PPG Industries is planning to build its first manufacturing plant in Russia. The company has signed an "investment agreement" with the administration of the Kaluga Region, Russia, to build an automotive coatings and industrial coatings plant about 70 kilometers southwest of Moscow.

The facility, which will be fully owned by PPG, will employ about 70 people and be located just north of the city of Kaluga in the Vorsino Industrial Park, according to Bill Wulfsohn, PPG senior vice president, coatings.

"The Russian economy is booming, and automotive production is growing quickly. To best serve the market, we must have local manufacturing capabilities," Wulfsohn said. Currently, seven new automotive assembly plants are in the planning or construction phase in Russia and are expected to come online within the next three years.

PPG’s website is atwww.ppg.com.