A new ¢ã26 million manufacturing plant with its own forest has been opened by AkzoNobel in Faisalabad ¨C the company¡¯s largest investment in Pakistan to date.

The 25-acre site, which has facilities for making decorative paint, wood finishes, automotive and specialty coatings, coil coatings and protective coatings, will help to meet increasing customer demand across a variety of markets. 

Also incorporated into the Faisalabad location is a forest spanning an area of 5,450 square feet. More than 1,400 native trees and shrubs ¨C planted using the Japanese Miyawaki gardening technique ¨C are expected to grow into a flourishing self-sustaining ecosystem over the next two years.

¡°Our investment in this greenfield site reaffirms our commitment to grow in Pakistan,¡± says Mubbasher Omar, CEO of Akzo Nobel Pakistan Limited. ¡°It will fuel our ambition to diversify with sustainable innovations and enter new segments in the domestic market, while also providing new opportunities to delight customers beyond Pakistan.¡±

The site, which employs nearly 200 people, has been constructed to comply with the company¡¯s strict environmental standards and includes a series of sustainability features, such as renewable energy generation and energy efficient design.  

¡°We¡¯ve also integrated agile manufacturing to accommodate future expansion in production volumes, thereby allowing AkzoNobel to be more competitive in the market,¡± continues Omar. ¡°It¡¯s the next step in continuing to build on the company¡¯s 60-year track record of delighting paints and coatings customers in Pakistan with world class solutions.¡±

The inauguration ceremony was attended by several guests of honor, including Ms. Henny de Vries, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Pakistan.