AkzoNobel plans $250,000 donation to support Greater Houston Hurricane Harvey Recovery

HOUSTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AkzoNobel, part of the Houston community for more than 60 years, announced today that it is committing $250,000 from its Human Cities program to support hurricane relief and recovery efforts in Texas.

AkzoNobel, which has four office and manufacturing locations and more than 700 employees in the greater Houston area, made the commitment today in an effort to provide immediate support for the organizations actively managing and helping the community recover from this catastrophic weather event.

"We have followed the events in Houston very closely and with great concern about the welfare of our colleagues, their families and the greater community," says Johan Landfors, President, AkzoNobel North America. "Like others in Houston, many of our employees have lost their homes and were displaced by this catastrophe. We know it will be a long road to recovery, but we want to do our part today to show our support for a community in need."

AkzoNobel's Human Cities donation will be allocated as follows:

• $50,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund
• $50,000 to Houston Mayor Turner's designated Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund
• $50,000 to other nonprofit organizations operating throughout Harris County

AkzoNobel is donating an additional $100,000 to match employee donations to non-profit organizations and direct to employee efforts through a GoFundMe initiative. To date, AkzoNobel employees have donated more than $20,000 in funds to directly support impacted employees.

Speaking on the situation in Texas, AkzoNobel CEO Thierry Vanlancker says, "Our focus is on helping families that were impacted by the storm recover and return to their normal way of life. The greater Houston area is also the bedrock of the petrochemical and related industries, and the recovery in that area includes getting the communities' business infrastructure online. We hope that our financial commitment to help the community recover from this crisis can also assist in helping the region maintain its leadership role in the industry."

AkzoNobel creates everyday essentials to make people's lives more livable and inspiring. As a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, we supply essential ingredients, essential protection and essential color to industries and consumers worldwide. Backed by a pioneering heritage, our innovative products and sustainable technologies are designed to meet the growing demands of our fast-changing planet, while making life easier. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we have approximately 46,000 people in around 80 countries, while our portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International, Interpon and Eka. Consistently ranked as a leader in sustainability, we are dedicated to energizing cities and communities while creating a protected, colorful world where life is improved by what we do.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/akzonobel-plans-250000-donation-to-support-greater-houston-hurricane-harvey-recovery-300516023.html

SOURCE AkzoNobel