Akzo Nobel has announced the opening of its new Research and Development (R&D) Center in High Point, NC. It is designed as a product development facility and customer support center for the wood coatings business.

The company’s R&D centres in North America that support the Performance Coatings business include laboratories in Troy, MI; Strongsville, OH; Houston, TX; Flying Hills, PA and Lancaster, SC. The company is leveraging the capabilities of the new R&D centre to consolidate research for solvent-based and waterborne products and drive innovation for the wood coatings industry.

Increased supply capability

“This investment significantly increases Akzo Nobel’s North America supply capability for the wood coatings market and makes it possible to react much faster to trends,” said Ted Rhee, regional commercial director of Wood Finishes and Adhesives. “It will also enable us to serve our direct OEM customers and our distribution partners better who are currently being served from our High Point factory.”