PPG acquires Hemmelrath to expand range of automotive coatings

PPG Industries, a US-based global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products and speciality materials has completed its acquisition of automotive coatings manufacturer Hemmelrath, a Germany-based manufacturer of coatings for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

With more than 450 employees, Hemmelrath operates manufacturing facilities in Klingenberg and Erlenbach, Germany; Jilin, China; Duncan, South Carolina, United States; and Indaiatuba, Brazil. Hemmelrath supplies automotive plants worldwide, and more than 7 million vehicles are coated with its products each year.

Recently, PPG automotive was in the news for devising a new form of coating for car’s touchscreen infotainment systems. It was a spray on system rather than a film based solution. PPG claims that such smudge-resistant coatings could be expected from all of the major carmakers in the near future.

Hemmelrath was also in the news recently for its plans to invest tens of millions in the expansion of its subsidiaries in the USA and China. It aims to manufacture the entire range of its products in the most important automotive regions. It also plans to manufacture clearcoats, basecoats and primerless systems.