The company will continue to use the DuPont name until the second quarter of 2013. The new website (AxaltaCoatingSystems.com) is currently under development.
“We are excited to invest in Axalta Coating Systems and believe its strong market position and global footprint will enable the company to capitalize on opportunities in rapidly emerging markets such as China and Brazil. As experienced investors in the industrial and transportation sectors, the One Carlyle global network can help Axalta Coating Systems grow and create value,” said Martin Sumner, principal of The Carlyle Group, in a press release announcing the change.
While the new name will take some getting used to, not much else will change for the time being – unless you count the new paint job NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon will have to give to his No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. (Axalta will continue to sponsor Gordon in 14 races this year.)
"We're working with an outside firm on this process," says Mike Bennett, head of marketing for Axalta's North America business. "We're going back to square one to understand that now that we're no longer part of corporate DuPont, we have an opportunity to identify and focus on our core business. It's an opportunity to start fresh with a new name and identity."
Current contact information for all staff and offices will remain the same for the time being. Bennett emphasized that it will be business as usual for customers throughout the transition. All existing products, training centers and online services will continue on as before after the rebranding.
"It's critical we communicate this," Bennett says. "Very little else will change in terms of how material gets to our customers. It will be the same people, the same products, and the same route to market."
The biggest change, he says, will be that the company can now focus on its primary market segment. "In the past, due to our company being part of a larger organization, our focus was a bit diluted in trying to fulfill those strategic objectives," he says. "Now we can focus entirely on the market we serve and our customers, without any distractions."
The company's customers, in fact, are currently involved in the rebranding effort. "Some of our key customers and key market contacts have been part of this," Bennett says. "We've done extensive interviews and surveys, and they've been an integral part of what we are trying to do."
While Bennett could not share the details of the remainder of the rebranding that will occur in the second quarter (the new logo isn't even available yet), he emphasized that sale and distribution would remain consistent for all customers.
"Rolling out the name is the first step," Bennett says. "We want to cross all the I's and dot all the T's, so when we roll this out in the second quarter, everyone can see how the new brand is aligned."
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