SHANGHAI, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, Thursday formally opened its Asia Pacific Technology Center (APTC) in Shanghai, amid its efforts to unleash Chinese market potential and meet evolving customer requirements.
With a total area of 15,500 square meters, the center expanded resources available to Axalta's global organization of more than 1,300 scientists, engineers, and staff engaged in research and development (R&D), said the Philadelphia-based company.
"Innovation is crucial to driving our future as well as to the success of our customers. The Asia Pacific Technology Center strengthens our strategy to build a strong technology hub in the region that is integrated into our global R&D organization," Charlie Shaver, Axalta chairman and CEO, said at the opening ceremony Thursday.
"It is designed to put customer needs first and serve them with the very best we have. The APTC will be the best example yet of Axalta's commitment to innovation that enables customers to maintain a competitive edge and achieve long-term success," he added.
With an current employee base of 300 and capacity for 500, the APTC joined Axalta's worldwide network of four global technology centers and more than 30 laboratories.
In addition to laboratories, the APTC housed a refinish training center and global color development center, the largest such facilities within the company. The laboratories include a coating R&D laboratory, a coating system testing laboratory, and a transportation application laboratory, said the company.
Axalta, an industry leader focused on coatings for vehicles, buildings, and pipelines, among others, has been doing business in China since 1984, with its Asia Pacific headquarters in Shanghai.
