“China’s powder coatings market is the world’s largest and continues to enjoy double-digit growth,” explained Powder Coatings General Manager Rob Molenaar. “Akzo Nobel has already stated its aim of growing the company’s total sales in China to U.S. $1 billion by 2010, and this new investment is an integral part of that strategy.”

The new Chengdu plant is located in a part of the country where markets have grown strongly in recent years, reflecting the Chinese central government’s policy of encouraging investment in less-developed areas, away from the prosperous eastern and southern coastal provinces.