Berger Paints aims to double turnover to around Rs 7,000 cr in 4 years
The company is also coming up with an industrial unit in Pune

India's second largest paint company, Berger Paints is looking to double turnover to around Rs 7000 crore in next four years.

According to Abhijit Roy, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Berger Paints, the company is in the process of capacity expansion as well as strengthening its distribution network to meet the target.

Our focus will be west and south region, where we are lagging in terms of sales. We are expanding our distribution network there. Also, we will introduce new product categories during the period,” Roy said. The company has recorded a 17-18 per cent sales growth till Sepember in the current fiscal. The Kolkata-based paint major, which enjoys a market share of 20 per cent, is expecting an additional four per cent of market share in over next four years.

The company is also carrying out expansion to increase capacity from 24,000 tonnes per month to 44,000 tonnes per month in 2012-13. Apart from capacity expansion in existing facilities, this will include also commissioning of its new plant at Hinudupr in Andhra Pradesh. “The plant will be commissioned early next year. In the first phase it will produces 8000 tonne per month which can be extended to 20,000 tonne per month with capacity expansion later,” Roy said.<more>


AkzoNobel expanding Middle East operations
AkzoNobel expanding Middle East operations

AkzoNobel has underlined its growth ambitions for the Middle East after signing an expanded joint venture agreement with the Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo group of companies.

The new deal strengthens the existing joint venture between AkzoNobel and Kanoo, which only covers the supply of the company's International Paint brand, along with coil and packaging coatings. Under the terms of the expanded agreement, AkzoNobel will offer products from across its Performance Coatings portfolio, including professional woodcare, automotive refinish, marine, yacht, fire protection, protective and powder coatings.

"We are very pleased to build on our long-standing relationship with the Kanoo family by signing this agreement," said Leif Darner, AkzoNobel's Executive Committee member responsible for Performance Coatings. "It will give us a firm foothold in the Middle East and a solid platform from which to deliver on our ambitious growth strategy in the region. We see many opportunities for our products and services to supply the construction, oil and gas and transportation sectors in the Middle East and this deal will ensure that we are better placed to serve our customers."<more>

CEO Ton Büchner returns to AkzoNobel
The Supervisory Board of AkzoNobel is delighted to announce that CEO Ton Büchner will resume his duties on Friday, December 7, following a full recovery.

"On behalf of the Supervisory Board and the Executive Committee we welcome Ton coming back to the office. It has obviously been a testing time for all of us but now Ton is back as expected, leading the company forward and returning to business as usual," said Karel Vuursteen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

Commented CEO Ton Büchner: "I am thrilled to return to my post. I am grateful to my team who have taken care of the company so well during my absence. There is a great future for AkzoNobel and we are looking forward to updating you on our plans to further improve the company’s performance."

AkzoNobel will organize an analyst conference call and media interviews on Friday, December 14. Supervisory Board member Antony Burgmans, and CEO Ton Büchner will answer questions relating to this announcement.

On February 20, 2013, AkzoNobel will announce its Q4 and Full Year 2012 results, and Ton Büchner will give the Strategy Update, postponed from October 22.<more>

Chinese Firm Admits Paint Smuggling
Source: Paint and Coatings Industry News

A construction company controlled by the Chinese government has pleaded guilty to illegally exporting U.S.-made coatings to Pakistan for use on a nuclear reactor, the U.S. Justice Department has announced.

The plea and a $3 million fine assessed against China Nuclear Industry Huaxing Construction mark the first time that a Chinese company has admitted guilt in a U.S. criminal export case, the government said.

The department said the plea followed a long-term investigation of illegal exports of high-performance epoxy coatings from the U.S. to the Chashma II Nuclear Power Plant in Pakistan, which Huaxing was building as part of a nuclear-cooperation pact between China and Pakistan.<more>

Dow completes Liquid Epoxy Resin expansion
Dow Epoxy, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, has completed its 30 KTA Liquid Epoxy Resin (LER) expansion at its fully back-integrated Stade, Germany site. The facility, which has now been ramped up to full production rates, will increase the company’s global LER capacity by 10%.

JOST Adds Powder Coating, Fabrication to Tennessee Facility
JOST International has added powder coating and fabrication to the list of services available from its Greeneville, TN, facility to other manufacturers in the automotive, commercial vehicle, agricultural, forestry and construction industries.

JOST said its Greeneville plant offers a pre-treatment 10 stage powder coating process that meet the GMW 14872 cyclic corrosion test standard to provide a higher level of surface sealing and corrosion protection, in either small or industrial scale batch sizes.<more>