AkzoNobel has announced a significant €3m investment in its Felling site, near Gateshead, which will further enhance the business’s powder coatings manufacturing capabilities.
Rolling out over the next three years, the ambitious step will allow for continued growth of the powder coatings business. As part of the move, AkzoNobel will streamline operations by creating a single, dedicated Powder Coatings customer service centre in Felling. This move will foster closer collaboration between the customer operations team and the manufacturing site, thereby increasing market speed whilst providing a seamless customer experience.
Employing over 600 people, the Felling site is one of AkzoNobel’s largest in the UK and has played an important role in the company for over 140 years. The investment is the latest in the site, which has received 39.4 million since 2011. Alongside the Powder Coatings business, the Felling site is also home to AkzoNobel’s Marine Protective and Yacht Coatings business, which includes a ground-breaking R&D innovation campus which opened in 2019.
Commenting on the investment, Tomas Kluczewski, Regional Commercial Director for the Powder Coatings business in North Europe, said: “This move aims to further position our Powder Coatings business for growth, increase market speed and further improve quality for our UK and Ireland-based customers. With these investments we’re propelling our Powder Coatings business forward, ramping up market responsiveness and elevating quality for our UK and Ireland-based powder coatings customers.”
Furthermore, the business is expanding its digital offerings in Felling, along with other sites through the My Interpon portal, an all-in-one online platform designed to streamline customer access to its world-class range of powder coatings.
This and other recently announced strategic investments in the AkzoNobel Powder Coatings business, such as the expansion of the Bac Ninh site in Vietnam and the investments in North American sites, align with AkzoNobel’s new purpose, Paint the Future, emphasising how the company is growing with its customers and prioritising excellence in quality and customer service.
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