Berger Becker Coatings Pvt. Ltd.—the Indian joint venture company owned by AB Wilh. Becker (51%) and Berger Paints India Ltd. (49%)—has relocated to a larger factory in Goa. Located on 19,000-sq.-meter site, the plant can produce batches up to 12,000 liters and has a semi-automatic base blending system that enables fast, accurate response for color production. Products manufactured at the site include a full range of PVdFs, metallic and textured finishes, as well as polyesters, silicone polyesters, primers and backing coats. Full commissioning is expected by mid-2005.
The companies say the space offers further expansion possibilities to meet the growing need for coil coating products throughout the region.
“The coil coating market in India is growing rapidly. It has doubled in the past few years. Existing coaters are either increasing their line speed or thinking of starting another line,” said R. Mehrotra, Berger Becker vice president. “More new players are coming into the market with new coil lines. This new plant will create the capability for Berger Becker to provide an efficient service to our customers as they grow.”
The plant will serve main Indian pre-coating lines, as well as customers in Nepal, Bangladesh and Dubai.