Axalta Expands Capabilities to Supply Automotive OEMs in India

Investment will double production capacity and establish coatings development laboratory

MUMBAI, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, is expanding its presence in India with investments that will enable the company to double production capacity and construct an automotive OEM coatings development laboratory at its operations center in Savli in Gujarat State. The added capacity will enable Axalta to meet the need for additional coatings among light vehicle automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in India. The Savli facility will continue to manufacture coatings for Axalta’s refinish, automotive parts and commercial vehicle customers.

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Axalta Chairman & CEO Charlie Shaver and local executives break ground on construction of new manufacturing and coatings development facilities in Savli (Photo: Axalta)

The project, which is scheduled to be commissioned in the third quarter of 2017, will be able to expand production capacity of both high and low temperature bake coatings. Low temperature bake coatings are needed for use on the latest lightweight plastic and composite materials - used in vehicles to reduce weight and fuel consumption - because they cannot withstand traditional high bake temperature curing ovens. Axalta’s technology-backed products include primers, basecoats, and clearcoats used in the full line of Axalta’s solventborne products for different substrate and process requirements. These products include Axalta’s higher productivity and more environmentally responsible high solids, high solids 3-Wet, and high solids monocoat technologies. Formulated to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, high solids coatings can help reduce the environmental impact of coatings while providing superior finishes and improved OEM productivity. The facility will also be designed to scale up to produce waterborne coatings when customers elect to convert.

The new automotive OEM coatings development laboratory is scheduled for completion during the second quarter of 2016 and will focus on developing special formulations to ensure superior color match, appearance, and quality. Axalta’s improved laboratory space will feature contemporary robotic spray applicators that can precisely replicate line application conditions inside customer manufacturing plants. The equipment is designed to facilitate the development, approval, quality control, and customer line support required by automotive customers. Additional new capabilities at the next generation facility also include color measurement tools and accelerated paint testing equipment.

“Our investment aligns with Axalta’s global growth strategy and will allow us to expand our presence in India with light vehicle manufacturers,” explained Axalta Chairman and CEO Charlie Shaver. “Axalta’s improved laboratory and expanded production capacity in Savli will provide high-quality products designed to meet the needs of the growing local automotive OEM market and reinforce our position as a key coatings supplier in India.”

Axalta already has a strong presence in the refinish, commercial vehicle and automotive part segments in India and serves a growing network of distributors and body-shops supported by offices and regional training centers in Mumbai, Vadodara, Gurgaon, Kolkata, and Bangalore. The Savli plant today employs a range of environmental, health and safety processes and systems to reduce the facility’s environmental impact.

“Axalta is committed to its customer partners in India as proven by recent customer recognition of our performance and service in the refinish and commercial vehicle segments,” explained Vinay Rajadhyaksha, Managing Director of Axalta in India. “Our additional investment will provide near-term capacity improvements and allow Axalta to bring forth a renewed commitment to India’s automotive OEM segment.”

About Axalta Coating Systems

Axalta is a leading global company focused on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials we coat to last longer. With nearly 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the approximately 12,800 people of Axalta continue to find ways to serve our more than 120,000 customers in more than 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information visit axaltacoatingsystems.com and follow us @axalta on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

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Axalta Coating Systems
Mark Khanna, +91 09650233364
Mark.Khanna@axaltacs.com
www.axaltacs.com/in

Source: Axalta Coating Systems

Released October 12, 2015