HIGH POINT, N.C. -- A multi-million-dollar investment by AkzoNobel is set to upgrade its wood coatings location in High Point and strengthen the company's market position in the U.S.

The transformation will involve reorganizing manufacturing operations at the site and will include the addition of automatic dosing unit technology to produce paint more efficiently. A new raw materials warehouse, research lab and technical application center are also being built. Construction is due to begin in April 2019, with rolling projects expected to be completed by 2020.       

"This is a significant investment, which will further enable us to meet and exceed our customers' expectations," says AkzoNobel CEO Thierry Vanlancker. "The U.S. is a key market for our wood coatings business, and our customers trust us to deliver world-class products and services.

"Investing in High Point will increase our comprehensive North American supply capability for wood finishes, which also includes our plants in Roanoke, Virginia; Salem, Oregon; Warwick, Quebec; and Port Hope, Ontario. It will enable us to remain ahead of market trends, so we can continue to provide the visionary service our customers have come to expect – and it will solidify our position as a frontrunner in the wood coatings industry."

This latest investment follows last year's opening of a newly-constructed mega-warehouse in La Porte, Texas, which serves as a central regional hub for the company's Marine and Protective Coatings business. It also comes just weeks after the inauguration of a state-of-the-art R&D innovation campus at AkzoNobel's Felling site in the U.K. See http://akzonobel.com