Norwegian chemist Rune Togersen has travelled across the world to work for a Wellington firm he believes is about to become a world leader in paint technology.
Founded in 1946 by Eastbourne builder Ted Nightingale and now controlled by his grandson, Resene Paints has established a reputation as a leading innovator
in an extremely competitive industry.
Mr Togersen, 32, leapt at the chance to work at the company's Naenae laboratory.
"I am very happy to work for Resene and I would have moved anywhere to do so but I'm not sure if my family would have."
Fortunately for Mr Togersen, his family was happy to shift to New Zealand, which he said compares favourably to Norway.
"Now we've settled in Kelburn, we're very happy."
Resene general manager Nick Nightingale said with Mr Togersen's help, the company was poised to become a world beater using a key new ingredient that would "raise the bar" in terms of paint quality.
"We have brought Mr Togersen over to play a key role in a project to synthetically manufacture a high-value raw ingredient that would improve the application properties of paint," Mr Nightingale said.
The secret raw ingredient has been too expensive to manufacture locally and at present, is imported from Norway. It provided "a durable, cleanable surface," but its cost meant Resene was only able to add it to their top-of-the range paint - Spacecoat.
"We're sure the market could be significantly broader if the product was made more efficiently ," Mr Nightingale said.
He says the product also has tremendous potential as an export product to high value markets. "We hope to license and sell the product further down the track."
Resene secured $270,000 from Technology New Zealand to help fund the project Mr Togersen is working on.
Technology New Zealand investment manager Lins Kerr said Resene already produced some of the best paint in the world.
"This project will establish it as a global leader in paint technology as well as a supplier of premium finished products," Mr Kerr said.
- NZPA
