Painting & Coating Industry (PCI) logo Powder coating summit logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Painting & Coating Industry (PCI) logo Powder coating summit logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • Market Trends & Reports
    • Price Alerts
    • Subscribe to eNewsletters
    • Global Top 10/ PCI 25
    • Weekly Featured Article
    • COATLE Word Game
  • PRODUCTS
    • Product News
    • Must See Products and Services
  • MATERIALS
    • Additives
    • Resins/Polymers
    • Pigments
    • Equipment
    • Distributors
  • TECHNOLOGIES
    • Adhesives
    • Architectural Coatings
    • Industrial Coatings
    • Nanotechnology
    • Powder Coatings
    • Solventborne
    • Special Purpose Coatings
    • Sustainability
    • UV Coatings
    • Waterborne
    • FINISHING
      • Finishing News
      • Finishing Technologies
      • Finishing Equipment
    • RESOURCES
      • Columns
        • Ask Joe Powder
        • Did you know?
        • Distribution Dive
        • Focus on Canada
        • Formulating With Mike
        • Innovation Insights
        • Moody's Coatings Conundrums
        • Powder Coating Perspectives
        • Target the Market
        • TiO2 Insider
      • Blogs
        • Editor's Viewpoint
        • Industry Insights
      • Coatings Supplier Handbook
      • Podcasts and Videos
        • COAT-IT! Podcast
        • Videos/PCI TV
      • PCI Store
      • eBooks
      • Sponsor Insights
      • White Papers
      • COATLE Word Game
    • EVENTS
      • Coatings Trends & Technologies Summit
      • Paint and Coatings Academy
      • Webinars
      • Calendar of Events
      • Lifetime Achievement Award
    • DIRECTORIES
      • Buyer's Guide
      • Equipment Directory
      • Materials Directory
    • EMAGAZINE
      • Current Issue
      • eMagazine Archive
      • China Issue Archive
      • Editorial Advisory Board
    • CONTACT
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Subscribe to eMagazine
      • Subscribe to eNewsletters
    Special Purpose Coatings

    How Working for AkzoNobel’s International® Brand Fulfilled a Childhood Dream

    By AkzoNobel
    How Working for AkzoNobel’s International® Brand Fulfilled a Childhood Dream
    Photo courtesy of AkzoNobel.
    November 4, 2021

    The iconic red propeller logo of International looms large in many of Ajith Varghese’s earliest memories. But, growing up in the historic Indian port city of Cochin, joining such a globally renowned business seemed a remote possibility.

    “My dad worked in Cochin Shipyard,” he recalls. “So I had the opportunity to be in the shipyard and see the ships being built and launched.

    “The International propeller was a very common sight, and at that time the company didn’t have a management facility in India. Then, in the 2000s, I was part of that company, which I never thought I would be.

    “We have a history of 140 years now, so I think it's a privilege to be a part of International as a brand.”

    Now AkzoNobel’s Technology Leader, Ajith’s career with the International brand started in 2002, when he was working as a chemist in a laboratory in Bangalore. He then moved to Singapore in 2004 to work in the company’s Protective Coatings and Marine Coatings business as a support chemist. 

    In 2005, Ajith got the opportunity to move to Felling to join the Protective Coatings global support team, supporting the universal pipe coatings (UPC) product range, which he says was a “big jump”. 

    “I was part of a team of global support, so you have customers from different parts of the world and you work closely with them. 

    “The perspective becomes global all of a sudden, so it's not just about meeting your day-to-day requirements of the factory, it’s more about meeting the day-to-day requirements of a global customer base.”

    There was also a “culture shock”, he says. “But peers out here who you work with are truly inspiring and give all the support so you feel like you’re in a second home.” 

    In Felling, Ajith played a key role in the development of Interbond 2340UPC, a universal pipe coating that provides external protection for piping, valves and vessels between -196 °C and 230 °C.

    “It was a simplification of the product ranges that were out there,” he explains. “There are multiple products for each and every aspect, and it's so complex that customers and applicators get confused and end up applying the wrong product at the wrong place and that results in having to rework the area. 

    “One product fits everything and the chance of getting it wrong is negligible to nought, while the performance of this product in all its conditions is really good. Its applicator-friendly and anti-corrosion properties were ones the customer would very much require.”

    The technology that formed the basis of the product was “technology that we already had, but we didn't know could be a good technology platform for high heat,” Ajith says.

    From recognizing the technology’s properties, it took a team of five to six people - including two people from the lab and a small sales and marketing team - around three years to launch a commercial product into the market.

    Seeing Interbond 2340UPC develop from the initial technology to having it used in countries from Russia to Australia, brought Ajith “joy” and “happiness.”

    “There was a sense of satisfaction,” he says. “I would say this was one of the early products I was involved in and developed that went commercial.”

    Ajith says AkzoNobel’s International brand is in “pretty good shape to make that leap to the future.” 

    “We have people who are highly knowledgeable in the organization, highly motivational, and a very good process system now set up and embedded in the company.”

    Sustainability is one way the International brand is gearing up for the future, Ajith says, with its focus on ecological innovations helping to shape product development. 

    “I don't think any company can sustain itself without emphasis on sustainability,” he says. “Sustainability is not just nice to have, but it’s a must have, so it's good that our company is number one in sustainability compared to our peers.”

    For more information, visit https://140international.com/#expansion.

    KEYWORDS: Marine Coatings Protective Coatings

    Share This Story

    Looking for a reprint of this article?
    From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

    Recommended Content

    JOIN TODAY
    to unlock your recommendations.

    Already have an account? Sign In

    • PCI-0724-Global10-Feature-1440.png

      2024 Global Top 10: Top Paint and Coatings Companies

      Who ranks on top? PCI’s annual ranking of the top 10...
      Paint and Coating Market Reports
      By: Courtney Bassett
    • PCI-0724-PCI25-Feature-1440.png

      2024 PCI 25: Top Paint and Coatings Companies

      PCI's annual ranking of the top 25 North American paint...
      Paint and Coating Market Reports
      By: Courtney Bassett
    • pci1022-Kinaltek-Lead-1170.jpg

      A Novel Pigment Production Technology

      Following an extensive R&D program that demonstrated...
      Paint and Coating Pigments
      By: Jawad Haidar and Nitin Soni
    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Subscribe For Free!
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Online Registration
    • Subscription Customer Service

    More Videos

    Sponsored Content

    Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the PCI audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of PCI or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

    close
    • paint sprayer in a workshop
      Sponsored byallnex

      Enabling Performance and Compliance: allnex Introduces a New Line of VOC Exempt Solvent-Borne Resins

    • various shades of orange pigments and colorants
      Sponsored byVibrantz Technologies

      Solid Colorant Technology Paves the Way for a Sustainable, High-Performance Future in Coatings

    Popular Stories

    A collage of products using non-PFAS

    A Surge in Non-PFAS Releases

    Sherwin-Williams Provides Project and Community Impact Updates

    Sherwin-Williams Steady Amid Mixed Market Signals

    Default Aerospace Image

    PPG Plans Major Aerospace Facility



    PCI Buyers Guide

    Submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) to suppliers of your choice with details on what you need with a click of a button

    Start your RFP

    Browse our Buyers Guide for manufacturers and distributors of all types of coatings products and much more!

    Find Suppliers

    Events

    January 1, 2030

    Webinar Sponsorship Information

    For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

    View All Submit An Event

    Poll

    Longest-running laboratory experiment

    What is the longest-running laboratory experiment?
    View Results Poll Archive

    Products

    Automotive Paints and Coatings, 2nd Edition

    Automotive Paints and Coatings, 2nd Edition

    Now in its second edition and still the only book of its kind, this is an authoritative treatment of all stages of the coating process.

    See More Products
    pci  webinar april 2025

    PCI CASE EBOOK

    Related Articles

    • International Paint LLC Takes Ceilcote® Brand Worldwide

      See More
    • International Paint LLC Takes Ceilcote® Brand Worldwide

      See More
    • coatino campus

      Be a part of our brand-new COATINO® Campus

      See More

    Related Products

    See More Products
    • social media

      Optimizing Social Media from a B2B Perspective

    • intelligent.jpg

      Intelligent Coatings for Corrosion Control 1st Edition

    See More Products

    Related Directories

    • Borchers: A Milliken Brand

      As one of the world's leading brands of coating additives, Borchers is committed to the continuous development and improvement of coatings systems across the spectrum of chemistries, applications, and end markets. Borchers' products and services make the world safer and more colorful, and enhance quality of life every day.
    ×

    Keep the info flowing with our eNewsletters!

    Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

    JOIN TODAY!
    • RESOURCES
      • Advertise
      • Contact Us
      • Directories
      • Store
      • Want More
    • SIGN UP TODAY
      • Create Account
      • eMagazine
      • eNewsletters
      • Customer Service
      • Manage Preferences
    • SERVICES
      • Marketing Services
      • Reprints
      • Market Research
      • List Rental
      • Survey & Sample
    • STAY CONNECTED
      • LinkedIn
      • Facebook
      • Youtube
      • X (Twitter)
    • PRIVACY
      • PRIVACY POLICY
      • TERMS & CONDITIONS
      • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
      • PRIVACY REQUEST
      • ACCESSIBILITY

    Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing