KUWAIT CITY, 22 March 2017

Global coatings supplier Hempel inaugurated a new factory in Mina Abdullah in Kuwait today. The factory, which meets ISO 9000 quality management guidelines, will meet growing demand for Hempel coatings and consolidate its position as market leader in the region.

Hempel is the number one coatings supplier in Kuwait. Over the years, its coatings have been used to protect and decorate some of the country’s most iconic buildings, including the Kuwait Towers and the Kuwait Opera House, as well as numerous schools, mosques, hospitals, shopping malls and other important civil structures.

With a 40 per cent higher capacity than Hempel’s existing production facility in Safat, Kuwait, the new EUR 13 million factory in Mina Abdullah will help the company meet growing demand for its coatings in Kuwait and other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The new factory will be fully up and running by September 2017, and Hempel’s existing factory in Safat will close later in the year. 

Karsten Pedersen, Group Vice President of Hempel Middle East (West), comments: “The new factory is a state-of-the-art facility that will produce coatings that are trusted across the region to provide long-term protection to industrial assets, large buildings, homes and infrastructure. We are looking forward to continuing to be the market leader in the region, while increasing production and making our operations cleaner, faster and more energy efficient.”

Built to ISO 9000 quality management guidelines, Hempel’s Mina Abdullah factory is designed with sustainability in mind. It includes a solvent distillation unit that recycles solvents to reduce hazardous waste, as well as a water treatment plant that ensures much of the factory’s wastewater can be reused for vegetation and cleaning.

The factory is also the first coatings production unit in Kuwait to include a regenerative thermal oxidiser unit, which removes volatile organic compounds during production to prevent atmospheric pollution.

The factory was opened at a ceremony attended by H.E. Ole Frijs-Madsen, the Danish Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, senior Hempel executives and employees, media representatives and other guests. At the ceremony, Khaled Al Rashed, Board Member of DPME, Hempel’s partner in Kuwait, said:

“We are proud that Hempel has grown to become the number one paint company in terms of production and distribution in Kuwait. This is a clear sign of our customers’ trust in the quality of our products, which has now become a benchmark for companies worldwide. Today, as we inaugurate the opening of this state-of-the art factory, we are also celebrating a story of enduring partnerships that have lasted over 51 years.”

Hempel’s new factory in Mina Abdullah, Kuwait is the latest edition to its comprehensive global supply chain. In 2016 alone, the company completed a capacity expansion project in Malaysia and opened new factories in Russia and Vietnam, adding more than 28 million litres to its annual production capacity.

Hempel’s new Mina Abdullah factory at a glance:

-          Will produce marine, protective and decorative coatings for Kuwait and other GCC countries

-          Built to ISO 9000 quality management guidelines

-          Includes a solvent distillation unit, wastewater treatment plant, and regenerative thermal oxidiser unit to reduce waste and water use

-          Capacity: Up to 25 million litres per year

-          Cost: EUR 13 million

-          Inaugurated: 22 March

-          Full production: By September 2017

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For more information, please contact
Silvana Tiab
Memac Ogilvy Public Relations
Tel: +965 6600 4311
E-mail: silvana.tiab@ogilvy.com
 
About Hempel
Since 1915 Hempel has been a world-leading coatings specialist, providing protection and inspiration to the world around us. Today we have over 5,500 people in 80 countries delivering trusted solutions in the protective, decorative, marine, container, industrial and yacht markets. This includes many recognised brands like Crown Paints, Schaepman and Jones-Blair.

Hempel is proudly owned by the Hempel Foundation, which supports cultural, humanitarian and scientific causes across the world.

© Press Release 2017