Feb 2 2010
LINPAC Viscount, the division of LINPAC Group serving the Asia Pacific region, has received the 'Dulux Australia Supplier Excellence Award' in the much sought-after DuluxGroup Supplier of the Year Awards 2009. The win follows the division's introduction of its tinplate-replacement plastic Nupail paint container - incorporating innovative Paint Skinning Adhesion Technology. Dulux Australia is part of the newly named DuluxGroup.
A selection of Dulux Australia’s paint products in the 15-litre version of LINPAC Viscount’s Nupail packaging – featuring LINPAC’s innovative ‘Paint Skinning Adhesion Technology’.
Every year since 1991 DuluxGroup has presented awards to preferred suppliers that demonstrate the highest levels of performance across a variety of areas. 'Supplier Excellence' and 'Special Commendation' certificates are awarded in each category, along with an overall Supplier of the Year accolade covering all divisions.
Altogether more than 3,000 companies provide products and services to the DuluxGroup, and 120 suppliers to Dulux Paints, Powder and Industrial Coatings, Selleys and Yates in Australia and New Zealand participated in the rating process in 2009. Over the course of the year these suppliers were evaluated twice against a range of demanding criteria, with LINPAC Viscount achieving the highest rank as a supplier to Dulux Australia.
Paint Skinning Adhesion Technology
LINPAC Viscount first became involved in the search for a solution to traditional paint skinning problems in the late 1990s. As every householder who has wielded a paintbrush knows, paint develops a skin on its surface during storage that can break up and contaminate the rest of the product. These gelatinous deposits cause particular difficulties with spray painting systems.
LINPAC Viscount began its search for an answer to the problem in 1998, but it took the division most of a decade to develop and trial an effective commercial solution - a unique coating applied to the inside of a plastic container that causes any deposits to adhere to the lining and not become mixed with the paint. LINPAC patented its new system and dubbed it 'Paint Skinning Adhesion Technology'.
Linings that perform a similar function on metal cans and pails have existed for many years, but LINPAC Viscount is one of the first companies in the world to both develop such a coating for plastic containers and turn it into a commercial product.
The company conducted extensive trials, and Dulux Australia subsequently approved the coating for use with plastic pails and interior household water-based paints. The development led to the introduction of LINPAC Viscount's 'Nupail' container, and facilitated Dulux Australia's change to cost-effective, lightweight and ultimately more environmentally friendly plastic packaging, in place of metal.
Announcing the Dulux Australia Supplier Excellence Award, Dulux Australia's General Manager Andrew Ingleton, declared: "LINPAC Viscount has been a stand-out supplier in terms of support and delivery performance to the Dulux Decorative business. During the year the company has run a co-ordinated project team which has supported the roll-out of 15-litre plastic packaging in the trade market, and has risen to the many challenges encountered. The move to plastic packaging has enabled the Decorative business to realise savings in the trade market and to improve our overall sustainability footprint."
Shane Moloughney, Managing Director of LINPAC Viscount, commented: "To be awarded the Supplier Excellence Award by Dulux Australia is a fantastic achievement and a great compliment to our team. I would like to thank them, and our customer Dulux Australia, for their continued commitment and support. There have been many twists in the road to developing the Nupail, but we now have a market-leading product to be proud of, and one that offers real competitive advantage for our customers."
Mike Arrowsmith, LINPAC Group CEO, added: "This award demonstrates our commitment to innovation and customer service. Our goal is to create real value for our customers - helping them to improve their performance, competitiveness and profitability. We work to achieve this by being more innovative than our competitors, offering better quality products and services, and providing higher levels of customer support."
LINPAC Viscount supplies plastic paint packaging to all Dulux Decorative manufacturing sites in Australia and New Zealand in a range of sizes from 1 to 15-litres.