AkzoNobel consolidates yacht operations
AkzoNobel is to move its Interlux and Awlgrip yacht coatings operations to Houston and Sassenheim respectively.…
AkzoNobel’s yacht coatings business is to cease operations at its facility in Union, New Jersey. Production of the Interlux brand will be transferred to its strategic facility in Houston, Texas where the company already manufactures marine and protective coatings for North America. Awlgrip production will transfer to AkzoNobel’s facility in Sassenheim, Netherlands.
These changes are part of the business’s strategic goal of consolidating operations at its major locations to enhance efficiency across operations.
“This change will position us to better serve our customers in North America and it will leverage the scale and capabilities of AkzoNobel", said Ralf Schueler, Global sBU Director, AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings. "We had already moved the global headquarters of our yacht business to Houston and it will now host our laboratory, sales, customer service and marketing departments, supporting the North America yacht business. With this move we will complete our integration in Houston.
“Importantly, our site at Sassenheim in the Netherlands is AkzoNobel’s global centre of excellence for colour, as well as the manufacture of premium topcoats for the automotive and aerospace business. We see a very close fit which will also support our ambitions on innovation," Schueler added.
The medium-term strategy is to establish the Houston site as the primary North America base for yacht products and creating a long term manufacturing platform. By consolidating expertise in the R&D and technical support functions, the company seeks to expand the capabilities of the entire business. Concurrent with a transfer of operations, all other activities will also relocate to Houston from New Jersey, including technical support and customer services.
These changes are part of the business’s strategic goal of consolidating operations at its major locations to enhance efficiency across operations.
“This change will position us to better serve our customers in North America and it will leverage the scale and capabilities of AkzoNobel", said Ralf Schueler, Global sBU Director, AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings. "We had already moved the global headquarters of our yacht business to Houston and it will now host our laboratory, sales, customer service and marketing departments, supporting the North America yacht business. With this move we will complete our integration in Houston.
“Importantly, our site at Sassenheim in the Netherlands is AkzoNobel’s global centre of excellence for colour, as well as the manufacture of premium topcoats for the automotive and aerospace business. We see a very close fit which will also support our ambitions on innovation," Schueler added.
The medium-term strategy is to establish the Houston site as the primary North America base for yacht products and creating a long term manufacturing platform. By consolidating expertise in the R&D and technical support functions, the company seeks to expand the capabilities of the entire business. Concurrent with a transfer of operations, all other activities will also relocate to Houston from New Jersey, including technical support and customer services.
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