MARKET CLOSE UP
Positive Post-Pandemic and Post-Brexit Perspectives of the British Coatings Sector Tom Bowtell, CEO BCF - British Coatings Federation
The United Kingdom is one of the Countries to which international political and economic attention is being directed the most. Not only because one of the Countries most affected by the pandemic, but also because it is about to face one of the most significant historical steps: its exit from the European Union. Tom Bowtell, CEO of BCF-British Coatings Federation, talks about it with a broad overview and in-depth analysis of the situation.
T
o say 2020 has been a challenging time for the UK coatings sector
large drop in demand as, for instance, the auto and aero sectors halted
would be an understatement of significant proportion. And yet,
production, retail paint manufacturers and printing ink companies saw
as we draw to the end of the year, it is worth reflecting how well
output increase as the money from cancelled holidays was ploughed
the industry has done weathering the storms and responding to the
into DIY and money that would have been spent on restaurants was
unprecedented demands thrown at it, as well as looking further ahead
used to buy more packaged food to be cooked at home (graph 1).
at how the coatings sector will look to adapt, improve and grow in future.
BCF worked hard to ensure that the UK government provided proper support to business over this period. We switched meetings and
Impact of the coronavirus pandemic
training events to online webinars, held weekly board meetings to
Like other businesses, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic came
stay on top of members’ needs and provided practical support and
as a real shock. The full lockdown implemented in the UK from March
materials to help companies navigate the smorgasbord of new – and
saw demand for products significantly altered, although members were
sometimes contradictory - legislation used to underpin the lockdown.
affected in different ways. Whilst industrial coatings members saw a
We also launched our #essentialcoatings and #essentialinks campaigns
© British Coatings Federation
Graph 1: Sales volume by major BCF sector.
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N. 66 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 - international PAINT&COATING magazine