Akzonobel Ashington Reaches Production Milestone

Designed to be the world's most advanced paint factory, AkzoNobel Ashington, the UK home of Dulux, has reached its first production anniversary.

Just one year on from the transfer of our first product, we are delighted to report that our new flagship facility in Ashington is already producing the equivalent of 32 million litres of paint a year for our market-leading brands; Dulux, Dulux Trade, Cuprinol, Polycell and Hammerite.

“It’s incredible to think how far we have come in just 12 months,” said Shirley Spoors, production manager at AkzoNobel Ashington.

“The site was brand new and we were starting from zero, but after accepting our very first product transfer of Cuprinol Garden Shades Base from our facility in Slough, it only took us six weeks to increase to one million litres of paint after we also started to take on production of some of our most popular Dulux and Dulux Trade products.

“Product quality is always our top priority, so we have had to work extremely hard to ensure that our customers continue to receive the superior products they are accustomed to while transfers to Ashington have been taking place. Now that we’re in production and our other sites are starting to be decommissioned, it is all systems go and we are aiming to increase our production capacity further by the end of 2018.

“I’d like to thank our outstanding team for their commitment and tenacity throughout our first year. None of this would have been possible without you and you should all feel extremely proud of what you have helped to achieve.”

AkzoNobel’s investment in the new facility in Ashington, which officially opened its doors last September, is the largest single investment the Dutch headquartered company has ever made.

The £100 million facility boasts worldfirst technologies and has the capacity to produce up to 100 million litres of paint per year in up to 33,000 different colours.

“We’re just getting started,” Shirley added. “Looking ahead, our Ashington site will become the centre of UK production for AkzoNobel and will also enable us to increase our supply of products into the European market. If the first 12 months is anything to set a benchmark by, the future of the site looks extremely colourful!”