Collision repair shops that buy refinish products from AkzoNobel or Axalta will be served by a company called Axanzo once the two suppliers complete their merger. The companies announced the name Oct. 15 in a joint media release. AkzoNobel and Axalta rank among the biggest sources of refinish coatings for collision repair shops, and the two won shareholder approval for their merger in August.
The release said the name announcement leaves customer and partner relationships with both companies as they are today. Customers will keep dealing with the same teams, brands, and business relationships they use now. AkzoNobel and Axalta will keep running as separate businesses until the AkzoNobel Axalta merger closes. The companies expect that to happen in early 2027, after they secure regulatory approvals and meet their remaining closing conditions.
What the companies announced
After closing, the combined company plans to trade under the ticker symbol AXZ on the New York Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam. Its portfolio will include about 100 paint and coatings brands covering more than 160 countries. The companies said the Axanzo name contains a deliberate reference to the heritage of both businesses.
AkzoNobel CEO Greg Poux-Guillaume will serve as CEO of the new organization.
“Axanzo signals a bold new start for a company which will be stronger in every way,” Poux-Guillaume said. “It’s a launchpad for going further and faster than we ever could alone, embodying the pace and power to innovate, the strength to deliver and the excellence to succeed.”
Axalta CEO Chris Villavarayan will serve as deputy CEO of the combined company.
“Axanzo will continuously reset the standard of what coatings can do,” Villavarayan said. “The new name perfectly captures our shared ambition to push boundaries, honoring our heritage and offering an exciting glimpse of what’s to come.”
AkzoNobel shareholders are expected to hold about 55% of the combined company and Axalta shareholders about 45%.
The businesses being combined
The release describes the two portfolios:
- Axalta makes coatings for light vehicles, commercial vehicles, and refinish applications, along with industrial uses such as electric motors and building facades. It counts over 100,000 customers across more than 140 countries.
- AkzoNobel brands include Dulux, International, Sikkens, and Interpon. The company operates in over 150 countries.
Brands moving into the combined company include Axalta’s Cromax, Spies Hecker, Standox, Imron, Nason, and Duxone, as well as AkzoNobel’s Lesonal and Wanda refinish lines.
In comments published by Autobody News in February, representatives of both companies said their dealings with suppliers and business partners would stay the same until closing. “This means there are no immediate impacts for Axalta customers, and current pricing and distribution structures remain unchanged,” an Axalta spokesperson said at the time.
Axalta reported in July that its refinish net sales rose 6% year over year to $545 million in the second quarter of 2026. AkzoNobel’s adjusted EBITDA margin rose for a fifth consecutive quarter in the same period.
Lisa McArdle