Covered Summer 2021

COVERED

The Coatings Careers Hub is brought to you by the British Coatings Federation (BCF), the UK’s trade association representing the interests of the decorative, industrial and powder coatings, printing inks and wallcovering manufacturers.

The hub brings together career opportunities at member companies of the BCF which includes permanent and temporary vacancies, sandwich and summer placements for students, graduate schemes, and apprenticeships.

Editorial

By Tom Bowtell Chief Executive Officer of the BCF

Given the year everyone had in 2020 with Covid-19 and all the many challenges it brought, it was with a degree of excitement and relief on Christmas Eve last year when we heard the news that the Prime Minister had finally agreed a free trade agreement with the EU. We’ve since discovered it is far from free and frictionless trade, with our members’ operating costs being increased by up to 10% due to the additional bureaucracy and paperwork the new agreement has generated, and some real challenges for our members when exporting to Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU.

On top of the short term and immediate trading challenges, the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement did not include data sharing on chemical substances, and we’ve spent most of 2021 in discussion with Defra and BEIS to try to establish how the UK can continue to be a competitive manufacturing country for chemical-based products like coatings and printing inks. Our latest Brexit survey results, which are reported on page 10, give more details on the current mood of the industry. At time of going to print, there is still no news on whether Defra will be more pragmatic in its approach to chemicals management in the UK, or if we are faced with a complete replica of EU REACH, paying again for data to populate an identical UK REACH database of over 20,000 chemical substances.

Given the huge challenges from Covid-19 and Brexit, it was hard to imagine a third issue would dominate our industry in 2021. I already had some hints of the raw material crisis just before Christmas last year when I was contacted by one of our members regarding epoxy and polyester resin supply issues in Q4 2020 caused by several force majeures and booming global demand for chemicals. Covid-19 has significantly contributed to chemical supply chain disruptions, and this has been amplified by a large number of additional force majueres in the USA, Europe and Asia, causing significant concern and stress to BCF members trying to meet with customer demand. The estimated impact of raw material prices on our members’ product assortment costs vary from 1535%, depending on the sector, and unfortunately availability issues look set to continue for several months ahead. Read more on this on page 18.

In more positive news, we report on the sustainability successes of the industry in the build up to COP26 in November (page 6), and our response to one of the major challenges we still face – the estimated 50 million litres of leftover paint generated in the UK every year, with only 2% of it recycled or remanufactured. On page 8 we outline how PaintCare aims to solve this, and we are very close to making it a reality. We are also making BCF a more sustainable employer – see page 26.

Given the recent announcements on ending Covid-19 legal restrictions in the UK, we are thrilled to confirm our 2021 Conference and Awards programme will be going ahead as planned on October 14th, at a new venue in Manchester, to allow us to accommodate everyone. We’ve had over 50 entries for our awards, and the shortlisted entries can be seen on page 16, along with details on how to book your place or table for what will be the coatings industry event of the year. We will be asking for proof of double vaccination for the event via the NHS app or negative covid test taken 48 hours prior to reassure everyone attending.

Assuming the current peak in Covid cases reduces by September we plan to return to face-to-face BCF member meetings, so we hope to look forward to seeing members again in Coventry in the Autumn!

Tom Bowtell Chief Executive Officer

Coatings industry confidence climbs to highest level in two years

The coatings industry has seen business confidence continue to improve as the economy recoversthe BCF business confidence index figure is now 70.4, compared to 63.5 when this survey was conducted in Autumn last year, and 61.6 in the last survey conducted preCovid-19, in Autumn 2019. This contrasts with June 2020, when business confidence was at rock bottom during the first lockdown, with a BCF index of only 37.1.

The first five months of 2021 have delivered excellent sales results in both decorative and industrial coatings, caused by continued strong consumer demand for DIY products including paints and wallcoverings, and a buoyant manufacturing and construction industry recovery. Overall, UK paints and coatings sales were an impressive 24% higher than the same period in 2020.

Although the coatings sector is performing well, it is a different story for printing inks. Following a difficult 2020, with sales falling 16%, the outlook continues to be pessimistic, which is mainly due to the continued subdued demand for printed media. The latest survey highlights an expectation of poor results for printing inks during the rest of 2021.

BCF’s business confidence survey for Spring 2021, conducted in April and May this year, asked paint and printing ink manufacturers about their forecasts for 2021 compared with their results for 2020. In the latest survey, the results have improved and there has been a general shift upwards. The largest change is that a quarter of surveyed businesses are “very confident” about their performance. The improved result is not surprising given that in October 2020, the last survey period, the UK was approaching a tightening of restrictions over winter, whilst this latest survey was conducted when there was the prospect of further easing on the horizon.

Despite the more upbeat mood in the sector, the coatings industry continues to face ongoing raw material availability challenges and price increases across all sectors, as well as the regulatory uncertainty and red tape caused by the post-Brexit Free Trade Agreement and UK REACH. We are currently in dialogue with UK Government to try to create a more pragmatic and proportionate approach to regulating chemicals in the UK.

Euro 2020 highlights why Minutes Matter

The need for access to defibrillators was highlighted again in the public eye recently, when 29-year-old Denmark footballer Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest when playing against Finland in the European Championships. Thankfully, he survived after prompt medical treatment on the pitch. If something good can come out of such harrowing individual circumstances it is that the resulting publicity may help save lives in other cases in the future.

In the wake of the Eriksen case, The Community Heartbeat Trust has seen a flurry of enquiries from the public asking how they can help improve access to potentially life-saving defibrillators in their area. The UK Resuscitation Council suggests a defibrillator should be available wherever medical treatment is more than five minutes away. Yet, clearly, many parts of the country – especially those in rural locations – are much further away from hospitals and specialist help.

The Minutes Matter campaign sets out to provide defibrillators in as many rural phone boxes as possible across the UK. The BCF has been a proud supporter of this campaign for a number of years now, working in partnership with The Community Heartbeat Trust and BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme, refurbishing and repurposing old red ‘Jubilee’ BT telephone boxes into community defibrillator stations. BCF members have been supplying paint to give the repurposed boxes a top-grade finish, and helping preserve an important part of our national heritage. To date, our members have assisted with the refurbishment of around 650

boxes. The BCF Board agreed to a significant donation from the BCF’s reserves, and will be our preferred charity for the 2022 BCF charity bike ride.

Minutes Matter red phone boxes with defibrillators can be found all over the UK

Over the summer we will be looking to help raise the profile of the Minutes Matter campaign and the CHT. We plan to write to all the MPs who have had kiosks installed in their constituencies and ask them to highlight the charity and campaign through media and social media, maybe having photos taken at different sites during the Parliamentary recess. We will also be engaging on social media directly ourselves and will be encouraging BCF members to join in and spread the word too, especially those who have been contributing paint as part of the Minutes Matter campaign for free. Keep an eye out for emails about how you can get involved and help us raise the profile of the amazing CHT charity and the vitally important Minutes Matter campaign.

Unused telephone boxes

into defibrillator stations.

to the BCF members who

paint for the campaign

Sustainability in the coatings and inks industry

The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference – or COP26 – is due to be held in November this year. The UK Government holds the Conference’s Presidency and the summit is being held in Glasgow. All eyes will on the UK to see how it leads at the Conference and the Government is keen to showcase its commitments to sustainability. With COP26 fast approaching, and importantly the UK’s presidency of COP26, the world will be watching to see how the UK will work to meet our sustainability commitments.

As an industry, we are working hard to promote sustainable practice throughout our supply chain and beyond. To highlight and celebrate the work our members are doing to create a more sustainable industry, we will soon be launching our #sustainablecoatings and #sustainableinks campaign.

#sustainablecoatings, #sustainableinks will be a campaign through BCF publications and social media which aims to showcase how our members are supporting sustainability within the coatings industry. We will be sharing case studies provided by our members in the run-up to and throughout COP26 which can then be shared on members’ social media channels. We will also be encouraging members to use the #sustainablecoatings and #sustainableinks hashtags on any related social media posts they issue so we can all see them more easily and share and reinforce the messaging.

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Sustainability pledges

In April 2021, the BCF Sustainability Committee took part in a thought starter activity, where members of the decorative coatings, industrial coatings and printing inks sectors discussed potential pledges that the industry could make ahead of COP26. The next Sustainability Committee is taking place on the 15th September 2021; the purpose of this meeting will be to formally agree a pledge and to start the creation of roadmaps to provide guidance in achieving the targets set out in the pledges. If you would like to be involved, please register via the events page on the BCF website.

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World’s shipping fleet would use 40% more fuel without antifouling coatings - saving 70 million tonnes of greenhouse gases

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PaintCare stewardship programme getting closer

Steve Snaith BCF PaintCare Consultant

The first half of 2021 has seen significant progress with PaintCare, the paint industry’s national voluntary product stewardship programme which will revolutionise how leftover paint is managed in the UK. The goal is to increase the amount of leftover paint reused, recycled or remanufactured from 2% today to over 50%, create over 100 new jobs and save local Government over £20m every year.

In March, BCF conducted market research with consumers and decorators, which showed very high levels of support for PaintCare. Over 80% of respondents supported the concept and were willing to pay an additional ‘eco fee’ on new paint purchases if they knew that leftover paint would be collected and recycled. There was also a keen interest in using and purchasing remanufactured paint, assuming the quality could be assured.

Based on this really positive research, in April the BCF’s Decorative Coatings Council gave the green light to the BCF team to start talks with retailers, merchants and decorator’s associations. At time of printing, the talks that have been had so far are very encouraging, with strong positive support to help make the PaintCare programme a reality.

It is likely that BCF will be putting a formal proposal to the Government in the Autumn to ask for official support and approval of PaintCare as a national industry led, voluntary scheme to manage leftover paint in the UK.

PaintCare is expected to result in over one hundred new jobs for the UK economy, with the setting up of new remanufacturing plants across the UK. The scheme will also save local authorities at least £20m in costs of disposing of leftover paint and will reduce the amount of paint landfilled or incinerated by over 50,000 tonnes per year. The PaintCare scheme would result in almost 50% more leftover paint being reused, recycled or remanufactured.

Latest Brexit survey shows extent of new challenges to sector

Thank you to all who took part in our most recent Brexit impact survey. We had 62 responses from our 250 members, which is a good proportion. This followed 68 replies to the very similar survey at the end of January and so we are able to compare between the two with some degree of confidence and track how issues have moved up or down the list of members’ concerns.

There were two overriding trends to emerge from the survey.

Firstly, members are now estimating the cost of Brexit to be significantly higher than when asked to do so in January. Back then, when asked to ‘estimate how much extra do you think new trading arrangements with the EU will add onto your operating costs?’ the highest proportion of responders, a third, said ‘don’t know’: perfectly reasonable given the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) was just a few weeks old. By June, respondents are much more certain, with just 14% saying ‘don’t know.’ Instead, more than four in ten (43%) now report increased operating costs of over 5%, with one in ten (9%) citing a figure of more than 10%. As one member said: ‘Our operating costs have increased significantly more than we initially expected.’ The second main theme that emerges is growing concern about the impact of chemical regulations. At the turn of the year, by far the most pressing issues and concerns for the future were based on cost increases to do with customs paperwork, rules of origin etc, which were immediate, ‘day one’ issues companies had to deal with. June’s survey still sees customs and transport issues ranked highly

but the proportion of respondents listing them has fallen as people get to grips with the new systems.

In comparison, those citing problems complying with UK REACH has more than doubled since January, up from 19% to 34%. The proportion citing similar issues with UK CLP also doubled, up to 19%. And there were increases in the number of members reporting issues dealing with EU REACH (21%) and CLP (19%) as a third country business.

Almost 80% of respondents believe UK REACH will impact negatively on their businesses

Moreover, nearly four-fifths (79%) believe the new UK REACH rules will impact negatively on their business with 57% saying the new UK CLP rules will have a negative impact. Thinking about their future competitiveness, two thirds

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(67%) are concerned that the new UK REACH system of regulating chemicals will impact on raw material prices in future, with 60% fearing the new regulations will impact on availability of some raw materials in the UK. Fear of divergence of UK rules from EU rules is now the joint top concern of impacting competitiveness, at 69%. And, in the other direction, for those exporting to the EU, 60% fear that having to abide by EU REACH and CLP rules as a ‘third country’ will impact on their business competitiveness.

However, as noted earlier, it is still the case that customs and transport issues are affecting a majority of members and adding significant costs. Increased costs of shipping and of raw material import prices (both on 69%) are the two most commonly cited issues members were having problems with, and additional trading costs due to Brexit is still listed as joint top concern on impact on competitiveness (69%). All of these

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numbers have fallen since January but still remain significant. And BCF members are still encountering delays to shipping between UK and the EU - and between GB and NI –and are finding the availability of hauliers difficult.

As a result, after experiencing nearly six months of the new EU-EU trading relationship, half of respondents (47%) still harbour concerns they will lose export opportunities to the EU because of additional complexities under the TCA. While this proportion is also down, from 66% back in January, that is still a huge number. And 21% are still concerned that the additional complexities of trading with the EU will lead to their company reducing some of their UK production and moving it to the EU.

What are your biggest concerns for your business competitiveness now we have entered the new trading relationship with the EU?

Answer choices

Also significant is a worrying 19% of respondents reporting EU suppliers no longer want to export to the UK. This was a new option added to the June survey following reports we were hearing that this was a growing problem. Given all of the above, it is unsurprising that 70% of members feel that the new trading relationship with the EU will lead to fewer opportunities to trade with the EU.

Is there any good news in the figures? As noted already, some of the number of members reporting problems with customs paperwork (48%), impact of rules of origin (36%) and understanding rules of origin (22%) have all dropped, suggesting that members are getting to grips with the new rules. And despite all the additional costs and complexities, members are proving resilient exporters:

June Jan Change

Future divergence of UK REACH from EU REACH 69% 71%

Additional trading costs due to customs pa perwork

Impact of UK REACH on raw material prices in the UK

Impact of UK REACH on availability of smaller volume materials in the UK

82%

58%

60%

Having to deal with EU REACH and EU CLP as a third country business 60% 57%

Reduction in UK product portfolio due to smaller volume substances not being registered in UK REACH 50% 51%

Effect of Rules of Origin meaning tariffs now payable on some goods 50% 63%

Risk of losing EU export customers due to in creased complexity in doing business 47% 66%

Competitiveness of my UK factory vs EU com petitors 36% 51%

Shipping finished goods to Northern Ireland 21% 25%

81% say they are currently still exporting to the EU (although two members have stopped). Although small-ish numbers, there are still a fifth of members (21%) who feel the TCA will allow more trading opportunities with the rest of the world, and 17% that it will mean more opportunities for them to increase trade in the UK.

Overall, though, these latest survey results show that, having had nearly six months to calculate the impact

of the new trading relationship with the EU, BCF members are encountering significant extra costs to their businesses as a result of the TCA and worries over UK REACH are growing. On this latter point, we continue to lobby Government to amend the current legislation and you can read about the latest UK REACH situation on the following page.

Estimated increase in operating costs due to new EU trading rules

70% of coatings companies believe their trade with the EU, the sector’s main

Industry challenges UK REACH

Attempting to secure changes to the current UK REACH legislation has been the priority for BCF’s public affairs work for some time now.

As you will recall, the UK adopted its own version of REACH when the UK left the EU on 1st January, essentially copying and pasting the EU version into domestic law. We, along with the chemicals industry and manufacturers of downstream products reliant on the sector’s output, have consistently called on the Government to make changes to the legislation, arguing that the system is not designed with the size and structure of the UK manufacturing sector in mind. The current regulations will require a wholesale registration – including full data dossiers which may also require additional animal testing - of substances being used in this country in a new UK database. It will also add numerous new requirements on downstream users who have not had experience of having to deal with REACH in this way before.

As part of our campaigning for change, in February, we composed a letter alongside the Chemical Industries Association and Chemicals Businesses Association calling for change. We made an alternative proposal that would not involve wholesale re-registration with data-dossiers for all substances but would still provide the UK regulator with data to do its job yet would maintain high standards of health and environmental safety. The letter was co-signed by a total of 26 downstream trade associations including utilities, the aerospace, construction and automotive sectors, the Food and Drink Federation, and the leading UK manufacturers body, Make UK. The aim of the letter was to try to demonstrate to Ministers that UK REACH was not ‘just’ a problem for ‘chemicals companies’ but would impact severely on products and services downstream, affecting millions of people across the UK.

The result of the letter was that Defra agreed to set up a series of

David Park Public Affairs Manager

working groups with industry. Those meetings took place on and off from February into May. BCF were part of the industry group, together with Simon Aldersley from U-POL, in order to help represent the interests of downstream users. While the content of the discussions was under Chatham House rules, we can say that Defra did at least listen and there was an exchange of data and ideas about different options. We should also point out that while Defra have been engaging with us, they have also been engaging with NGOs. The latter have since publicly urged that the current UK REACH proposals should not be watered down.

The result of the working group discussions will now need to be played back to Ministers, who will have to make the final decision about whether to proceed as planned or whether to accept an alternative. We are expecting those Ministerial meetings to happen imminently.

What happens next is dependent on those Ministerial decisions. We obviously hope that they will agree to make changes to UK REACH which will be less onerous on business than they are currently. However, if the decision does not go our way, we will not be leaving the matter there and will continue to press for mitigations to the system. As ever, we will keep members updated on progress.

BCF influence continues to grow on the world stage

2021 has seen the BCF broadening its influence, both globally and within the UK. Developing our position on the world stage and having the recognition as one of the leading coatings associations puts the UK firmly on the map, and helps the BCF influence the many critical issues and challenges our industry faces.

As well as representing the BCF on CEPE’s Operational Board, at the annual meeting of the World Coatings Council in March 2021, our CEO Tom Bowtell was elected Vice President. The Council, made up of members representing associations from over 17 countries, provides a forum for communicating and coordinating policy on trans-national issues that affect the paint and printing inks industry. Andy Doyle, President of the World Coatings Council and CEO of the American Coatings Association, commented: “Tom’s election as Vice President of the World Coatings Council was unanimously supported by industry colleagues, and I’m delighted to have such an experienced and proactive deputy in my final year as President.”

In the UK, BCF continues to punch above its weight with leadership positions in the supply chain of the chemical, printing and manufacturing industries. Tom Bowtell is the new Chair of the Alliance of Chemicals Associations, which consists of 14 associations and includes a Government representative from the business department. Between them the ACA member trade associations represent some 1,400 companies, the majority of which are SMEs which, combined, in the UK have an annual turnover of £45 billion and employ 170,000 people. Tom Bowtell also represents the BCF at the most senior chemical industry engagement with Government on post Brexit chemical regulations, through his seat on the the Business Department (BEIS) Chemicals EU Exit Group (CEEG), one of only two trade associations invited to participate. In addition Tom is also a member of the Department for International Trade’s Chemicals Trade Advisory Group, looking at post Brexit trade deals, and the opportunities for chemicals and coatings manufacturers.

In January 2021, Tom took over as Chair of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Surface Coatings Interest Group which focuses on bringing together the industrial and academic communities with an interest in surface coatings. This group aims to inspire the future generation of chemists which is critical to the sustainability of our industry. Initiatives and events such as the ‘Careers in Coatings’ webinar highlight the benefits of working within the industry and showcases the opportunities available.

BCF President Guy Williams commented, “At such a critical time for the sector it is great to see the BCF leading on so many key areas. Following Brexit, the pandemic and the raw materials crisis, the BCF having a strong global influence is critical to supporting our members. With the UK hosting United Nations COP26 later this year I am pleased to see the BCF’s involvement with the WCC on the Sustainable Development Goals and its sustainability agenda.”

Member of CEPE’s Operational Board

Vice President of World Coatings Council

Chair of Royal Society of Chemistry’s Surface Coatings Interest Group

Chair of Alliance of Chemical Associations

The future of EU chemicals regulation

Ciara Dempsey Regulatory Affairs Manager

In October 2020, as part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission published its “Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability Towards a toxicfree environment” (also known as the ‘CSS’). This is a highly ambitious strategy which will result in significant changes to the way chemicals are regulated in the EU. Substantial changes are expected to cornerstone regulations, REACH and CLP and in specific areas such as the regulation of food contact materials.

The CSS aims to “ensure better protection of human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals” and “boost innovation for safe and sustainable chemicals”. However, the strategy has come under criticism from industry associations and others for the shift towards a much more hazard-based approach to regulation rather than riskbased. One important aspect of the CSS is the introduction of the concept of ‘essentiality’. i.e. that the ‘most harmful’ chemicals will only be allowed to be used where the use is deemed essential, regardless of whether the potential for exposure, and therefore risk, is low. There are concerns that this will lead to a further reduced pool of raw materials from which the coatings industry can manufacture products. The concept has been a topic of debate and demonstrating the ‘essentiality’ of coatings is a critical activity for our industry.

The concept of grouping chemicals is also proposed, meaning that groups of chemicals may

be subject to a generic risk assessment. Restrictions of groups of substances are therefore likely, regardless of the different hazard potentials of substances within the group. Other significant changes include the introduction of some new hazard classification criteria, most notably for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). This move has raised some eyebrows, as it would normally be expected that new classification criteria would be implemented via UN GHS, rather than unilaterally by one region.

The UK is also developing a chemicals strategy, which is expected to be published in 2022. It is not yet known how closely the UK

strategy may follow the EU CSS. The UK Government has been keen to emphasize that they will be making independent decisions, and in the past as a Member State of the EU has often favoured a more riskbased approach. It therefore seems possible that there will be some significant differences between the UK and EU strategies, which would of course lead to greater divergence between the two, and probably much more quickly than many of us would have originally expected. The BCF will continue to work closely with CEPE with respect to the European CSS and will of course also be closely monitoring the developments in terms of the UK strategy.

New

Due to the high demand of our BCF Annual Conference and Awards dinner and accommodation packages, we have had to source an alternative venue that allows us the flexibility to ensure all members and award entry finalists can attend. We are pleased to say we have secured The International Suite at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel as our new venue.

We will follow the Government’s latest guidelines at the time to ensure the event is as safe as possible for all attendees. Members will be asked to give a written declaration confirming people in their booking have received both doses of the vaccine at least 3 weeks before the event, or for attendees to have had a negative lateral flow test within 48 hours of the event.

Conference and Awards dinner package tickets (package 3) are still available. Tickets for the Awards dinner only (package 4) will be sold exclusively to companies that have been shortlisted

an award.

for BCF

and Awards

Keynote speakers:

Julia Kendell

Interior designer, Television Presenter and Writer

A design professional with over 30 years under her belt, Julia works to help people create a ‘happy home’, with the aid of neuroscience and psychology, to promote better wellbeing.

Jonny Benjamin

Mental Health Campaigner

An award-winning mental health campaigner, film producer, public speaker, writer and vlogger. He began making films on YouTube about his condition that have been watched by thousands of people.

Conference speakers:

Andy Doyle - CEO, American Coatings Association

The World Coatings Council and global trends in the paint industry

Andy Thomas - CEO, KYND

Cyber risk - Simple and practical advice on how organisations can reduce their own cyber risks

Charles Jarrold - CEO, British Printing Industry Federation

Current and future trends in the printing industry

Matt Sykes - Head of Sales, The DPO Centre

How to sell a can of paint

The business case for gender balance

Peter Lee - Head of Consultants, Oakdene Hollins

A vision for paint recycling in the UK

Tom Bowtell - CEO, BCF BCF review and outlook for the year

Sponsored by: Lead sponsor

Dimitra ChristakouDevelopment Director, WISE

BCF Awards 2021 finalists announced

Sustainable Innovation Award 2021

Sponsored by:

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

PPG Automotive RefinishMoonwalk BYK-Gardnerspectro2profiler BASF - Agilis

Customer Service Award 2021

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

Sun Chemical

Young Leader of the Year Award 2021 Sponsored by:

Corporate Social Responsibility 2021

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.

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.

Cameron Starkey, IPL Steve Coppin, U-POL Natasha Ram, PPG Architectural Coatings

Natalie Hood, Jotun Paints Europe

HMG

Excellence in Training Award 2021

The BCF Excellence in Training Award is presented for a company initiative rather than individual (which is recognised through the Student of the Year Award). Now in its fifth year, entries for both BCF training and non BCF initiatives will be considered.

U-POL Jotun Paints Europe

AkzoNobelDulux Decorator Centre

PPG Architectural Coatings AkzoNobel

Dulux Academy

Marketing Campaign of the Year 2021

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.

AkzoNobelDulux Decorator Centre

PPGLeyland Trade Smart

Diversity and Inclusion Award 2021

Sponsored by:

The Diversity and Inclusion Award will be awarded to a BCF member company that best demonstrates an effective programme across a broad range of diversity and inclusion elements.

PPG Architectural Coatings Jotun Paints Europe

BASFGlasurit UL

Apprentice of the Year 2021 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.

Student of the Year 2021 Sponsored by:

Coatings Care Overall Best Performer Award 2021

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 2021 Sponsored by:

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.

The shortlisted companies for both Coatings Care and Student of the Year will be announced in September.

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. There is no entry process for these awards.

To book your place or table for our Awards dinner, please visit: www.coatings.org.uk/ conference2021

Josh Taylor, HMG

Daniel Bower, Rakem Group Nathan Eckersley, HMG George O’Reilly, IPL

Raw material prices surge for paint and ink manufacturers

Our latest statistics show that there is no end in sight for the ongoing raw material availability crisis. Within the coatings industry, raw materials account for around 50% of all costs and therefore the price increases have had a significant impact on organisations within the sector.

Price increases have hit a number of critical solvents, including resins, extenders and some pigments, with packaging also causing major problems for manufacturers. On a weighted average basis, the BCF estimates that raw material prices for the coatings sector have increased by between 15-35% in the last year.

The BCF monitors the prices of over 50 raw material and packaging items from 30 member companies. Below are some key facts.

Solvents

Statistics from May 2021 show some prices are up by at least two-and-a -half times the level they were at the same point last year. For example, N-Butyl Acetate prices were 258% higher than a year ago with N-Butanol up 248%, MIBK 212% higher and Methoxy Propyl Acetate up 189%.

Pigments

Price increases were less steep than for solvents but we still saw seven out of nine materials showing increases. Pigment Green 7 was up 13% on this time last year and Red Iron Oxide Micronised was 11% higher. For extenders, the median price for Silica Matting Agent was almost 60%

higher than a year ago and Talc AT1 type was up 10%.

Packaging

All packaging items in our basket had a higher price tag than a year ago. The biggest increase seen in packaging was for 205 litre drums, up 20% on last year. Additionally, the price of 5 litre round tins has risen 15% over the last year.

Wider measures of producer prices showed steady increases over the last six months. The ONS index was 9.1% higher in May and other

equivalent indices also highlighted increased input prices. UK manufacturing and chemical sector input prices showed a 10% increase compared to 2020; this is a stark difference to the 2% increase in the more widely publicised index for UK consumer inflation.

Whilst the impact of these price increases differs across the industry, we do expect ongoing availability issues for the remainder of the year.

Record levels of member satisfaction with BCF services

The 2021 BCF member satisfaction survey carried out earlier this year showed record satisfaction scores for BCF services, with an average rating of 8.2 out of 10 across the 12 categories. The highest satisfaction rating was related to our support for members preparing for Brexit. This was followed by member communications, the response

With almost 300 people taking part we were pleased to see that our overall satisfaction score continued to stay above 90% for the 5th consecutive survey.

during the pandemic and overall service from our staff. We saw a significant increase in the number of participants in the survey, with a threefold increase on last year.

After a year of major challenges in our sector and across the wider economy, we saw a significant rise in member engagement. It is unsurprising that much of this focused on supporting members through the Covid-19 crisis and Brexit. The services that our members most valued were communications, lobbying and technical advice. Technical seminars, webinars & workshops were also highly rated, alongside our work in promoting the coatings industry. 94% of respondents said that the BCF was meeting their needs and only 5% felt their needs were only partially being met.

Speaking at the time of the survey, BCF CEO Tom Bowtell said, “I’m

delighted at the continued high levels of satisfaction and support for the BCF from our membership. It’s clear from member feedback that sustainability should be a key area of our future focus. Members are also very concerned about the future UK chemical regulations such as UK REACH, and see this as a major opportunity for BCF to support the industry.”

Our members perceived decreased opportunity for the industry to grow as a result of the economic downturn post Covid and the raw material crisis as the biggest threats to the BCF. Alongside this, regulatory divergence from the EU was also seen as a threat, as was the new trading environment with the EU. This will continue to be a major focus of our activities moving forward.

“BCF is setting the standard for trade associations.” “This year has been unprecedented and exceptional and the BCF has been my go to source for up-to-date information and expert advice.”

“Very professional, structured leadership to issues, approaches adopted often best in class relative to other industry associations we work with.”

“I think this year the BCF rose to the challenges of Brexit & Covid-19, offering great support & guidance to its members.”

New BCF push on laboratory technician apprenticeships

As part of our wider sustainability agenda, we have long been promoting getting new young talent into the sector, educating new entrants with our own suite of Coatings Training Institute training modules, which have been approved by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Although 2021 saw the fifth year that UK apprenticeship numbers have decreased, the support and additional opportunities available to all companies to engage an apprentice have never been better. In addition to

the £3,000 incentive that the Government has made available, which is paid to employers for every new start Apprentice in England between April to September 2021, the access to Government Levy funds to support Apprenticeships for new and existing personnel in England has been opened wider and covers all sectors. Similar offers are available in the other countries in the UK.

To support our members maximise their engagement, we continue to work closely with the Apprenticeship Management Group, who have helped several BCF members to scope the opportunities to incorporate Apprenticeships as part of their own training and development programme, recruit new apprentices, identify the most suitable Apprenticeship Standard for existing employees and most recently we have been promoting their Kickstart Support Service, which is still available.

Apprenticeship programmes:

Level 3 Laboratory Technician

An apprenticeship on the Laboratory Technician programme is a step towards a wide range of potential careers. You could find yourself working within pharmaceuticals, nuclear energy, biotech or education – a Lab Technician could be working on a construction site or developing paints and coatings.

The core modules will help you to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours you need to perform this role brilliantly for your employer. These cover the basics like Health and Safety, Quality Procedures, and Testing and Analysis.

The programme is ideal for both existing staff and new recruits. It takes 18-21 months.

Level 3 Science Manufacturing Technician

The Science Manufacturing Technician has been developed in partnership with leading organisations in the manufacturing industry to address a skills shortage in the sector.

An apprenticeship on the Science Manufacturing Technician programme is a step towards a rewarding career in manufacturing, developing products such as polymers, paints and coatings.

The core modules will help you to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours you need to perform this role brilliantly for your employer. These cover the basics like Health and Safety, Process Operations, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Equipment Maintenance and Calibration, and more.

The programme is ideal for both existing staff and new recruits. It takes 21-24 months.

To further help members take advantage of technical apprenticeships, BCF’s Apprenticeship Service has teamed up with Tiro, a leading trainer provider for science and technology apprenticeships. Tiro’s level 3 Laboratory Technician and Science Manufacturing Technician apprenticeships will both utilise the Coatings Training Institute as the knowledge element of the apprenticeship, allowing BCF members to benefit from government funding to cover the cost of the CTI modules, something that has not previously been possible.

Tiro apprentices will receive both a Tiro tutor, alongside a CTI tutor who has extensive knowledge of the coatings industry. They are also supported by a company mentor, who can support the apprentice as they move through the course material.

The CTI training provides great benefits, both to the employee and the organisation. Our new partnership with Tiro enables their apprentices to develop an extensive knowledge of the coatings industry.

Further to the modules that Tiro will be promoting, the Coatings Training Institute has 57 modules at 4 different levels. The modular approach enables students to pick and choose the modules that best serve their needs. The programme of study is primarily aimed at laboratory staff but also provides a study pathway for anyone who needs to develop an understanding of the technology of surface coatings.

Our flexible learning offering ensures that modules can be taken by anyone, anywhere in the world. The Coatings Training Institute has experience in working with students around the world including the United Kingdom, China, Italy, Norway, Germany, Baltics, Sweden, France and Saudi Arabia.

If you’d like to learn more about what CTI can offer, then take a look at our website at: www.thecoatingsinstitute.com or email Lorraine Beard at lorraine.beard@bcf.co.uk.

you want to learn more about Tiro’s apprenticeships, contact apprenticeships@bcf.co.uk or visit the Tiro website at: www.tiro.co.uk

New members

We are proud to announce that despite a challenging year, the BCF has achieved 99% retention of its Full members. If you would like to find out more about the opportunities available to our members, or how we have supported them through the coronavirus crisis and Brexit, please contact Ali Brown at: alison.brown@bcf.co.uk.

Full members

Surface Print is a 4th generation, family run company that produce luxury wallcoverings for celebrated interior design houses throughout the world. Innovation, sustainability and the environment are very much at the heart of everything we do with technical boundaries constantly being pushed and all raw materials responsibly sourced from high quality, accredited companies.

www.surfaceprint.com

Benjamin Moore & Co. A Berkshire Hathaway company was founded in 1883. One of North America’s leading manufacturers of premium quality residential, commercial, and industrial maintenance coatings, Benjamin Moore is famous for the beauty of its colours and the exceptional quality of its products. Benjamin Moore Coatings are available from its more than 7,500 locally owned and operated paint, decoration and hardware retailers throughout the United States and Canada as well as 75 countries globally.

www.benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk

Xymertec produces a range of high performance two pack coatings for the flooring and industrial markets.

They devote a considerable amount of effort to R&D and have developed a new patented technology that allows a low cost, nontoxic green precursor to be added to either the resin or isocyanate component. The precursor reduces viscosity and usually eliminates the need for solvent to be used. When the components are mixed the precursor reacts into the system.

www.xymertec.com

ITAC specialise in developing high-performance adhesives and coatings. Working closely with their customers, Itac provide expertise throughout the formulation, sampling, trialling, upscaling, and qualification processes. This enables them to demonstrate continuous innovation in the development of new products, or the improvement of existing ones. Itac also provide confidential toll manufacturing services. With proven competence in polymer compounding, these enable partners to focus on their business objectives and ensure continuity of supply for their own clients.

www.itacadhesives.co.uk

M. Akin Akcali is the CEO of Akcali UK Ltd and is the Chairman of the Turkish Paint Industry Association (BOSAD). Paints are manufactured by Akcali in Turkey. The WRX Trade brands have been trading in the UK since 2017, and WRX is the brand name for Akcali.

With a wide range of high-performance trade paints and spray paints, they support a wide variety of businesses including Painting and Decorating, Construction, Hire, Plant manufacturing, the Automotive industry, Agriculture, and the DIY sector.

www.wrxtrade.co.uk

Associate members

HPS provides liquid product recovery (‘pigging’) systems to paint and coatings companies throughout the UK and the world. HPS technology recovers 99.5%+ of residual product in pipelines, increasing yields and plant capacity while cutting product waste, saving flush water and cleaning chemicals, reducing contamination and crosscontamination risks, speeding up changeover times and saving on waste treatment and disposal costs. These benefits increase operational efficiency, productivity and environmental sustainability, delivering a high ROI and rapid payback.

www.hps-pigging.com

Pre Treatment Solutions Ltd has been offering pre paint preparation technologies over the past 15 years, offering alternatives to the traditional use of high phosphate, & chrome based solutions, with their range of PHOS – PREP® alternatives namely PHOS – PREP®PP 971T & PP 920.

ORONTEC is a small (10 employees) and still young company (founded in 2014) with locations in Dortmund and Wuppertal, Germany. They provide technical assistance for digitalisation to all players in the Coatings Industry, paint producers as well as raw material suppliers alike. Having 150+ years of hands-on coatings experience at our disposal, we realise this by automation, measurement technology, process automation, software and consulting. All these activities are aligned to our vision of The Smart Paint Factory, the framework for future paint production.

www.pretreatmentsolutionsltd.com

6 Engineering provides world class safety engineering expertise and their mission is to help you keep your people and assets free from unnecessary risk. They support their clients in identifying, evaluating and managing hazards and they specialise in process safety, functional safety, fire and gas modelling and detection as well as Operational Technology Cyber Security. They also offer training to supplement their efforts to improve safety. They pride themselves on delivering a quality service.

www.6engineering.co.uk

Our Associate members

The BCF has a growing number of Associate members who provide essential products and services to the coatings industry. More information about each of these companies is available on the BCF website directory of members but if you’d like an introduction, please contact Ali Brown (alison.brown@bcf.co.uk) who’d be pleased to help.

Raw material suppliers

Sustainable commuting

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted billions of lives around the world and reinforced the importance of a sustainable future. With COP26 around the corner it has never been so important for British businesses to act in a responsible manner and engage with sustainability schemes.

The BCF is proud of our sustainability agenda and actively encourage our members to interact with the Coatings Care programme and the wider sustainability agenda. Elsewhere in Covered you’ll read about how the industry has already improved its sustainability credentials, and what challenges still face us. Alongside this BCF has developed CSR initiatives such as the Minutes Matter campaign, and the BCF charity bike ride.

Within the BCF team, we have begun two new initiatives: becoming a cycle friendly employer and participating in the ‘Count Us In’ programme.

Cycle-friendly employer

We are working towards our accreditation as a cycle-friendly employer, promoting the benefits to our health and wellbeing as well as the environment. Once we have achieved our accreditation we are looking forward to welcoming Adam Tranter, the Bicycle Mayor for Coventry and the first cycling mayor across the UK to our offices to formally celebrate this achievement.

We are encouraging sustainable commuting through offering staff cheaper new bikes via the Cycle Scheme, and several staff members now walk or cycle to work. More than two thirds of the BCF team have taken part in after work bike rides to local pubs in the past couple of months.

Count Us In

Count Us In aims to inspire 1 billion people to significantly reduce their carbon pollution. This should create a global movement that challenges leaders to commit to change. The campaign looks at 16 steps that are most effective in reducing carbon pollution, selected in line with experts from the UN Environment Programme.

At the BCF, we have all pledged to do at least two of the above steps and have challenged ourselves to keep this up for at least 3 months. Find out more about the Count Us In scheme through the website: www. count-us-in.org or email our Senior Marketing Executive Evie Luxton at evie.luxton@bcf.co.uk.

One of BCF’s regular staff bike rides (Coventry canal)

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