Sustainability
Media release
AkzoNobel spreading its wings with US aerospace coatings investment
December 18, 2025
(AKZA; AKZOY)
AkzoNobel is investing €50 million to upgrade its Waukegan, Illinois, facility in the US – the company’s biggest aerospace coatings production site.
As well as increasing capacity, installing new machinery and introducing more automated processes, the two-phase project will also include creating a new warehouse space just across the state border in Wisconsin.
“This investment will increase our comprehensive North American supply capability and solidify our position as a frontrunner in the aerospace coatings industry,” says Patrick Bourguignon, Director of AkzoNobel’s Automotive and Specialty Coatings business. “Demand for air travel is expected to grow significantly over the next few years and we want to make sure our customers are able to meet that demand with aircraft of the highest quality.”
The Waukegan site covers 11 acres and employs around 200 people. It produces a wide range of aerospace coatings, including primers, basecoats and clearcoats, and pre-treatment coatings. It also has its own color center.
Ongoing improvements will include setting up a liquid pre-batch area, installing high-speed dissolvers and creating a rapid service unit to help provide faster turnaround for delivering coatings to the maintenance, repair and operations market.
Moving the warehousing to Pleasant Prairie in Wisconsin will also free up space in Waukegan, enabling the company to produce more customized coatings and respond faster to customer needs.
“Our customers demand – and deserve – top-of-the-line coatings,” adds Martijn Arkesteijn, Global Operations Director, AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings. “We’ll be able to provide current and future customers with even more flexibility through the delivery of large batch sizes, better responsiveness to market needs and shorter lead time for color development.”
The investment is part of AkzoNobel’s Industrial Excellence program, which is designed to improve operations and reduce complexity. By focusing on anchor sites that offer greater scale and improved efficiencies, the company aims to lower operating costs and optimize its industrial network to enhance competitiveness and drive sustainable growth.
Learn more about AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings.
About AkzoNobel
Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing more sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today – while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together.
