JOTUN Paints, one of the world’s leading producers and suppliers of paints and coatings, has been maintaining a high profile in the paints sector throughout the Middle East.

The company has been creating awareness of its innovative spirit and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Egypt while launching new products in Kuwait.

In Egypt, Jotun Paints has donated essential materials like paints and tools that can be used in the ongoing efforts to renovate the now-famous Al Tahrir Square.

Employees from Jotun Egypt joined other civic-oriented groups in activities aimed at the renovation and beautification of what has now been dubbed as Egypt’s rebuilding campaign. During the day-long event, Jotun employees provided their time and effort in repainting the street sidewalks of Al Tahrir and cleaning other areas behind the square.

Aside from the renovation activities directed towards Al Tahrir Square, Jotun has also contributed in providing essential materials for similar renovation efforts in other parts of Egypt that were affected by the protests.

The company participated in renovating areas around the shooting club in Doki and most of the streets and squares in Heliopolis and some areas in Al Khanka in Al Kaliobia governorate. This apart, Jotun will soon open a Facebook account highlighting all the CSR activities it has undertaken in Egypt and will also spotlight upcoming CSR projects. This will also help create awareness of the company in other areas in Egypt that need restoring.

“Jotun is eager to play a key role in the move to renovate Al Tahrir Square and other places that were heavily affected by protests during February. We have donated paints, tools and even the time and efforts of our employees so that we can rebuild and beautify the places that now stand as important icons of our nation,” says Mohamed Hashem, decorative marketing manager, Jotun Paints.

Meanwhile, Jotun has launched Jotashield Extreme in Kuwait in response to the growing demand for heat-reflective and eco-friendly paints in the country.

The new paint uses a revolutionary pigment-binder technology that allows consumers to also select darker shades of colours, and still achieve thermal indoor comfort and a longer-lasting finish with superior exterior protection at a competitive price.

“Jotashield Extreme offers twice the heat-reflective capabilities of ordinary exterior paint,” says a spokesman for the company. “It provides protection against ultraviolet and near infra-red heat, thus significantly reducing indoor and surface temperatures and consequently driving down energy consumption. It lessens the urban heat island (UHI) effect and features anti-carbonation properties that protect it against chalking, flaking and peeling. The multicolour-tintable Jotashield Extreme has low dirt pickup, exceeds GS-11 standards for paint, and comes with a 10-year guarantee.”

Regional marketing director Per Olav Ramstad comments: “Jotun has always been known for meeting market needs via innovative and high-quality products. Our company has also gained a reputation for raising benchmarks in environment-friendly production techniques and products within the paint manufacturing industry. Jotashield Extreme exemplifies our corporate commitment to improving the environment and we hope that this and other products will inspire others to adopt a more eco-friendly approach to business.

“Jotun Paints spends more than $25 million on R&D into developing unique products. The company invested a substantial amount to come up with the innovative properties of Jotashield Extreme. The product has been subjected to stronger external tests from third-party independent testing authorities, and tests have shown that structures treated with Jotashield Extreme are between 2 to 7 deg C cooler than those applied with normal paint.”

Founded in 1926 in Norway, Jotun established its presence in the Middle East in 1974, with Jotun UAE. Since then, Jotun has expanded throughout the region and claims to have been the first paint manufacturer to be awarded the ISO9001 certification.

The company has consistently invested in state-of-the-art factories including the recently-opened plant in the Al Quoz area of Dubai, UAE, the biggest worldwide for Jotun and the Middle East.

“Jotun has been at the forefront in terms of developing products specifically suited to local conditions. Three decades of experience in the Middle East have helped the company produce a variety of conventional and specialised coatings – each incorporating the latest technological developments while offering performance with economy – catering to the various product segments and demands of the different markets,” says Hashem.

Today, Jotun’s diverse product range includes decorative, protective, marine, floor/concrete protection, powder coatings and intumescent coatings, underpinning the company’s reputation of being truly a single-source solution for clients, consultants and contractors alike.