New site and technology centre for colour and additive development in Singapore
Just in mid-January, US colours and functional additives manufacturer Penn Color from Hatfield, Pennsylvania, inaugurated its brand new Technology Center in Singapore to serve customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In an interview, company president and CEO Mr Kevin Putman Jr explained what the location is all about and what benefits will be offered to customers from now on.
PETplanet: Penn Color has announced the opening of its new Technology Center in Singapore. What is the purpose of this institution?
Kevin Putman Jr: The Technology Center complements the existing technology centres that we have established in the United States and in Europe, bringing together our process and colour technology services with specialist personnel. It is meant to inspire designers, engineers, brand managers, business leaders, converters, equipment OEM manufacturers, suppliers, and other partners and harness their collective creative power and expertise. Here, our customers will be able to condense weeks of development time to days, bringing production-ready products forward faster than ever before.
PETplanet: How do you think this Technology Center can make a difference for your customers?
Kevin Putman Jr: The facility allows us to bring our products and the Penn Color experience directly to the doorstep of our customers and partners in Asia Pacific to ensure their needs are met. This design studio, like the other two in the US and Europe, is designed to be agile, transparent and dynamic. This means that our teams can develop specific products in the presence of and together with our customers, in a collaborative and engaging setting.
PETplanet: Why did you choose Singapore?
Kevin Putman Jr: Over the years, as we expanded our company’s capabilities around the world, establishing an innovation presence in Asia became a top priority. When this project was launched, a number of countries were considered as innovation locations for Penn Color in Asia Pacific, but when it came down to it, no country offered the economic stability, access to a talented workforce, proximity to customers, and overall focus on innovation and creativity to the extent that Singapore does. It’s no surprise that many well-known international companies are choosing Singapore as their Asia-Pacific base.
PETplanet: What went into the design of the facility itself?
Kevin Putman Jr: When it came to designing the Technology Center, I knew we needed a space that not only served a very specific functional purpose, but also exuded comfort, style, and creativity, seamlessly blending people, innovation, architecture, and the elegant aesthetic of Asian hospitality. To design this space, we selected DP Design, a Singapore-based design firm involved in the design of some of the Singapore’s most iconic buildings. To lead the project, we were fortunate to work with Mike Lim, Principal Designer of DP Design, and winner of the Design Excellence and Designer of the Year awards in 2018 and 2019. He and his team did an incredible job, incorporating natural light, tropical elements, and industrial equipment to create a welcoming, comfortable, and inspiring environment.
PETplanet: What role do you think the Singapore location will play in Penn Color’s strategy in the near future?
Kevin Putman Jr: The new site is dedicated to implementing capabilities that go beyond today’s standards, as well as reinventing colour and additive development. At the same time, it is designed to further solidify Penn Color’s position as a global leader in thermoplastic products, particularly in the packaging and consumer goods markets.
PETplanet: Thank you!
