Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global supplier of paint and powder coatings, yesterday broke ground in Wuppertal, Germany, on construction to expand its capacity to produce waterborne coatings. The new facility will increase the size of what is already the largest of the company’s 35 manufacturing centres. Production is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2015.   

At the ceremony to mark the event, attended by Wuppertal’s mayor, Peter Jung, media and Axalta employees, Axalta Chairman and CEO Charlie Shaver underscored the company’s commitment to the production of environmentally responsible waterborne paint technologies. He said, “A growing demand for high-performance waterborne paint solutions prompted our decision to expand in Wuppertal. This facility will use a number of advanced technologies to decrease waste and reduce the environmental footprint of our operations. Waterborne coatings also meet our customers’ interest in coating systems that enable them to reduce their own impact on the environment and operate more productively.”

The new Wuppertal facility will manufacture coatings for some of the largest European light vehicle automotive original equipment manufacturers, as well as for Axalta’s three global refinish brands, Cromax, Spies Hecker and Standox. It will also supply waterborne paints for manufacturers of commercial vehicles and industrial applications.

Peter Jung, the Mayor of Wuppertal, said, “I am pleased with the substantial investment in the new production facility. With it, Axalta not only secures 2,000 jobs but also expresses a long-term commitment in the Wuppertal site.”

Production at the new facility is intended to supply Axalta’s waterborne paint to customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America.