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Jotun Hikes Protective Coatings Output

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

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Already running record production levels, the Jotun Group has expanded the operation and product range at its European hub for protective coatings.

Jotun Paints Europe

The official opening of Jotun’s newly expanded UK factory drew (from left)  Richard Chapman, managing director of Jotun UK; Morten Fon, Group CEO; and Stein Petter Lunde, managing director of Jotun Paints (Europe) Ltd.

Jotun UK has opened a new £4 million ($6.2 million US) factory extension in Flixborough, North Lincs, following strong sales from increased demand in the UK and from export markets in Russia, Europe, Brazil and West Africa, the company reports.

The expanded Flixborough plant has also expanded its product range from a marine base into protective coatings for the oil and gas, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Coatings Hub

Flixborough is the Jotun Group’s European hub for heavy-duty coatings, previously producing more than 24 million liters (6.34 million gallons US) of protective coatings for the offshore and industrial sectors each year.

The company’s projects have included the Eiffel Tower and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

The plant expansion includes manufacturing a broader range of protective coatings for the steel industry and increasing annual output by more than 5 million liters (1.32 million gallons US). The facility has also added 31 jobs, bringing the workforce to about 166.

Record-Breaking Production

“Flixborough is very important for the Group, and Jotun is now the market leader for marine coatings in the UK,” Jotun president and CEO Morten Fon said at the plant’s opening.  “Jotun UK is performing extremely well and, in 2010, broke all production records. Further investment in Flixborough is certainly on the Group’s agenda.”

Jotun UK managing director Richard Chapman said: “We are managing to grow our business strongly through challenging times, and this will be a good boost to the local economy and against the trend.

“Our Flixborough facility is well-run, with an excellent safety record, and we produce top-quality products. It’s this combination of factors that has secured the additional investment and provided new job opportunities. To increase our efficiencies further we intend to continue to invest in UK manufacturing.”

Based in Sandefjord, Norway, the Jotun Group operates in 70 companies and 38 production facilities worldwide and has an annual turnover of £1.4 billion (about $2.2 billion US).