Paint manufacturer AkzoNobel cuts 2,000 jobs, no clarity yet on consequences for locations in Machelen and Vilvoorde

The globally active group employed a total of more than 35,000 people last year. According to the company, the job losses will affect financial and administrative functions, among other things. The management structure will also be streamlined, it says.

“We aim to accelerate profitable growth by optimizing our functional organization, making us more agile in volatile markets and able to offset headwinds such as rising labor costs,” said CEO Greg Poux-Guillaume in a statement.

The factories, where AkzoNobel previously implemented cost savings, would remain unaffected this time. It has not been announced where exactly jobs will be lost. In Belgium, AkzoNobel has activities in the Flemish Brabant neighbouring municipalities of Machelen and Vilvoorde.