AkzoNobel Powder Coatings wins two Maxion Wheels awards

25 5 minutes read

Key points

Listen to this article

AkzoNobel Powder Coatings has received two prestigious supplier awards from Maxion Wheels, recognising the company’s contribution to sustainable innovation, technical expertise and a long-standing relationship with one of the world’s leading wheel manufacturers.

AkzoNobel’s team in the Czech Republic received the Green Wheel 2025 Award, recognising its contribution to Maxion Wheels’ sustainability ambitions. At the same time, AkzoNobel’s team in Brazil was named Supplier of the Year 2025 Americas, highlighting the strength of the collaboration between the two companies and the support provided to Maxion Wheels’ operations in the region.

The double recognition highlights the growing importance of advanced automotive powder coatings and sustainable coating technologies as manufacturers across the automotive supply chain look to improve product performance while reducing environmental impact.

AkzoNobel recognised for sustainable wheel coatings

The Green Wheel 2025 Award recognises suppliers that are supporting Maxion Wheels in progressing its sustainability objectives.

For AkzoNobel Powder Coatings, the award reflects its long-term focus on reducing emissions, advancing responsible sourcing and developing coating solutions that can help customers reduce their environmental impact.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important across automotive manufacturing, with wheel manufacturers and their supply chains under growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, improve resource efficiency and develop products that support the transition towards lower-carbon mobility.

Maxion Wheels has identified wheel production as an important area for sustainability improvements, with the company working on lower-emission materials, renewable energy, recycling and more efficient production processes.

AkzoNobel’s powder coatings business is similarly focused on developing more sustainable coating solutions. Its powder coatings are used in applications including alloy wheels and automotive components, providing manufacturers with technologies designed to combine surface protection, durability and appearance with improved environmental performance.

Pia Schuetz, Vice President Global Purchasing, Maxion Wheels, said: “AkzoNobel has been a reliable partner and an important contributor to our success over many years. Their contribution goes well beyond supplying high-quality coatings. The teams bring deep technical expertise, helping us optimize application processes, achieve consistently strong coating performance and develop practical solutions that improve efficiency and support our sustainability goals. Combined with responsive technical support and dependable day-to-day service, that makes this a true partnership, and one we value enormously. These awards are very well deserved.”

Supplier of the Year award recognises Brazil collaboration

The Supplier of the Year 2025 Americas award celebrates the collaboration between AkzoNobel’s team in Brazil and Maxion Wheels.

The partnership brings together high-performing coating technologies, local technical expertise and responsive technical support to help meet the demanding requirements of automotive wheel manufacturing.

AkzoNobel supplies Maxion Wheels with a portfolio of powder and liquid primers, basecoats and clearcoats for aluminium wheels. These coating technologies are designed to provide the performance and finish required in demanding automotive applications while supporting manufacturers as they look for greater efficiency and more sustainable production methods.

Automotive wheel coatings play an important role in protecting wheel surfaces while also contributing to the visual quality and long-term durability of finished vehicles. As the automotive industry continues to evolve, coating suppliers are increasingly required to provide technologies that can meet demanding performance specifications alongside sustainability objectives.

AkzoNobel has significant experience in automotive powder coatings, including solutions for alloy wheels. The company’s Interpon powder coatings portfolio is used across a range of applications and is positioned as an alternative to liquid paint, with powder coatings offering benefits including the absence of volatile organic compounds in the coating formulation and reduced waste compared with conventional liquid coating processes.

Gustavo Carvalho, Automotive Global Key Account Management & New Business Development Director, AkzoNobel Powder Coatings, added: “We’re honored to receive these awards from Maxion Wheels. They reflect the dedication of our teams and the strength of a partnership we’ve built together over many years. By combining innovation with close collaboration, we’re helping our customers meet today’s performance expectations while preparing for the demands of a lower-carbon future. We look forward to building on what we’ve achieved together.“

Sustainable coating technology for automotive manufacturing

The awards demonstrate how collaboration between coating suppliers and automotive manufacturers can contribute to wider improvements in production efficiency, product performance and sustainability.

For wheel manufacturers, coating systems need to deliver consistent quality and durability while integrating effectively into established application processes. Technical support and close cooperation between suppliers and manufacturers can therefore be critical in optimising coating performance and production efficiency.

The focus on sustainability is also becoming more significant as automotive manufacturers assess emissions across their wider value chains. Maxion Wheels is pursuing a range of initiatives designed to reduce the carbon impact of wheel production, including the increased use of lower-carbon and recycled materials. Its ultra-low CO2 aluminium wheel pilot, for example, demonstrated a 62% reduction in cradle-to-gate CO2 emissions compared with a comparable current alloy wheel made using primary aluminium.

Against this backdrop, coating technologies form part of the wider manufacturing ecosystem in which suppliers are being asked to contribute to environmental improvements while maintaining the performance standards expected by automotive manufacturers.

Long-term partnership supports innovation

The two awards also recognise the value of the long-standing relationship between AkzoNobel Powder Coatings and Maxion Wheels.

Rather than simply supplying coating materials, AkzoNobel’s teams work closely with Maxion Wheels to provide technical expertise, support coating application processes and develop practical solutions that address changing manufacturing requirements.

This collaborative approach is particularly important as automotive manufacturing continues to evolve. The shift towards electric vehicles, increasing demand for lower-carbon products and greater focus on resource efficiency are changing requirements throughout the automotive supply chain.

AkzoNobel has identified sustainability-driven innovation as an important part of its strategy, with the company continuing to develop coating technologies intended to help customers address environmental challenges while maintaining performance.

For automotive manufacturers and component suppliers, this means that coating solutions increasingly need to deliver more than appearance and protection. They must also support efficient manufacturing processes, durability, responsible sourcing and broader carbon reduction objectives.

Recognition of automotive coatings expertise

The Green Wheel 2025 Award and Supplier of the Year 2025 Americas award reinforce AkzoNobel Powder Coatings’ position as a technology and service partner for the automotive industry.

The recognition highlights the contribution of teams in both the Czech Republic and Brazil while demonstrating the importance of local expertise combined with global coating technology and technical support.

It also reflects the increasingly close relationship between automotive coatings and sustainability, as manufacturers seek to reduce the environmental impact of vehicle production without compromising quality, durability or efficiency.

For AkzoNobel Powder Coatings and Maxion Wheels, the awards represent the progress achieved through years of collaboration and provide a platform for continued work on innovative coating solutions for the automotive industry.

The recognition ultimately reinforces AkzoNobel Powder Coatings’ commitment to developing advanced coating technologies that help customers improve performance, durability and sustainability, demonstrating how close collaboration between suppliers and manufacturers can continue to drive innovation across the automotive sector.