Latin American Coatings Show

A lot of people are familiar with the Nuremberg European Coatings Show. While the Latin American Coatings Show may be less well-known, it is just as important to Evonik.

This is Latin America’s biggest tradeshow for raw-material suppliers and the manufacturers of machines and measuring devices in the coatings sector. With more than 3000 visitors to the show, the organizers this year announced a record attendance.

Employing its successful concept of "Smart Formulating—Together", the leitmotif of smart formulating in the paints and coatings market, Evonik was represented at the LACS on July 15 and 16. It appeared that Evonik had been able to successfully reach its goal of making use of the combined expertise available in the Group and developing jointly with the customer individualized, innovative and, most importantly, efficient solutions. “Important key customers like Dupont Mexico, Berel and Comex, visited our stand to discuss ongoing and new projects,” says a pleased Fernando Jorge, Director Standard Architectural Colorants in the Coatings & Additives Business Unit. “Evonik is the market leader in the colorants sector in this region of the world, and it was able to underscore this fact anew at the show.”

It was not just the managers and owners of companies who showed interest in innovations and solutions, but chemists and technicians, as well. Some brought along their ready formulas, wishing to discuss things like processing problems or the exchange of raw materials. “Evonik’s success in Latin America is based, to a large extent, on maintaining close customer contact,” explains Maria Nargiello, Sr. Technology Manager with IM.

"Our customers appreciate the direct, uncomplicated help we provide on issues great and small. We were repeatedly told so in our discussions with them.” That is why Evonik’s stand is always manned by experienced members of staff rather than representatives from distributor organizations (as is the commonplace practice among competitors). Ingo Stohrer, business director of Polyesters & Adhesive Resins, held an open-booth presentation, informing industry visitors about the properties of polyesters for can and coil coatings and how these polyesters can be used.

Omar Maya Fuentes, Sales Manager in Mexico, believes the extended opening hours (to 8 p.m.) were another reason for the particularly good turnout, since “this enabled many customers and potential customers to visit the show after work”. But whatever the reasons for Evonik’s success at the event, there was unanimity among everyone involved that this tradeshow was the most impressive one they had experienced and that it will surely have served as a further building block as Evonik strives to consolidate its leading position in the region of Latin America.