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in the NEWS

his way into the record books.
Jafri’s project – which aims to raise $30 mil- Chinese Plant Gets Water-based Renewal
lion for charitable causes within health and edu- As Chinese customers and consumers demand more eco-premium water-based decorative paints,
cation and connect a billion people around the AkzoNobel says a “huge automation upgrade” will have its Guangzhou plant running at full
world – involves creating a painting 160 meters production of exclusively water-based products.
long. He’s been in lockdown at Atlantis, the Palm, Guangzhou is the last of the company’s four decorative paint plants in China to completely
in Dubai, since the beginning of the COVID-19 switch to water-based products. State-of-the-art technology will increase its water-based paints
outbreak, where his artwork, The Journey of production capacity from 88 million liters to 140 million annually.
Humanity, is being created. AkzoNobel says the plant’s upgrades will also bring the company closer to its overall
He isn’t doing it alone. He’s invited children sustainability ambitions, which include 100 percent water reuse at the most water-intensive sites
from around the world to send in drawings by 2030. Once fully operational, Guangzhou will increase water reuse by 70 percent and reduce
themed around isolation and connection, which waste water by 50 percent. Reductions in electricity use and VOC emissions are also expected.
he’ll paste into circular portals inside the mam- “The new plant is a significant milestone for AkzoNobel in China as we strive to increase our
moth painting. They’ll act as windows intended production of eco-premium water-based products,” says David Prinselaar, AkzoNobel’s Chief
to lead us to a better tomorrow, as seen through Supply Chain Officer. “This a prominent sector generating many opportunities for us to provide
the eyes of children, he says. greener paint and coating solutions.”
“We’ve always believed that paint has the www.akzonobel.com
power to transform people’s lives and this is a
fantastic way for us to support an amazing initia-
tive through our global ‘Let’s Colour’ program,”
says Stephanie Kraneveld, Global Marketing
Communications Manager Paints. “The Humanity
Inspired project aligns perfectly with our own com-
mitment to inspiring communities through color
and we’re delighted to have an exclusive partner-
ship with such a visionary and exciting artist.”
Jafri says his initiative, Humanity Inspired,
aims to be a catalyst for true societal change
through the hearts, minds and souls of children.
“I aim to connect the world and reconnect
humanity to ourselves, each other and ultimately
the soul of the Earth. I’m delighted to have the
support of Dulux and AkzoNobel in this
record-breaking project, which has been called
the ‘largest artistic, social and philanthropic
initiative in history.’”
Jafri’s project is being supported by Dubai
Cares, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Global Gift Foun-
dation charity. He also has the backing of the UAE
government. Once the work is completed, the can-
vas will be split into 60 individually framed, num- Howard Marten Announces tion with modernizing the way it operates. HMFT
bered, signed and catalogued artwork pieces and Name Change says it is investing heavily in new technologies
sold via an online charity auction. and processes to make customers’ lives easier and
Jafri, known as “The Pioneer of Magical Real- more profitable. The company stressed it is still
ism”, is a celebrated artist whose work is owned comprised of the same employees, suppliers,
by the likes of Barack Obama, Bill Gates, George products, management, and ownership customers
Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Madonna. are familiar with.
AkzoNobel’s Let’s Colour program was Howard Marten Fluid Technologies Inc. HMFT offers solutions from spray foam to
launched in 2009. More than 2,000 projects have announced recently that the company name will liquid paint spraying, from powder coating to
been completed to date. be changed to HMFT Inc. effective July 27, 2020. protective coatings, from personal protective
www.letscolourproject.com Head office will remain at 902 Dillingham Road, equipment to pumps for lubrication, filtering and
Pickering, ON. fluid handling. In-house engineers are able to
HMFT says after 70 years in business, it was offer custom-engineered solutions if required.
time for a refresh of its brand identity in conjunc- https://howardmarten.ca

6 Canadian Finishing & Coatings ManuFaCturing septeMber/oCtober 2020