PPG announced the completion of a $15-million investment to enhance its Brazil, Ind., powder coatings production facility. The plant, which employs 90, has been expanded by 20,000 square feet to accommodate two state-of-the-art lines for bonded metallic powder and automated packaging capabilities.

PPG commemorated the expansion with a ribbon-cutting event at the plant on April 26, which was attended by company leaders, plant employees, government officials, and community members.

“An expansion of this size takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, and dedication from leaders, employees, and the community,” said Kevin Braun, PPG Vice President, Global Industrial Coatings. “I’d like to thank our incredible PPG team and the Brazil community for making this expansion possible."

The facility serves customers in the appliance and general industrial manufacturing sectors. The upgrades will enhance PPG’s ability to serve powder customers through greater product and process quality control while decreasing lead times for color matching and production.

“Powder is the fastest-growing coatings technology in the world, and we are committed to meeting this increasing demand through R&D, acquisitions and investments to enhance our capabilities and expand our global footprint,” said Marizeth Carvalho, PPG Global Business Director, Powder and General Manager, Latin America South. “A key factor driving the rapid adoption of powder coatings is the growing interest in more sustainably advantaged solutions.”

Powder coatings are generally formulated without solvents that release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and can be reclaimed and reused during the application process. Focusing on powder coatings enables PPG and its customers to achieve sustainability goals.

The Brazil plant expansion project is part of PPG’s strategic efforts to expand its powder coatings offerings and increase production to meet growing customer demand. With this expansion, PPG plans to add up to 12 new jobs at the site.

Since 2019, PPG has focused on growing its powder coatings capacity and capabilities, making four strategic acquisitions and expanding production and service elements at seven powder plants across the globe. Additional capacity enhancements across the U.S. and Latin America are being planned for 2023.