AkzoNobel opens decorative paints site in Chengdu, Western China

AkzoNobel has started production at its fourth – and largest – plant for decorative paints in China. Located in Chengdu, the facility represents an important milestone in the company’s growth plans for the west of the country. The plant is part of an investment in excess of €50M to build manufacturing facilities for both powder coatings and decorative paints.

Located in Qionglai, Chengdu, the 55,000m² decorative paints site observes the company’s highest sustainability and safety standards. All products produced will be waterborne and solvent-free and the facility’s manufacturing environment will generate lower carbon emissions and be more sustainable. Given its central location, the site will enable extensive savings in transportation costs and an optimised logistics network that will reduce carbon emissions by eight kt/yr – equivalent to carbon emissions of 3000t of standard coal.

Ruud Joosten, Executive Committee Member responsible for Decorative Paints at AkzoNobel, said: "China’s rapid growth in urbanisation has meant an increase in demand for many of our products and services in the region. This new site enables us to respond to this demand and have the expertise on the ground locally to share our knowledge with industry stakeholders.”

"Centred in Chengdu, the site enables us to extend our reach to southwestern and northwestern regions and to provide quality products that are customised for the needs of local customers, in a timely, efficient way,” added Dr Lin Liangqi, President of AkzoNobel China and MD of Decorative Paints, China and North Asia.

AkzoNobel employs around 7500 people in China and generated €1.8bn in locally driven revenues in 2015