MARKET CLOSE UP
Positive Post-Pandemic and Post-Brexit Perspectives of the British Coatings Sector Tom Bowtell CEO of 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
as a real shock. The full lockdown implemented in the UK from March
sector would be an understatement of significant proportion.
saw demand for products significantly altered, although members
And yet, as we draw to the end of the year, it is worth reflecting how
were affected in different ways. Whilst industrial coatings members
well the industry has done weathering the storms and responding to
saw a large drop in demand as, for instance, the auto and aero
the unprecedented demands thrown at it, as well as looking further
sectors halted production, retail paint manufacturers and printing
ahead at how the coatings sector will look to adapt, improve and
ink companies saw output increase as the money from cancelled
grow in future.
holidays was ploughed into DIY and money that would have been spent on restaurants was used to buy more packaged food to be
Impact of the coronavirus pandemic
cooked at home (graph 1).
Like other businesses, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic came
BCF worked hard to ensure that the UK government provided proper
© British Coatings Federation
Graph 1: Sales volume by major BCF sector.
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N.36 - 2020 DECEMBER - ipcm® Protective Coatings