower environmental impact than competing materials used in the lighting market.

Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people.
MRC