AkzoNobel has started operations at a new facility for packaging inks at its site in Songjiang, China. The plant, located at the company's biggest site for packaging coatings in the world, will produce inks used in beverage and can packaging. 

"This new facility will establish AkzoNobel as a local supplier of inks in China and strengthen our position in the local packaging market," said Chen Bin, director of AkzoNobel's Metal Coatings business in Asia. "It also means that we now have local production of the complete external coatings system." 

AB Ghosh, managing director of AkzoNobel's Metal Coatings business, added that "we are very pleased to have started local production of inks at Songjiang. It will help us to better serve customers in what is one of our most important markets." 

AkzoNobel is the world's leading coating supplier for beverage and can packaging. The company's technology for two-piece retort can systems is the leading external system used by Chinese beverage and can packaging suppliers. 

Last year, AkzoNobel doubled the capacity of the Songjiang site, which now employs close to 300 people and also houses the company's largest research and development center in China.