Jotun, the Norwegian paint conglomerate, is set to conquer the Philippine market by opening its manufacturing facility on November 6, 2017 in the bustling Batangas Province. Situated in the industrial area of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, the 7 hectare plant and main office will house more than 70 employees and will manufacture its own paint products. “This is a momentous occasion for Jotun. This is the start of our major presence in the country and will strengthen our already robust trade and political relationships in the Philippines. We also aim to help the region of Batangas by offering employment to the locals” says Stamatis Solomakos, the General Manager of Jotun Philippines Inc. According to Solomakos, Jotun has invested more than 1 billion pesos including infrastructure, job generation and land acquisition.
Chairman of the Board in Jotun, Odd Gleditsch D.Y. says, “It’s high time for Jotun to open its own factory since it has been operating here for more than 30 years. The Philippines market is important for us because we see good growth prospects in the future especially with the steady increase of investments in business areas where Jotun is relevant such as infrastructure and energy,” he added.
Jotun is a Norwegian multinational privately owned paint company incorporated in 1926. Today it has established 40 production facilities, 63 companies and represented in over 100 countries across all continents. In the Philippines, it started through an agent in 1987 then became a branch office of Singapore operation in 2004. Jotun Philippines Inc. became fully operational in 2011 with offices in Sucat, Paranaque and in Mandaue, Cebu. The decision to invest in local production was made in 2013.
In picture above (from left to right): Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, Jotun (Philippines) Inc. General Manager Stamatis Solomakos, Jotun A/S Chairman of the Board Odd Gleditsch D.Y., Governor Hermilando Mandanas, and Chargé d’Affaires of the Royal Norwegian Embassy Kristian Netland.
