Tennessee Voices, Episode 368: John Griffin, AkzoNobel North America
Passengers take for granted when they are on a flight traveling from one destination to another.
There are so many moving parts that keep an airplane safe. Among those factors are industrial paint, which is not only decorative but essential as an adhesive and to prevent corrosion.
On this episode of the Tennessee Voices video podcast, this was a topic I explored with John Griffin, AkzoNobel's regional commercial director for automotive and specialty coatings, America.
Griffin also spoke to me about the company's Let's Color program, in which his company partnered with the Nashville Rescue Mission to paint the inside of the nonprofit's interior and create a more pleasing environment for clients.
An Atlanta native, Griffin, a Georgia Tech chemical engineering graduate, has lived in four continents and has worked across various U.S. markets.
He started his career as a materials engineer at Lockheed before moving up and overseeing coatings for industries ranging from automotive to aerospace.
AkzoNobel is the third largest paint company in the world and its products are not available in big box retail stories.
The Netherlands-based company moved its North American headquarters to the Nashville area in 2018.
Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.
Sign up for Latino Tennessee Voices newsletter: Read compelling stories for and with the Latino community in Tennessee.
Sign up for Black Tennessee Voices newsletter: Read compelling columns by Black writers from across Tennessee.
About Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
Watch past episodes: Tennessee Voices videocast
Please email your ideas for future guests to me at [email protected]. Thank you for watching.
Finally, our journalists are working hard during this pandemic to bring you accurate, verified and solid information. Please consider subscribing and supporting local journalism.
David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063 or email him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Video podcast: John Griffin, AkzoNobel North America