nologyandprocess innovation, standsasa testament to the
company’s commitment to region, particularly the Brazilian
market, and to their customers. “We’re constantly at work
onnew linesandproducts, includingadaptationssothatthey
canmeet local needsand requirements. Thegoal is toboost
growth inthesemarketsthatareso importanttoAkzoNobel,
in linewithourvisionthatthereareopportunitiestobeseized
by expanding our partnershipwith key customers and the
synergies between their businesses andours in the region,”
says Jelena, headof thebusinessunit that turnsoverno less
thanUS$230millionwithinthe region.
To learnmoreaboutthenewplantandwhattheexpectations
are for theBrazilianmarket, Paint&PinturaMagazine talked
toJelena,whotoldusall thedetails.
COATINGS INDUSTRY’S “OSCAR” WINNERS FOR 2016
UNVEILED
Regarded as the paint and coatings industry’s largest ne-
tworkingeventinLatinAmerica,the21stPaint&PinturaAwards
ceremonytookplaceonMay12atEspaçoVilados Ipês, inSão
Paulo, bringing together612 industrypersonalities. Actingas
masterofceremonies for theeventwasJulianaFranceschi, a
journalist, TVhost andactresswho is currentlyamember of
theSBTnetwork’scast.
Inhisopeningspeech,AgneloEditora’schiefexecutiveofficer
Agnelo de Barros Neto thanked sponsors and backers for
theirpartnership,andfortheirbelief intheworkwedoatthe
publishinghouse that is turning 21 yearsold, aswell as all of
thoseattendingandparticipating for theirpresence.Healso
talked about the challenges in store for the next few years.
“Mymessage isalwaysoneofoptimism, in spiteof all of the
mishaps in thepredicamentwe’re living through,aswe’reon
the right track, themeasures thatwere needed are already
beingput inplace, andnow it’s just amatter of timebefore
thepiecesstartfalling intoplace,bringingaboutprogressand
prosperity thewaywe’reused tohaving it inourmarketpla-
ce.”Mr.BarrosNetoalsopointedoutthatthePaint&Pintura
Awardsarethe largestnetworkingevent inLatinAmericaand
congratulated the finalists and entrepreneurswho continue
investing inourcountry.
Winners in53categorieswerehonoredwith the21stPaint&
PinturaAwards,39ofwhichwereforrawmaterials,eightwere
paintandcoatingscompanycategories,andsixforPersonality
of theYear. Asanewdevelopment for this year, AgneloEdi-
torahasaddedanewrawmaterialcategory—Isocyanates. In
addition,among thevariouspaintcompanycategories, there
used tobe,until thepreviousedition, thecategory“Automo-
