ANTWERP, Belgium - Specialty chemicals distributor Azelis is expanding its operations in Russia into the coatings market.

Alexander Serbin has been appointed Sales Manager dedicated to growing sales in the Russian market, which is estimated to be worth in the region of 1.2 million tons of paint.

Azelis has had a presence in Russia since April 2008 when an office was opened in Moscow with local warehousing facilities nearby. Later, the local presence was extended to St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk to serve customers spread throughout the country. Regional Managing Director Igor Loginov heads operations in Russia.