Balzers, Liechtenstein, November 15, 2012 – Oerlikon Balzers continues its execution of a global expansion strategy with the opening of the 10th coating center in Wuhan, China.
The new coating center in Wuhan marks the next milestone in establishing a strong presence in regions with growing business opportunities around the world. “The demand for our leading coating services is consistently strong in China”, explains Dr. Hans Brändle, CEO of Oerlikon Balzers, “with this new location we continue to reinforce our leading position there.” Balzers coating technology makes production processes, i.e. in the automotive industry, significantly more efficient and environmentally friendly. This is of growing importance worldwide, and especially in the emerging markets. Oerlikon Balzers now has 89 coating centers worldwide.
Over the past 20 years Oerlikon Balzers expanded its global network of coating centers and capacities continuously. Whereas in 2000 the company operated 41 centers in 17 countries, the number now reached 89 in 33 countries. The Asian market played a crucial role in this strong increase. “At a very early stage we recognized the huge potential for our unique coating technologies”, says Coating CEO Hans Brändle, “this is why we continue to expand our coating center network, especially in emerging economies.” 30 out of 89 coatings centers are already located in Asia today.
The latest coating center is located in Wuhan, 680 km southeast of Shanghai. Roughly 10 million people make the capital of Hubei province one of the biggest cities in Central China. It is also the home of China’s one of the largest domestic automotive companies, the Dongfeng Group and its numerous suppliers. With the new coating center Oerlikon Balzers will tap this huge market potential.
