IN a landmark trademark licence agreement, one of the Middle East’s biggest paint producers, National Paints Factories Company, will integrate DuPont’s Teflon surface protector into six different coating products.
Under the agreement, National Paints will co-brand five interior/exterior paints and a wood varnish with Teflon, marking the third licence of its kind to be signed in the Middle East. It will then launch the products in the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.
Teflon brand coatings were originally introduced for use in coating cookware, bakeware and small electrical appliances, industrial applications and other specialty coatings applications but are now widely used to finish and protect apparel, textile and paint coatings, and other diverse surface applications. All Teflon additives are tested at the Haskell Laboratory prior to market entry.
“The Teflon surface protector combines unique chemical and physical features to help create surfaces that are durable, easy to clean, and resistant to dirt pick-up, making them perfect for various applications across this region. Through this co-branding initiative, National Paints will be in a better position to meet the unique demands of its customers,” says Luis Rebollar, EMEA (Europe and Middle East area) regional director for DuPont Titanium Technologies.
“EMEA is still one of the most active property development areas in the world, which makes it a key market for coating products. This agreement forms part of our strategy of raising production, safety and quality standards in the region’s thriving paint sector and reflects our years of productive partnership with National Paints,” says Richard Olson, president of DuPont Titanium Technologies.
“Teflon is a critical ingredient that allows us to create paints that can withstand the Arab region’s challenging environmental conditions. By adding it to our product line, we enhance our ability to provide the best and safest coating solutions. We are recognised as one of the top paint producers in the world, so these kinds of technologies are essential for us to maintain our strong market position,” comments Saleem Sayegh, managing director of National Paints.
National Paints maintains technical cooperation agreements with prominent international paint companies such as Transocean Coatings of the Netherlands. Apart from its headquarters in the UAE, the company has branches in Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Sudan, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Romania and India. The company has been accredited with ISO 9001:2000 quality management system and ISO 14001:2004 environmental management system, he says.
The company produces more than 280,000 tonnes of coating products annually to meet local demand besides supplying to more than 60 Arab and foreign markets. It ranked 39th in the Coatings World magazine’s list of top international paint producers last year.
Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.