AkzoNobel to streamline structure and office footprint in Germany
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
September 9, 2013
Following the recent announcements of plans to divest both its Building
Adhesives business and Decorative Paints stores in Germany, AkzoNobel has
informed employees of its intention to streamline its organizational structure
in the country.
The proposals involve reducing the number of office locations from eight to
three by the summer of 2014. The three offices will be based in Cologne, Hamburg
and Stuttgart.
"By bringing office-based management and supporting staff together in fewer
locations and better aligning them with the needs of our businesses in Germany,
we aim to improve our operational effectiveness as well as lowering overheads,"
said AkzoNobel Executive Committee member Werner Fuhrmann.
Currently, office employees (including management, supporting staff functions
such as HR and finance, and sales personnel) working for diverse business units
and the country organization are based in eight office locations spread across
Germany (Börnsen, Cologne, Düren, Essen, Hannover, Ludwigsburg, Norderstedt and
Wuppertal). This highly fragmented footprint is the result of various mergers
and acquisitions that have occurred during the years.
AkzoNobel's main offices in Germany will be sited at a new location in Cologne,
providing workspaces for around 250 people. Sales offices in the north and south
of the country will be consolidated in Hamburg and Stuttgart. The company
expects to have completed the move by summer 2014.
"The need to further streamline our organizational structure in Germany has
become increasingly clear in light of recent developments," continued Fuhrmann.
This June, AkzoNobel's Decorative Paints business in Germany announced plans to
divest its network of over 70 stores for professional painters, having
determined it can better cater to this market by focusing distribution through
independent wholesalers.
In August, AkzoNobel agreed to sell its Building Adhesives business to Sika AG.
Nearly two thirds of Building Adhesives' approximately 550 personnel are based
in Germany.
Going forward, AkzoNobel will align the supporting management and staff
functions for the country with the organization's changing dimensions.
When completed, these developments will result in a reduction of more than 25
percent in the total number of personnel employed by AkzoNobel in Germany to
approximately 2,600.
- - -
AkzoNobel is a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer
of specialty chemicals. We supply industries and consumers worldwide with
innovative products and are passionate about developing sustainable answers for
our customers. Our portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens,
International and Eka. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we are
consistently ranked as one of the leaders in the area of sustainability. With
operations in more than 80 countries, our 50,000 people around the world are
committed to delivering leading products and technologies to meet the growing
demands of our fast-changing world.
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AkzoNobel to streamline structure and office footprint in Germany:
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Datum: 09.09.2013 - 08:01 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 294482
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