Ron Cooper, Mark Main and Chris Bradford from AkzoNobel spoke to Wood & Panel on business, growth opportunities and the coating market of America. They further added about their expectations from the most awaited event, AWFS Fair and more. Excerpt
Why do you think AWFS Fair is a must visit for you?
Ron Cooper: The AWFS Fair brings exceptional opportunities for learning, networking, and collaborating. Each year the AWFS show has been a brilliant opportunity to showcase the latest innovative AkzoNobel and Chemcraft products and services. It is a great opportunity for OEMs, distributors, and the woodworking community to network with our team of experts. Visitors to the event will have excellent opportunities to get their tech questions answered at the booth. Recent trade shows have been heavily attended and our team is looking forward to continuing conversations that were started earlier this year.
What do you plan to showcase at the show? Tell us about your latest innovations.
Mark Main: Visitors to the show can learn about innovative AkzoNobel products, including the new PurStock Series, a multi-layered approach to wood coating solutions. PurStock Series is a KCMA-approved finishing system specifically developed to reduce costs, increase throughput capability, and ensure pain-free stock component production. Combining quality and performance longevity, the series comprises primer, enamel, clear and catalyst components and is ideal for OEM cabinet manufacturers looking to increase productivity and reduce operating costs.
Also, on display from AkzoNobel will be ArmorLux UV Surfacer, a three-step system for transforming normal wood finishing grades into a premium finish grade of lumber. In addition to the very latest ArmorLux Exterior Waterborne Topcoat, a high-performance translucent coating for wooden windows, doors, sidings, and claddings.
Ron Cooper: Chemcraft will be featuring Acquaduro, an innovative waterborne system, alongside the latest 1K primer. The 1K primer is formulated with high solids for fast drying and excellent sandability and is designed for cabinets, architectural millwork, and furniture, with great moisture resistance and ease of application.
We will also be demonstrating MaestroHue color software at the booths color trends kiosks giving distributors a powerful system for producing consistent colors quickly and easily with the ultimate in color match accuracy. The latest colors, coatings, and finishing systems on a variety of substrates can be seen. Visitors will be able to hold samples in their hands and examine the surfaces more closely.
AkzoNobel puts spotlight on sustainability. Tell us about your latest responsible innovations.
Chris Bradford: Reflecting the growing prominence of environmental issues across society, sustainability and innovation are likely to be important growth areas for wood coatings, as consumers look to high solids or waterborne coatings rather than traditional high petrochemicalreliant products. Sustainability has always been an important part of the way we do business at AkzoNobel.
Guided by our ‘People. Planet. Paint.’ approach, we’re all about collaborative innovation and pushing boundaries. We’ve set carbon reduction targets for our whole value chain, which have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), while our strong portfolio of products enables our customers to transform their operations towards a lower carbon footprint and resulting impact on the environment.
Durability and ease of use are another two key considerations that drive consumer preferences in wood coatings. Homeowners and wood industry professionals want to spend as little time as possible applying the coatings, while still getting maximum protection for the wood surfaces, including scratch and stain resistance.
At the same time, they want to reduce their total cost of ownership by purchasing products that can remove processes or costly labor steps while increasing their overall production capacity, therefore reducing costs. Some customers are opting for more sustainable coatings and are actively looking for products with outstanding protection and unrivalled beauty alongside environmental benefits.
AWFS Fair says connect with opportunity. What are your expectations from the show?
Ron Cooper: The AWFS Fair brings exceptional opportunities for learning, networking, and collaborating—and “a great finish is only the beginning”. This is the time to dive in and prepare for what’s ahead—look into new finishes, start making plans, ramp up for resurgence, and explore new solutions and improvements in technology.”
