Covered Autumn 2022

COVERED Autumn 2022

Industry fighting to stay afloat in turbulent times coatings.org.uk

Associate

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Contents

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Editorial

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UK consumer confidence hits new low as recession looms

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BCF survey demonstrates negative impact of Brexit on coatings sector trade

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Regulatory update

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BCF highlights Poison Centre Brexit mishap

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BCF Awards 2022 finalists announced

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BCF Annual Conference 2022

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BCF at Surfex 2022

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Coatings industry trains new ambassadors to engage with the next generation

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BCF celebrates cycling gold at annual Charity Cycle

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BCF CEO’s role as President of the World Coatings Council

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BCF launches online history archive at 110th year celebration

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BCF’s new website

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Remembering Hiroshi Kawai

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From the Archives

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New members

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Upcoming events and meetings

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Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication, and the statements contained herein are believed to be correct, the publishers and the promoters will not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies.

Reproduction of any part of this publication without permission is strictly forbidden.

BCF make no recommendation in respect of any of the advertisers, and no recommendation may be implied by way of the presence of their advertisements.

British Coatings Federation Ltd Spectra House, Westwood Way Westwood Business Park Coventry, CV4 8HS Email: info@bcf.co.uk Website: coatings.org.uk Telephone: 02476 935 390 Registered in England 745398

This publication has been produced with due consideration to the environment, and has been printed by a carbon balanced printer.

Paper used for this publication has been recycled - please recycle again after reading.

Covered Autumn 2022 01

Additive value: - Your bridge to the EU - Hassle free imports - Extensive UK stock - European warehousing - 40 years experience

6 Duckets Wharf, South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, CM23 3AR +44 (0)1279 755 151 sales@stortchemicals.co.uk

www.stortchemicals.co.uk

02 Covered Autumn 2022

By Tom Bowtell Chief Executive Officer of the BCF Welcome to the Autumn edition of BCF’s Covered magazine. Our lead story is the continuing cost-of-living crisis, and the toll this and other external factors are taking on the coatings industry. The perfect storm of weak product demand, cost-of-living, the energy crisis, record-low consumer confidence and availability of raw materials is having a huge impact on BCF members. We willl be publishing a new raw material information note and press release on the current state of the industry in September. In response to the unprecendented challenges members are facing, the BCF board agreed in May that BCF Full members will receive a 5% rebate on their 2023 subscriptions, and there will be no inflation-linked increase for other categories of membership as a one-off. Although this won’t have a major impact, we hope this will at least alleviate some of the pain that members are feeling.

I don’t often talk about internal BCF governance issues in my notes, but the elephant in the room since I took on this role ten years ago this summer was the BCF legacy pension deficit from the old final salary pension scheme, which was closed in 2011. We’ve worked hard to grow BCF’s membership and income streams to fund the deficit over this period – to the tune of over £1.5m which at times has felt like a black hole. At the same time, we’ve grown our financial strength from £350,000 in assets in 2012 to almost £2m today, which includes ownership of our fantastic office in Coventry. BCF’s strong financial health over the period, combined with astute direction from Rustin’s Ed Krawitt as chair of pension trustees and the right market conditions has led to a buyout of the pension fund to be possible. This means BCF is now officially in the black, and we can focus our financial resources on continuing to support BCF’s membership through what we know are very tough market conditions for everyone.

I’m really looking forward to getting the industry together again in October as we celebrate the industry’s fantastic achievements and innovations at our 2022 Awards dinner. I hope to see many of you there, to enjoy an evening in good company and to briefly escape from the many day-today challenges that I know you are all facing.

Covered Autumn 2022 03

UK consumer confidence hits new low as recession looms

John Dixon

Whittle Industry Data

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he announcement by the Bank of England in early August of a 0.5% increase in interest rates was widely anticipated, but the gloomy narrative that accompanied it was significantly worse than expected. Added to this, GDP growth has now been slowing sharply since the pandemic bounceback increases ended, with growth in the 3 months to the end of June now down 0.1% according to figures issued in mid-August by the Office for National Statistics and with the month of June alone down 0.6%. The UK was already forecast in July to enter a recession by the end of the year with falling output expected to continue right up until the end of 2023 before any improvement is seen.

This is a major reversal of recent forecasts and in particular, the increase predicted for 2023 by the OBR as

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recently as March this year. It is also in stark contrast to H M Treasury’s forecast summary report from a further 28 banks and forecasting bodies compiled just a month ago with no organisation at that time predicting a decrease in output for 2023 - a salutary warning of the perils of economic forecasting if ever there was one! If this current forecast of a recession does come to pass which now seems highly likely, then it would make it easily the longest, but almost certainly not necessarily the deepest, downturn since the recession of 2008/2009 following the financial crisis.

The main culprit in all this is inflation, caused overwhelmingly by soaring energy bills resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the failure of politicians to reach a political settlement that would solve the problem. As a result, the Bank of England now expects typical household energy bills to hit £3,500 a year by October (and possibly more) meaning bills of almost £300 per month.

The impact of all this is obvious with consumers reining back expenditure and consumer confidence plunging. The GfK consumer confidence barometer

(amongst other similar surveys from YouGov, PwC and KPMG, etc) is now at a 40-year low while the measure of confidence amongst households on their personal financial situation is also at a record low.

Higher mortgage rates will further curtail consumer spending and this will impact discretionary expenditure on holidays and travel, entertainment, household goods, home improvements and particularly larger DIY projects.

In terms of the wider construction economy, also directly affecting BCF member firms in the decorative paint sector, figures published by the Construction Products Association in mid-August show total housing output across this sector is now forecast to fall 0.1% in 2022 and by 1.0% in 2023 before returning to growth in 2024.

Elsewhere, the forecast for the key private sector new housing and repair, maintenance, and improvement sector (RM&I), accounting for nearly a third of all construction, is expected to be even harder hit falling by 3% this year and a further 4% in 2023, although with growth returning in 2024 and by then with inflation expected to be much lower.

For housing transactions, which are normally 5 times the number of new constructions, the news is also not so good in Q2 with June's figure down 55% on the buoyant levels of June 2021 making it the ninth consecutive monthly fall and with worries about interest rates and the affordability of properties likely to come into clearer focus in the latter part of the year.

Other factors, not currently of immediate concern may also start to weigh on consumers’ minds as the cost-of-living forces consumption down and worries start to emerge about employment levels (despite current shortages) if the expected downturn at the end of 2022 and into 2023 continues longer than expected.

So, what does this mean for decorative paint sales? Already this year total decorative sales litreage is down 16% in the first half of 2022 on top of a 9% fall in calendar 2021 following the end of the DIY boom earlier last year.

The short-term signs are not good for 2022 as a whole particularly for retail where the market in the first half of this year is down 27% and with the forecast from Palmer Market Research suggesting a 20% fall for the year. However, with new monthly sales figures from now onwards being compared with very weak sales at this time last year there may be scope for more optimism than at first appears to be the case. There has been some evidence of this in June and July when retail paint volumes fell 18% and 8% compared with a 30% decrease on average for the last 12 months as a whole. Beyond the current year, Palmer expects to see a 4% improvement in retail paint for 2023 and a 2% fall in 2024.

On the trade side, sales so far in 2022 are down just 4% and again with some fairly hefty decreases seen in the final half of 2021 there may be more room for some modest increases in the coming months. Palmer is forecasting only a 0.4% fall for 2022 as a whole so a lot better than retail. However, an alternative more upbeat picture contained in the CPA’s so called “upper scenario” which assumes somewhat stronger economic growth (despite the accepted high inflation) and with housing transactions being similar to pre-pandemic levels would point towards growth of about 2% in 2022 and 2023 rising to 3.6% in 2024. The long-term fundamentals, such as household formation, population growth, and interest in home improvements generally remain positive and these influences should support the market going forward in the longer term.

Aside from the traditional housing sector (both new work and RM&I) there is also the commercial and industrial sector of construction including public non-housing buildings, infrastructure (less important for paint), offices and hospitality, factories and warehouses, etc, where new work is expected to hold up somewhat better than housing over the next few years and where there may be good opportunities for member companies.

For woodcare, sales have continued to endure a rough ride this year being down 39% so far in 2022 but with retail expected to improve 8% next year and with trade woodcare forecast to be broadly flat according to Palmer.

Covered Autumn 2022 05

BCF survey B demonstrates negative impact of Brexit on coatings sector trade

rexit has had a negative impact on the coatings sector’s trade with the EU since Brexit. This is according to a survey in early summer of British Coatings Federation members, which set out to measure companies’ experience of the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) now it has been in place for over a year.

Findings show that while a few firms had managed to retain or increase exports, the majority of survey respondents saw exports to the EU fall over the past 15 months. Members also reported they had experienced a significant increase in operating costs due to the various new rules, procedures, and knock-on effects of the UK-EU TCA. Conversely, there was, as yet, little sign of compensating growth in trade elsewhere in the world due to new FTAs. Moreover, there is still substantial concern about the future UK chemicals regulation regime, particularly UK REACH, and how this will impact on future business competitiveness.

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Nearly four in ten (39.5%) reported that exports to the EU had decreased, with the majority losing between 6-10% of exports over the last year or so, although some significantly more.

Worryingly, nearly a quarter of members (23.1%) reported that EU suppliers no longer wanted to export to the UK, up from 19% last year.

“Our survey shows the impact Brexit has had on our members ability to trade with the EU. Most are having to deal with time-consuming extra bureaucracy, increased logistical problems, and substantially increased operating costs.

“The Government needs to work harder with businesses to help make exporting to and from the EU easier, ideally looking to enhance the terms of the TCA. Instead, it looks as though things are moving in the opposite direction with threats to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol which could collapse the whole trade agreement. That would be a disaster for industry, especially given we are in the middle of the worst global raw material and supply chain crisis seen for a generation.

“Looking beyond the EU, we need to see more support for UK businesses growing their exports to the rest of the world. At the moment, despite new FTAs being signed and talked about there seem to be few opportunities developing for our sector.

“Finally, we must not take our eye off the regulatory ball. Our survey showed problems and concerns about UK REACH have slightly diminished since this time last year. This is probably because Defra has said they are looking at a new model that should hopefully be less burdensome on industry. However, those concerns about REACH are still substantial and loom large over our members’ future business competitiveness.

We need to see Defra come up with a new approach for UK REACH as quickly as possible to provide businesses with the certainty they need to plan, and the ability to access a full range of necessary substances to aid innovation in future.”

David Park, BCF Public Affairs Manager

Six out of ten (BCF members) believe the UK diverging from EU REACH in future will reduce their competitiveness Covered Autumn 2022 07

Regulatory update

Biocides

GBL/BDO UK Chemicals e continue to engage with n July, BCF met again with senior the Home Office about their W Ifuture HSE policy-makers to explore its Strategy plans for restricting the use of plans for regulating biocides,

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UK REACH

efra has started to hold initial consultations on the development of the UK’s new Chemicals Strategy. These have taken the form of very broad, thematic working groups focussing on issues like ‘general vision and principles’ and ‘innovation’. BCF’s regulatory team has been attending many of these sessions and we will continue to feed in views from our own sector’s perspective. As the strategy develops there will be more consultation on specific topics of interest to members and we will keep you updated on progress.

C

onversations continue between Defra and HSE, and industry, NGOs and academia about developing a revised registration model for UK REACH. Defra’s own impact assessment, recently released, estimated the cost to businesses of the original plans at between £1.1 billion and £3 billion.

Efforts are being made to find a less costly solution but also still enables effective regulation on health and safety. BCF is represented on two working groups dealing with this issue and we will continue to ask members for their views as the process continues.

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as we know this is an important issue due to the declining availability of many active substances. HSE is in the early days of determining its approach for the UK but we wanted to be proactive in making the case for our sector. We need to understand how closely the UK will follow developments in the EU in future, and how proportionate a regime that will operate now we have left the EU. As ever, we will update members on progress through our various committees and groups.

GBL and BDO under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The licensing of these products is being revised and there is ongoing consultation with industry as to how this will work. We are confident there will be exemptions for mixtures in future drafts of the legislation - which should exempt most members’ customers although members using ‘neat’ GBL or BDO will likely still need to obtain a licence. We will be seeking input from members once the new draft legislation is published to ensure the Government comes up with a workable set of proposals.

Energy costs

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ur Printing Inks Council and Technical Committee supported BCF in leading efforts to bring together various other trade associations to set up the Food Contact Packaging Value Chain.

The group’s aim is to engage with the various Government departments, especially the Food Standards Agencies across the UK. We have held two meetings so far and hope to establish a fruitful working relationship to enable good foreknowledge of impending legislation and a greater ability to influence its direction.

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he cost and supply of energy is a growing concern for everyone.

BCF met recently with the CEO of Make UK, ahead of his meeting with the Chancellor, to share our own sector’s concerns. It increasingly looks as though there will have to be some sort of emergency intervention from the Government, and we will be pushing for just that ahead of the budget due later this year.

We also need to see more action on the issue of energy security, both short and long-term, and this is also something we will be engaging with decision-makers with over the coming months.

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Covered Autumn 2022 09 LAUNCHING OCTOBER 2022

Microban is a registered trademark of Microban Products Company.

BCF HIGHLIGHTS POISON CENTRE BREXIT MISHAP

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ndustry was consistently told by Government that Annex VIII of CLP would not be carried over into UK law after Brexit. Members were largely happy with that because compliance in the UK would have meant a lot of extra administration and cost, especially in the coatings sector. So, since the UK left the EU, companies have only been required to submit voluntary SDS data to the National Poison Information Service (NPIS).

The first we heard of any potential issues with this came in February. Some companies received emails from the NPIS saying that Annex VIII had in

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fact been carried over into UK law and that Unique Formula Identifier (UFI) registrations would be needed for future submissions but also retrospectively to January 2021!

BCF and others sought to clarify the situation. With no formal statement from Government forthcoming, we engaged with MPs, one of whom wrote on our behalf to Jacob Rees-Mogg in his role as ‘Brexit Opportunities Minister.’ We received a reply on 27th May saying:

‘information on Annex VIII was subject to review’ before it could be published.

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inally, on 20th June, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) – responsible for Poison Centre Notifications (PCNs) - announced:

‘Annex VIII has been inadvertently retained following the UK’s exit from the EU. The Annex VIII within GP CLP is therefore currently in force.

DHSC and its executive agencies, supported by the Department for BEIS and the HSE are now working to rectify this error.’

HSE is the body responsible for enforcing GB CLP and are aware that the Annex has been retained.

HSE will continue to maintain a pragmatic and proportionate response to enforcement... HSE will look at each case on its own merit and will consider a range of factors when it takes enforcement decisions…

The Government is now looking to launch a consultation on whether to revoke the Annex, but this could take some months to complete, analyse, and legislate on.

In seeking clearer guidance from the HSE on how they would enforce, BCF was told, in addition to the DHSC statement, that:

‘…HSE will … consider a range of factors when taking enforcement decisions, these would include the unique circumstances around the implementation of Annex VIII (as well as the level of risk and the efforts made by duty holders to achieve compliance)…HSE will [be] focused on those activities which give rise to the most serious risks or where the hazards are least well controlled.

‘Notably, at the current time, both the GOV.UK and HSE websites continue to advise the voluntary submission of SDSs, and the NPIS website itself still says ‘As of 3rd February 2022 this section is under review.

Please check back later for updated guidance.’

BCF understands the websites will be ‘updated in due course’ although there is currently no timeframe for that. It is possible there will be no updates until the consultation on revocation is complete.

As things stand, it would seem appropriate to continue to follow the advice still showing on the various websites. Besides, it is unclear how PCNs with UFIs would be made as it is not clear if the UK IT infrastructure is even in place to do so.

All in all, our message remains ‘don’t panic.’ It seems the Government is intending to revoke what it has inadvertently brought into law. And we at BCF will be lobbying to see this is done as soon as possible so we end up with the regulatory position that was always intended. w

Covered Autumn 2022

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BCF Awards 2022 finalists announced Sustainable Innovation Awards 2022

Sustainable Innovation Award - Supplier

Corporate Social Responsibility 2022 The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award will be given to a BCF member company which, in the opinion of the judges, has clearly demonstrated an outstanding and successful charity or CSR campaign across any aspect of social responsibility.

The Sustainable Innovation Award recognises and celebrates commitment to the BCF Sustainability Policy through the launch of innovative and sustainable products, processes or services.

Sustainable Innovation Award - Manufacturer Sponsored by: Student of the Year 2022 Sponsored by:

This award is presented to the CTI student who, in the opinion of the tutors of BCF’s Coatings Training Institute, has consistently demonstrated the highest level of understanding and achieved outstanding scores in examinations and practical work when completing their training modules.

Sam Gumbley, Belzona

Customer Service Award 2022 Sponsored by:

BCF’s Customer Service Award recognises the growing importance of customer service as a differentiator in the paints, coatings, inks and wallcovering industries.

Liam Coates, AkzoNobel

Bookings are now open! The winners will be announced on Thursday 13th October at the Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club in Meridan, West Midlands.

Early bird (until 14th September): Awards dinner only package exc accommodation

£150(+VAT)

Early bird (until 14th September): Awards dinner only package inc accommodation

£275(+VAT)

Early bird (until 14th September): 10% off a full table booking (10 tickets) exc accommodation

£1350(+VAT)

Awards dinner only package exc accommodation

£175(+VAT)

Awards dinner only package inc accommodation

£300(+VAT)

10% off a full table booking (10 tickets) exc accommodation

£1575(+VAT)

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Marketing Campaign of the Year 2022 Sponsored by:

The Marketing Campaign of the Year will be awarded to a BCF member company that has produced and delivered an innovative and effective marketing campaign that clearly meets organisational goals.

Apprentice of the Year 2022 Sponsored by:

Apprentice of the Year will be awarded to an apprentice currently employed at a BCF member company who best demonstrates how they’ve used their apprenticeship to achieve great personal and professional development. The judges will also consider how the apprentice has added value to the workplace and to the industry through their hard work and dedication.

Coatings Care Overall Best Performer Award 2022 Sponsored by: The Coatings Care Overall Best Performer Award is presented to the company that has demonstrated best in class performance across a range of key performance indicators, including VOC emissions, energy consumption, waste and recycling, and accident and incident statistics.

Coatings Care Progress Award 2022 Sponsored by:

Lee Crossland

Avese Umar

Young Leader of the Year Award 2022 Sponsored by:

Now in its fourth year, the BCF’s Young Leader of the Year Award will recognise an exceptional individual under the age of 35 working within a BCF member company who has proved to be an effective, innovative and impactful leader.

Andrew Roser

Riece Joynes

Edward Chawner

The Coatings Care Progress Award is presented to the company that has made the most significant year on year improvement in its performance on the same health, safety and environmental criteria as above.

Many thanks to our sponsors, BioCote, Fenton Packaging, Stort Chemicals, Synthomer, GDB International and The Paint Foundation, who make the event possible. Thanks also to all our independent award judges for their time and dedication.

Emma Porter

Cameron McGoldrick

The shortlisted companies for both Coatings Care Awards will be announced in September.

To book your place or table for our Awards dinner, please visit:

Nina Skodova

Sponsored by: Billy Miller

Covered Autumn 2022 13

BCF Annual Conference 2022 Lead sponsor:

Sponsored by:

Sustainability and the state of the economy took centre stage at BCF Annual Conference

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ver 150 senior decision-makers from the UK’s paints, coatings and printing ink sectors gathered at The Belfry in May for the annual British Coatings Federation Annual Conference.

BCF President Guy Williams commented:

Graeme Chaplin, Bank of England

“The topics of this year’s conference were highly appropriate for the challenges the industry is facing today – really tough economic conditions but a huge focus on sustainability, with paint recycling and Net Zero being key themes for the future of BCF’s work, as well as working with the UK Government to improve the regulatory landscape”.

Sustainability in Practice panellists discussing paint recycling and packaging Extended Producer Responsibility 14 Covered Autumn 2022

The opening keynote from the UK Government’s Business Department (BEIS) highlighted the government’s growth drivers and Net Zero ambitions for energy, chemicals and coatings.

The Bank of England outlined the latest economic forecasts for the UK – the economy will be stagnant for the next four years with inflation peaking at 10% this autumn. The Conference also heard from DIY expert Steve Collinge, who gave an overview of how the sector is navigating the post-Covid economic climate.

Steve explained that while confidence is very low, given the cost-of-living crisis, the public does have significant savings accumulated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Decorative paint demand peaked 30% above pre-Covid levels but is now tracking below pre-Covid demand.

On sustainability, the conference heard about the first global coatings industry’s sustainability report, to be published later this year by the World Coatings Council. The session outlined the definition of sustainability and the roadmap for the World Coatings Council before delving into the report itself, which showed how the sector was currently working towards meeting the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals and the challenges that lie ahead.

Keynote speaker Claire Lomas MBE telling her inspirational story

MAKE UK then outlined the vision for achieving Net Zero in the manufacturing sector. The impact of COP26 was discussed before exploring the commitments currently being made by the UK manufacturing sector, the barriers to achieving this and opportunities to succeed.

This was followed by an intense panel discussion on leftover paint recycling and Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), featuring paint recyclers, metal and plastic packaging suppliers and experts on packaging and waste policy. The panel answered many of the audience’s questions surrounding the challenges and opportunities for paint recycling, and markets for leftover paint. On Packaging EPR, brand owners are faced with a new regime from 2024 which will move the cost of household waste collection and processing to brand owners. BCF’s ambition to increase the percentage leftover paint re-used, recycled, or re-manufactured from 2% today to 75% by 2030 was articulated by BCF PaintCare Consultant Dr Steve Snaith. The panel included paint recyclers (Cat Hyde, Seagulls; Lee Cole, Paint 360; Martin Pearse, Community RePaint), packaging sector (plastics - Mike Baxter, Berry; metal - Robert Fell, MPMA), and EPR specialist consultants (Lee Wearing, Valpak; Phil Conran, 360 Environmental).

The keynote speaker Claire Lomas MBE, told her inspiring story of recovering from a horseriding accident in 2007, which left her paralysed from the chest down. Determined not to give up, she made worldwide headlines in 2012 when completing the London Marathon in a pioneering robotic suit taking 17 days and lit the Paralympic cauldron for London 2012. Her positive spirit, raw honesty and zest for life made a huge impact on all present. The Conference closed with BCF CEO, Tom Bowtell, taking to the stage to outline BCF’s highlights of the last year, and the challenges facing the sector.

The evening dinner raised over £3,000 for the event’s charity partner, Community Heartbeat Trust, which has installed over 700 lifesaving defibrillator stations in red phone boxes across the UK, with paint provided by BCF member companies. The evening was closed with captivating entertainment from comedian Barbara Nice.

Guy Williams closed the Conference by thanking lead sponsor Microban, and our other sponsors Fenton Packaging, LKAB, Stort Chemicals and Verlingue for their generous support.

The audience were entertained during the evening by awardwinning comedian Barbara Nice Covered Autumn 2022 15

BCF at Surfex 2022

B

CF was proud to be a partner of Surfex 2022, the only event in the UK for coatings technology, bringing together key decision makers and innovators from across the surface, paint and coatings sector.

It was great to see so many BCF members in attendance at the event. The BCF stand was busy with both new and familiar faces on both days.

All Surfex visitors received a free copy of BCF’s UK Coatings Industry market report.

Tom Bowtell, Chief Executive of the BCF, commented: ‘It was great to be back at Surfex, to catch up with our manufacturer and supplier members who were there. Our stand was heaving on both days, and we’ve gained at least one, and maybe two new members from the event.’

BCF hosted ten talks over the two days at Surfex on the Industry Insight stage. The sessions opened by showcasing the latest innovations in our industry, with Matt Johnson from LAIIER discussing Smart Surfaces, Robotics with Jack Cornes from Hausbots and creating surfaces for energy positive buildings with Dr Eifion Jewell of Swansea University. In the later session, Simon Aldersley from U-POL outlined the implications of UK REACH for the Coatings sector, along with BCF’s own David Park’s reflections on the UK’s new trading relationship with the EU, 18 months on from Brexit. Looking to the future, BCF’s Ciara Dempsey (pictured above) addressed future regulation of preservatives in paints, coatings and inks, and Tom Bowtell stood in for John Dixon from Whittle Industry Data and provided an analysis of sales trends in the paint and coatings industry.

Sustainability was another key topic of the seminars, with BCF’s Tom Bowtell finishing the first day by setting out BCF’s Sustainability initiatives and the industry roadmap to Net Zero, a theme echoed the following day by Steve Snaith, consultant on BCF’s PaintCare scheme, who addressed the UK decorative paint industry’s ambitions to revolutionise household leftover paint recycling. Geoff Mackey from BASF rounded off proceedings by addressing practical sustainability in the coatings sector.

BCF would like to thank all speakers at our talks for their time and dedication, and everyone who came to visit our stand at the event.

BCF Associate

member exhibitors at Surfex 2022

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T

he British Coatings Federation has partnered with the Royal Society of Chemistry, PRA and OCCA to add to the pool of ambassadors from the coatings industry engaging with schools and universities across the UK. Coatings Ambassadors from a spectrum of businesses in the coatings supply chain are being trained and given materials to hold careers sessions at schools and universities. When delivering the course material, ambassadors will introduce the coatings industry, share their own career paths and the varied jobs and opportunities that are available within the sector.

Coatings industry trains new ambassadors to engage with the next generation

After the success of the previous events back in 2019 and 2020, this year’s event was the best attended to date, and the first in-person event since the Covid-19 pandemic. Held at the BCF’s office, May’s workshop, run by Cogent Skills, hosted a diverse group of attendees from organisations including AkzoNobel, Sherwin-Williams, BASF, Lake Coatings, HMG Paints, Mylands, BTC Europe, Indestructible Paints, Fujichem Sonneborn, Neotech Speciality “On behalf of OCCA, Chemicals and Nordmann.

The workshop provided guidance on how to reach out to the younger generation, using activities, presentations and creative projects.

PRA, RSC and BCF, we would like to thank the companies and individuals who took part. They are helping grow this important network, and we wish them every success

in engaging with local schools and universities, to help develop the future workforce for the coatings sector.” concluded BCF’s CEO, Tom Bowtell.

Covered Autumn 2022 17

BCF celebrates cycling gold at annual Charity Cycle

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he British Coatings Federation has unveiled its new Cycling UK Cycle Friendly Employer Award.

The BCF has achieved Gold Award status, the highest accreditation level of the award. The Cycling Friendly Employer accreditation is an internationally recognised benchmark for active travel culture and infrastructure in the workplace. To achieve the gold award, the BCF went through a rigorous auditing process to demonstrate a long-term commitment to promoting a cycle-friendly culture, with the required infrastructure and supporting policies in place.

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The plaque displaying the award was unveiled at the commencement of the 2022 Charity Cycle by Russell Stephens, Head of Commercial at Cycling UK. He commented: ‘We’re absolutely delighted to be able to award gold accreditation to the BCF. By taking part in the Cycle Friendly Employer accreditation, the BCF has clearly demonstrated its commitment to encouraging and supporting cycling in the workplace.’

Tom Bowtell, BCF’s Chief Executive Officer, said of the award: ‘We are incredibly pleased to have achieved the Gold Award as a Cycle Friendly Employer from Cycling UK. Cycling has great benefits for both physical and mental health, the environment and much more.

BCF are proud to support our team in getting involved with rides and bike maintenance to help influence the shift to more people cycling in the UK. We hope that through our Charity Cycle ride we

Sponsored by: like to thank everyone who has taken part in the 2022 Charity Cycle and donated. can extend this to our wider community and raise money for a fantastic cause.’

BCF hosted their second charity bike ride for the UK coatings industry to raise money for charity partner Community Heartbeat Trust, who, along with the generosity of BCF’s decorative paints members, transform unused telephone boxes into life-saving defibrillator stations in rural locations across the UK through the Minutes Matter campaign.

The routes of BCF’s Charity Cycle: Ride Warwickshire started at the BCF office in Coventry and travelled through the scenic countryside and villages of Warwickshire. 40 riders took part in one of three distances: 30km, 50km or 100km.

A special thanks to our sponsors: AkzoNobel Decorative Paints, INX International UK, Teknos UK, Tronox Pigments UK, U-POL, BioCote and ASFP whose support of our Charity Cycle Ride is invaluable.

To find out more about the Community Heartbeat Trust and the Minutes Matter campaign, please visit:

Through the support of BCF members, riders and the wider community, the event has managed to raise over £11,000 for the Community Heartbeat Trust. BCF would

Covered Autumn 2022 19

BCF CEO’s role as President of the World Coatings Council At the World Coatings Council’s annual meeting in March 2022, Tom Bowtell, Chief Executive of the British Coatings Federation, was elected President for a twoyear term of office.

The World Coatings Council is made up of members representing associations from the United States, China, European Union, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, South Africa, Turkey, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The Council, which provides a forum for exchange and cooperation on major issues and priorities facing the industry, has established itself as a global voice with the United Nations, Governments and NGOs for over 30 years.

Tom Bowtell said of his Presidency; “I’m incredibly honoured to have the trust of my industry colleagues from across the world to hold the President’s seat on behalf of the global coatings industry. I am looking forward to representing the industry and contributing to our global effort”.

Since his election, Tom has been working together with Jürgen Nowak from Vincentz Network on behalf of the World Coatings Council to help create a new association for the Middle East. Exploratory meetings took place in February, which was followed by a formal meeting to discuss the new association in May. A further meeting to formalise the establishment of the Middle East Paints and Coatings Association (MEPCA) will be taking place in September in Dubai.

20 Covered Autumn 2022

Sustainability will be an important theme of Tom’s Presidency, with the World Coatings Council publishing their first Sustainability Report later this year.

Andy Doyle, President of the World Coatings Council and CEO of the American Coatings Association, commented: “I am thrilled that Tom has accepted the role of President of the World Coatings Council. He is a global leader not only in the association community, but in the coatings industry as well.

Tom along with the WCC’s new Vice President, Monica Alcala of the Mexican Paint and Printing Ink Manufacturers’ Association (ANAFAPYT) will do a fantastic job leading our organization.

As the WCC celebrates its 30th Register anniversary in 2022, I can think of no here: one better suited to represent our industry on a world stage.”

As part of his new role, Tom will be hosting the next Coatings Summit, acknowledged as the pre-eminent forum for the most senior leaders in the global coatings industry.

The summit takes place on 5-7th December 2022 in Miami, USA.

Group photo of all attendees of Past President’s event at BCF office Spectra House: from Left to right – Margaret Knight, Peter Rieck (00-01, 02-04), Ping Rieck, Tom Bowtell (BCF), John Cunningham (96-97) , David Thomas (07-09), David Beckford (18-20), Marjorie Thomas, John Boland (01-02), Barbara Cunningham, Chris Harris (95-96), Dr Steve Snaith (11-13), Nigel Bond (04-06) and Quintin Knight (86-87).

BCF launches online history archive at 110th year celebration

2

022 marks the 110th year since the inaugural meeting of The National Federation of Associated Paint, Colour and Varnish Manufacturers of the United Kingdom.

As part of the celebrations, the British Coatings Federation has created an online resource of the history archives of the many different associations that make up the BCF’s long history. Annual reports, minute books and photographs from paints, coatings and printing ink associations date back to 1911. The archives are

available to preview on an online platform called ‘e-Hive’, a web-based collection cataloguing system.

the sector, which was followed by lunch and a guided tour of Coventry’s historic district.

The BCF gathered its Past Presidents to help launch the new history archive. The party were given a tour of the BCF office in Coventry and a chance to look through the extensive archive of historic documents and records of the association’s history.

BCF’s Chief Executive, Tom Bowtell, gave a presentation on the current issues facing

‘It’s fantastic we can make our comprehensive archive of the paints and printing ink association history available to the public for the first time’, said current BCF President, Guy Williams.

‘We welcome historians or anyone with an interest in the industry’s history to make an appointment to visit the BCF’s offices in Coventry’.

To access the online archive, visit:

Covered Autumn 2022 21

BCF’s new website

Clear comm

Upcoming BCF committee meetings and events 22 Covered Autumn 2022

Behind the scenes, the BCF team have been building a brand-new website in order to better articulate our proposition to external stakeholders, as well as deliver an improved user experience for our visitors. The new website will provide clearer information about the BCF and its activities, sector-specific information and most importantly, give our members a tailored experience with custom groups, documents and content.

munication of key issues

Visit our website here:

Tailored member groups

Covered Autumn 2022 23

Remembering Hiroshi Kawai As remembered by his friend and colleague at Fujichem Sonneborn, Edward Cox It has been my great honour and privilege to have shared much time and space with Hiroshi Kawai during the past twelve years.

From a personal point of view, I would say that my world is greatly diminished by his passing - at the ridiculously early age of 63.

However, I consider myself as fortunate that I had known him – even for that short passage of time – as he has left me with an abundance of happy memories and amusing anecdotes.

Both lovers of opera and ballet - although Hiroshi indulged himself more than I (attending the Wagner festival at Bayreuth and The Metropolitan in New York amongst others on a regular basis) but we got to the point where we attended the Royal Opera House together - with my wife accompanying us on occasions - although that was for the ballet as she is not such a fan of opera.

a sports scholarship I can confidently say) but his career had been in banking and had worked for HSBC in Japan, London and in Germany (he spoke fluent German).

He started with FCS in late 2009, with his last postion being CFO. He passed away on Saturday 4th June.

Hiroshi might have been humble but he made up for that with his steely resolve and gigantic integrity and honour - coupled with a prodigious knowledge of all matters related to culture. He travelled widely to extract every ounce possible.

Right to the last, he truly believed that he would be coming home to London to continue his work. I am sure that all his close friends and colleagues will join me in saying “We will miss him”.

Hiroshi claimed to me that he had been considered the worst sportsman at school in Japan but had studied in the USA (not on

“The BCF are proud to have had Hiroshi as a member of our Board of Directors for 8 years - his contribution to the BCF and the coatings industry has been invaluable. He will be sadly missed”.

- Tom Bowtell, Chief Executive of BCF 24 Covered Autumn 2022

From the Archives At the beginning...

The National Paint Federation on 9 January 1912, the inaugural meeting of The National Federation of Associated Paint, Colour and Varnish Manufacturers of the United Kingdom was held in Leeds, having been incorporated on 20th November 1911. At the first Council meeting was held on the same day when the election of Officers and Members of the Council, nominated by the five local paint associations, was the main business.

110 years ago, there were 127 members, and their first issue of concern was the White Lead Agreement. Now, we have over 140 Full members and another 120 Associate members representing not only the paint sector but also inks, wallcoverings, and associated interests. Issues of concern may have changed and evolved over time, but the ethos remains unchanged: effective cooperation to ensure the success and competitiveness of the UK coatings Industry.

Certificate of Incorporation of The National Paint Federation

First annual report of The National Paint Federation The agenda of the inaugural meeting of The National Paint Federation

Covered Autumn 2022 25

New members

We are proud to announce that despite a challenging year, the BCF has achieved 100% retention of its Full members. If you would like to find out more about the opportunities available to our members, and the support we provide, please contact Ali Brown at: alison.brown@bcf.co.uk.

Full members Derwent With heritage dating back to 1832, Derwent’s innovation comes from a deep understanding of artists. Perfecting the art of pencil manufacture in Cumbria for generations, our wide range of pencils is synonymous with quality and craftsmanship. Artistry is threaded through the core of every Derwent product to deliver world class artists’ materials at every stage of the creative journey. www.derwentart.com

Nazdar Ltd Nazdar Ltd is a privately held, global ink manufacturer and supplier that specializes in Screen, Digital, and Flexographic technologies utilizing a variety of chemistries (UV/LED, Water, (Eco)Solvent) for various markets. www.nazdar.com

Stonelux At Stonelux we have been creating premium stone effect paints and brick coatings since 1988. Combining high performance with authentic finishes, we’re truly proud to make paints with the UK’s rich stone heritage at heart.

We work closely with the nation’s stone industry, carefully matching each colour and finish to the UK’s wide variety of natural stone shades. In addition to our extensive range of existing stone shades, we also offer a bespoke matching service. www.stonelux.co.uk

26 Covered Autumn 2022

Intercoat Industrial Paints Ltd Intercoat are a UK based manufacturer of premium wood finishing products operating from a purpose built facility in Walsall, the West Midlands. Using industry leading research and development chemistry together with a dedicated delivery team we are able to service a nationwide network of customers directly and through a network of exclusive distributors. With nearly 50 years of supplying products into the sector we continue to lead the way in sustainable technology. www.intercoat-paints.co.uk

Protective Polymers Protective Polymers develop and manufacture high performance coatings and sealers designed for use in challenging conditions.

Our specialist Trace VOC coatings include membranes for roofing applications, moisture curing coatings for floor, balcony and stairwell environments, replacement exterior coatings for buildings and the primers/basecoats for these applications.

Our roofing technology is designed for year-round application to provide membranes that are waterproof, colour stable and flexible for 25+ years in northern and southern European environments. www.protectivepolymers.com

A-Chem Limited (manufacturers of Timbashield) A-Chem is an independent family run manufacturer of water and solvent-based products, with over 50 Years’ experience supplying exterior wood care solutions to both home DIY and Trade Manufacturing customers. Offering a range of branded Timbashield® high-performance Wood Protection and paint products, as well as providing bespoke [A-Chem] Timbercare solutions to trade, developed by our highly qualified team of chemists. We take pride in delivering our brand promise of “Quality Woodcare – Crafted to Perfection”. www.achem.co.uk

Covered Autumn 2022 27

New members

Why not join over 100 companies and become an Associate member of the BCF? Companies who supply products or services to the coatings industry are eligible to join. Please contact Ali Brown at: alison.brown@bcf.co.uk for more information on eligibility and Associate member benefits.

Associate members

Venator

Univar Solutions

We are Venator, a leading global chemical company dedicated to the development and manufacture of titanium dioxide pigments and performance additives.

We are focused on delivering pigments and additives that make a difference to daily life and contribute to a more sustainable future. Developed by a talented team of experts, who are committed to continuous, customer-focused innovation, our products are marketed globally to a diversified group of customers.

Our extensive distribution network, global reach and unparalleled logistical expertise provides a consistent and reliable source of supply.

www.venatorcorp.com

Working with the world’s leading suppliers, we offer the latest technologies, to help customers implement safe, environmentally-friendly production practices throughout the manufacturing chain. www.univarsolutions.co.uk

RBH Ltd

Holland Colours UK Ltd

The RBH Group is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of speciality functional materials, additives and modifiers into the chemical industry. RBH has recently acquired Dunwood Polymers creating a new independent company, Dunwood Specialities Limited (DSL). DSL specialises in the distribution of water-based polymer dispersions and high-quality performance materials into the UK coating market. Based in Manchester, RBH operates 5 strategically located warehouses across Europe and represents a number of international market leading Principals.

Holland Colours is an employee-owned manufacturer of the highest quality solid and liquid colorants, color masterbatches and advanced polymer additives for our customers products. With decades of experience in creating unique and exceptional colouring solutions for the coatings market, including universal water-borne, solvent-borne and specialist systems, all trusted by leading manufacturers to deliver consistent quality.

www.rbhltd.com 28 Covered Autumn 2022

www.hollandcolours.com

Ingevity

TER UK Ltd

Ingevity’s engineered polymers business is the global leader in caprolactone technology and innovation, with a 40-year history of improving performance in a variety of end-use products. Ingevity supplies Capa® products into multiple markets, helping formulator and applicator customers make tougher, more durable, flexible and resistant, and even biodegradable products. Specific to coating applications, Capa polyols enhance formulations by offering tough and durable performance, increasing scratch and abrasion resistance, and generating high gloss and low haze.

TER Chemicals is a leading European chemical distributor of specialty chemical products. In July 2012 TER group further strengthened its UK operations by opening TER (UK) Limited located in Cambridge offering a portfolio of chemicals for the CASE, Life Science and Water Treatment industries. Servicing customers with both direct shipments or via its local UK warehouses, our aim is to identify the specialty chemicals that meet your requirements on quality, price, delivery and back-up. www.teruk.co.uk

www.ingevity.com

Blackburn Chemicals Limited Blackburn Chemicals specialise in producing Foam Control Agents for a diverse range of industries.

We export our products on a worldwide basis and our trade name, Dispelair™, is synonymous with quality and technical excellence. We’re proud to be renowned for our expertise throughout the company.

All employees are dedicated to providing both new and existing customers with top quality products and services – something we have strived to achieve and improve, since our formation in 1972. www.bbchem.co.uk

BioLabTests Established in 2014, BioLabTests is a highly skilled testing laboratory offering a wide range of microbiological services including environmental testing, product testing, bespoke research, antimicrobial efficacy testing and audit support for quality control purposes. We provide a thorough client onboarding process, fast testing turnaround times, a unique consultancy service to explain the test results and comprehensive reports presenting more information than other industry providers. www.biolabtests.com

Covered Autumn 2022 29

Upcoming events and meetings All BCF meeting are now face-to-face but a dial-in option will be available.

September

BCF staff update

October

Sophie Dunham Marketing Executive

November

December

30 Covered Autumn 2022

We would like to welcome Sophie Dunham, our new Marketing Executive, who joined the BCF in March.

Sophie studied photography and then went on to do a Marketing Diploma. She then worked as a Marketing and Design Executive in an Opticians before joining the BCF. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, mountain climbing, kayaking and can often be found in the Lake District. Sophie is very keen on promoting Sustainability and is working towards a Zero Waste lifestyle. She looks forward to working with members, putting together publications and creating video content. You can get in touch with Sophie at sophie.dunham@bcf.co.uk.

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• Self-study, when and where you want it • Bite-sized learning at your own pace • Comprehensive support from qualified tutors • Online and written assessments • Taster versions available to download before you buy

For more information visit www.thecoatingsinstitute.com

Why join the BCF?

1 2

Regulatory support and advice

4

Influence regulatory issues

3

Information on UK/EU regulations

5

7

Access to comprehensive statistics

6 8

Raising your profile in the industry

Manage reputation risk

9 32 Covered Autumn 2022

Take part in the Coatings Care sustainability programme

Network be part of the UK coatings industry

10

Discounts on training/ partnerships BCF badge adds credibility

++++

British Coatings Federation Finalists of TAF’s Crisis Management: Covid Member Support Award & Rising Star Award 2022 Office: 02476 935390 | Web: coatings.org.uk Spectra House, Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry CV4 8HS Covered Autumn 2022 33

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