“Interest in water-borne coatings is very high in South Korea.“
The Austrian wood coatings manufacturer Adler started cooperation’s in South Korea. We spoke to Christoph Müller, Area Manager International at Adler about the plans of the company there.
Adler started activities in the South Korean market. Could please explain why?
The South Korean building materials distributor Samik has been pursuing the plan to import water-borne coatings, especially for the furniture sector, for some time. Following in-depth discussions, the first delivery to South Korea was made at the end of 2019. In addition to further discussions with our trading partner, we also presented our products to the building materials distributor’s most important customers there and offered technical support – with great success.
What are the challenges for you in South Korea?
In South Korea, solvent-based products dominate the coatings market. Most papplicators have neither the necessary experience in applying water-borne coatings nor the appropriate coating equipment – so there is real groundwork to be done here. In addition, the climatic conditions are challenging: winters in South Korea are cold and dry, summers are hot and humid, and many manufacturers do not have the appropriate air-conditioning equipment to create the optimal conditions for applying water-borne coatings. But we are finding that the interest in water-borne coatings and the willingness to look into this environmentally friendly coating technology is very high, and many manufacturers are ready to adapt their coating processes accordingly.
Which segments are you focusing on first?
Our focus in South Korea is primarily on the furniture sector, but we also see potential in the area of architectural coatings, for example for wall paints or interior wood stains. Coatings for wood construction, on the other hand, play only a minor role in South Korea.
