PPG today announced the startup of a waterborne automotive coatings manufacturing plant in Samut Prakan, Thailand. The facility will enhance PPG’s local production capacity of waterborne basecoats and primers and help meet rising demand for sustainably advantaged coatings from automotive companies in Southeast Asia.
With a production capacity of 2,000 tons annually, the state-of-the-art plant includes an automated spray application center that will enhance PPG’s service capabilities, improving its competitiveness in the global automotive coatings industry. The opening was marked by a special event on March 20 featuring PPG executives and regional automotive manufacturers.
“Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid growth in the automotive sector. With the Thai government’s support for electric vehicles presenting vast opportunities for global automakers, including Chinese OEMs, we saw the need to expand our operations,” said Alisha Bellezza, PPG senior vice president, Automotive OEM Coatings. “This opening is a significant milestone, underscoring PPG’s commitment to sustainability and highlighting its strategic focus on the Southeast Asian market.”
As Chinese automakers expand to new markets worldwide, including Thailand, investments such as this plant enable PPG is to support customers through localized production and technical support. PPG has fostered strong partnerships with major Asian automakers, including Chinese brands such as BYD and Chery.
“PPG’s purpose to ‘protect and beautify the world’ is evident in its development of waterborne coatings with low VOC emissions,” said Thomas Li, PPG vice president, Asia Pacific, Automotive OEM Coatings. “Our new plant in Thailand represents a significant step in PPG’s commitment to promoting sustainable transformation within the automotive coatings industry.”
The plant is the latest in a series of investments by PPG to support automakers, including the 2024 announcement to build the company’s first new manufacturing plant in the U.S. in more than 15 years.
SOURCE: PPG
