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 Table of Contents March 2024 • Vol. 29, No. 2

34
CEO
Forum

26 Automotive OEM Coatings

29 Color Trends

42 American Coatings Show

COLUMNS
Business Corner.................................................... 14
Global Supply Chain Transitions & the Changing Role of
DEPARTMENTS
Editorial.................................................................. 6
Countries in SE Asia Part Part 2
As We Go................................................................ 8
Fresh Paint............................................................ 10
International Coatings Scene................................ 16
New Products....................................................... 13
Europe Report • The Quiet Before the Dawn
People in the News............................................... 44
Latin America Report • Walmart Pushes into Central
Industry News....................................................... 46
America with Glidden
Suppliers Corner................................................... 47
Russia Report • Two Years Under Sanctions: Russian
Meetings............................................................... 48
Printed Inks Market Still Scrambling to Adapt
Final Coat.............................................................. 50
India/Asia Pacific Report • Top Ten Paint and Coating
Producers in India Part 1
Africa Report • Boom for Road Traffic Coatings Suppliers
as East Africa Embarks on New Transport Sector Projects

ADVERTISING SECTIONS
Classified Ads....................................................... 49 Advertising Index.................................................. 49

Coatings World (ISSN 1527-1129) is published Monthly except Jan/Feb, May/Jun, Jul/Aug and Nov/Dec by Rodman Media Corp., 25 Philips Parkway, Montvale, NJ
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4 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com March 2024

04 TOC 0324.indd 4 2/28/24 3:53 PM

WYN CWM1123.indd 1 10/27/23 10:31 AM
 Editors Page

CEOs Report Recovery, A Rodman Media Publication

25 Philips Parkway, Ste. 200 • Montvale, NJ 07645 USA

Express Optimism (201) 825-2552 • Fax: (201) 391-1008

Web site: www.coatingsworld.com

EDITOR

T
his year’s CEO Forum includes CEOs from nine leading coatings Kerry Pianoforte • kpianoforte@rodmanmedia.com

companies from the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. The participants CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER
Tom Branna • tbranna@rodmanmedia.com
are Gregoire Poux-Guillaume, CEO, AkzoNobel; Uta Holzenkamp,
ASSISTANT EDITOR
President, BASF’s Coatings Division; Dan Calkins, CEO, Benjamin Moore; Lianna Albrizio • lalbrizio@rodmanmedia.com
Abhijit Roy, CEO, Berger Paints; João Serrenho, CEO, CIN; Michael ART DEPARTMENT
Hansen, CEO, Hempel: Steve Crossman, COO, HMG Paints; Tim Knavish, Michele Catalano
CEO, PPG Industries and Armodios Yannidis, CEO, Vitex. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS
We would like to welcome Dan Calkins, CEO, Benjamin Moore for his Terry Knowles (Europe)
Charles W. Thurston (Latin America/Americas
inaugural participation in the Forum.
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
David Savastano • Gary Shawhan • Steve McDaniel
Key Take Aways: EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
While the paint and coatings industry is still seeing ripple effects from the Jim Berry (Berry Environmental)
pandemic, the general consensus among CEOs in the industry is that paint Joseph Cristiano (consultant)
Thomas Frauman (consultant)
and coatings is rebounding. Joseph Prane (consultant)
Isadore Rubin (consultant)
Gregoire Poux-Guillaume, CEO, AkzoNobel: We expect to continue Richard M. Tepper (PPG Industries)
Shelby F. Thames (University of So. Mississippi)
seeing positive volumes, driven by improving end market conditions and
share gains across many of our activities. Our Coatings businesses, for ex-
ample, have room to rebound, with volumes remaining below 2019 levels.
This is also the case for Deco EMEA, where we expect a progressive re-
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
bound over the next few years. Rodman J. Zilenziger, Jr.
Uta Holzenkamp, President, BASF’s Coatings Division: Compared to rzilenziger@rodmanmedia.com
the previous year, which was primarily characterized by high raw material
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER
prices and supply chain disruptions, the delivery situation for different val- Matthew J. Montgomery
ue chains has improved a lot. The automotive market has also recovered, mmontgomery@rodmanmedia.com
which is largely attributed to the backlog of orders and replenished inven-
GROUP PUBLISHER / ADVERTISING SALES
tories following the resolution of last year’s OEM supply chain disruptions. Dale Pritchett • dpritchett@rodmanmedia.com
The assumptions on the automotive market outlook for the coming years
have significantly changed compared with our view in 2019. Growth is ADVERTISING SALES (U.S.)
Kim Clement Rafferty • krafferty@rodmanmedia.com
expected to be moderate globally and stagnating in Europe. Our focus re-
mains on delivering and developing winning factors that will contribute to ADVERTISING SALES (Hong Kong, Taiwan & China)
our customers’ success now and in the future. Ringier Trade Publishing Ltd
401-405 4/F New Victory House
Dan Calkins, CEO, Benjamin Moore: The pandemic had significant 93-103 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
impacts on our business and while we continue to navigate the post-pan- (852) 2369 8788 • Fax: (852) 2869 5919
demic environment, we have seen some critical factors such as supply chain mchhay@ringier.com.hk

disruptions and demand level out. Through changes we made both opera- PRODUCTION MANAGER
tionally and in the business in recent years, we’ve built a new resilience and Patricia Hilla • philla@rodmanmedia.com
have been able to implement stronger continuity plans that enable us to
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
weather future challenges ahead. Barb Schrafel • barb.schrafel@stamats.com

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Paul Simansky • psimansky@rodmanmedia.com

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06 Editorial 0325.indd 6 2/28/24 2:25 PM

full page template.indd 1 2/12/24 12:06 PM
 As We Go To Press
PPG Reviews Strategic Alternatives for Architectural
Coatings Business in U.S. and Canada
P
PG announced that it has engaged
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC as finan-
cial advisor to assist in a review of
strategic alternatives for its architectural
coatings business in the US and Canada.
PPG’s architectural coatings business in
the US and Canada, which operates within
the company’s performance coatings seg-
ment, is an industry leader in residential
and commercial architectural coatings
through its portfolio of brands, including
GLIDDEN, OLYMPIC, LIQUID NAILS,
HOMAX, PITTSBURGH PAINTS &
STAINS, Manor Hall, FLOOD, DULUX
(in Canada) and SICO.
The business manufactures and sells
interior and exterior paints, stains, caulks,
repair products, adhesives, and sealants
for homeowners and professionals. It
also includes certain light-duty protec-
tive coatings products that are primar-
ily sold through company-owned stores
and manufactured through a common
factory footprint.
In total, the distribution network in-
cludes more than 15,000 touchpoints
through company-owned stores, indepen-
dent dealer locations, and major home im-
provement centers and retailers across the
US and Canada. In 2023, the architectural
coatings business in the US and Canada
represented approximately 10% of PPG’s
total net sales.
“The architectural coatings business in
the US and Canada has a well-established
position in a growing market, leading
brands, proven innovation, established
customers, and dedicated and talented
employees,” Tim Knavish, PPG chairman
and CEO said.
“We have made considerable progress
over the past several years in modernizing
the architectural coatings business model
to better position the business for contin-
ued success. This has included instituting
value-added customer-facing digital tools,
revamping our manufacturing and distri-
bution footprint, transitioning towards an
asset-light distribution model, and intro-
ducing innovative products that enhance
8 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
08 As We Go to Press 0324.indd 8
customer productivity and sustainability. and Canada business. These actions reflect
Our actions over the past several years have a regular and disciplined strategic assess-
created positive momentum in the busi- ment process by our board and manage-
ness as we have significantly increased the ment team, including ensuring each of our
number of distribution points for our well- businesses delivers value for our custom-
known brands. These changes have been ers and shareholders, and aligns with the
recognized in the industry and validate the growth and investment strategies for the
progress of the business’ transformed strat- company,” said Knavish.
egy. The business is now poised to acceler- Despite the business delivering flat sales
ate this transformation. volumes in 2023, on a three-year pro forma
“We are exploring this strategic review basis PPG’s overall company sales volume
now given the positive momentum in the results would have improved cumulatively
business, with the intent of ensuring its by more than 200 basis points excluding
continued growth and success while also the architectural coatings US and Canada
maximizing the value for PPG and its business. Also, the company’s Performance
shareholders,” added Knavish. “We will Coatings segment operating (EBIT) in-
assess whether some or all of the business come, excluding the US and Canada archi-
could be better suited to grow faster with tectural coatings EBIT and the associated
a partner or different owner, or may be growth-related investments PPG has made,
better suited to operate as a core business would have resulted in an approximately
within another company, as a standalone 300-basis point improvement in segment
entity, or in a joint venture. margins in 2023.
“In January, we announced a strategic The timing and outcome of the strategic
review of alternatives for our silica prod- review is uncertain. There is no assurance
ucts business and are now also conducting that the review will result in any transac-
a review of our architectural coatings US tion or other outcome. CW
Index to Companies
This index gives the starting page for a department or feature with a sig-
nificant reference to a manufacturer of paint, coatings, adhesives and sealants
Subsidiaries are indexed under their own names.
AkzoNobel............................................................................................16, 30, 35
Axalta.............................................................................................................. 26
BASF.....................................................................................................13, 26, 35
Beckers............................................................................................................. 10
Behr................................................................................................................. 30
Benjamin Moore........................................................................................ 30, 35
Berger Paints.................................................................................................... 35
Carboline......................................................................................................... 13
CIN.................................................................................................................. 35
Hempel............................................................................................................ 35
HMG Paints..................................................................................................... 35
Miller Paint...................................................................................................... 30
Nippon Paint.............................................................................................. 10, 30
PPG................................................................................. 8, 10, 18, 26, 30, 35, 50
Rodda Paint..................................................................................................... 10
Sherwin-Williams............................................................................................. 30
Tnemec............................................................................................................ 13
Vitex................................................................................................................ 35
March 2024
2/28/24 2:26 PM
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 Fresh Paint
Beckers Aims for New
Industry Standard for Sustainability
B
eckers Group is launching an
improved version of its Beckers
Sustainability Index. With it,
Beckers wants to set a new sustainabil-
ity standard that can help transform
the industry.
Beckers’ ambition with the re-
launch of Beckers Sustainability Index
(BSI) is to raise the bar when it comes
to sustainability in the coatings in-
dustry. Up until now, indexes used
in the industry have either concen-
trated on specifics, such as raw ma-
terials and chemicals, or have been
designed for use in other industries such
as construction.
In the BSI, Beckers Group has incor-
porated current indexes into a tailor-
made index that will help the industry
develop more sustainable products spe-
cifically for the coatings industry.
“We asked ourselves how we could
take a more holistic approach to the
sustainability of coil coatings that goes
beyond carbon footprint. Our answer,
Beckers Sustainability Index, uses exist-
ing indexes, but is designed specifically
for coatings, including how they add
value when applied to a surface,” said
Gavin Bown, CTO at Beckers Group.
With the Beckers Sustainability
Index (BSI), Beckers is now hoping to
bring more transparency and compre-
hensiveness to the coating industry’s
sustainability efforts.
The index, which recently under-
went a thorough audit and valida-
tion process by a third-party auditing
firm and has been in use at Beckers
Group since 2016, helps stakehold-
ers keep track of coating products’
sustainability performance.
BSI was originally developed by
Beckers to measure the progress to-
wards its own ambitious sustainability
targets, and to address questions from
customers about various sustainability
aspects of its products.
10 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
10-12 Fresh Paint 0324.indd 10
With access to the BSI, stakehold-
ers can assess every single product’s
performance in terms of sustainability,
including life cycle analysis and carbon
footprint, down to formulation level.
“Beckers Sustainability Index can
be used as a tool to accelerate the de-
velopment of more sustainable coat-
ings. The index has been, and still is,
very important for us to realize our
own sustainability ambitions and to
further develop our product portfolio.
In the future, we hope that it will also
help others to take significant steps
towards a more sustainable future,”
continued Bown.
The idea behind BSI is to transpar-
ently map and measure the sustainabil-
ity of coating systems by assessing the
materials and processes used to make
the coatings and, just as important, how
they add sustainable value to the sur-
face where it is applied.
How each product performs in these
two sustainability dimensions – the ma-
terial and the functional – is important
when rating its overall sustainability.
The coatings receive a score for both
dimensions and the combined score
then determines what specific sustain-
ability category it falls into – Achiever,
Improver, Qualifier or Concern.
The highest sustainability perfor-
mance category is Achiever, where the
product exhibits a broad range of func-
tional sustainability attributes, while
also making a minimal impact on the en-
vironment and climate. On the other side
of the spectrum is the Concern category.
These products are harmful and can
have a significant negative impact on
our planet. The Qualifier and Improver
categories are for coatings that current-
ly only live up to either the material or
functional sustainability ambitions.
“The categories are a clear way
of illustrating the impact different
products have on people, the environ-
ment, and the climate. The ambition
for everyone in the industry should
be to encourage Achievers, develop
Qualifiers and Improvers, and phase
out Concerns,” said Christophe Perin,
VP global marketing.
Beckers Group has made a commit-
ment to reach a minimum of 50 per-
cent of the products in the Achiever
class and to have no products in the
Concern class by 2030. All newly devel-
oped products are also to be rated as
Achievers by then.
As of 2022, 34 percent of the prod-
ucts in the group’s current portfo-
lio were categorized as Achiever by
the index, while seven percent was
labeled Concern.
PPG Asian Paints
Unveils Flagship Center
Of Cartisan in Pune
PPG Asian Paints, a leading provider of
automotive refinish solutions in India,
has announced the launch of its pre-
mium car detailing and décor business,
‘Cartisan,’ with the opening of its flag-
ship center in Pune, NIBM.
Pune is also known as the Detroit
of India since it is a hub for numer-
ous global automobile manufactur-
ers. This launch marks a significant
endeavor of the company in cater-
ing to the automotive aesthetic needs
of the city, its suburbs, and the
nearby regions.
Cartisan is set to add value to the car
detailing landscape in Pune, offering a
diverse array of services tailored to
March 2024
2/28/24 2:43 PM

elevate the appearance and protection
of vehicles. From paint protection films
to ceramic coatings, paint correction
to interior cleaning, sanitization, and
anti-corrosion treatments, Cartisan’s
state-of-the-art center will cater to
the specific needs of car enthusiasts
and owners.
“The launch of Cartisan in Pune
underscores our commitment to serv-
ing the thriving automotive market in
the city. Pune’s position as a significant
hub for the automobile industry aligns
perfectly with our mission at PPG Asian
Paints to provide innovative aftermar-
ket solutions. We are dedicated to en-
hancing the automotive experience for
enthusiasts and owners alike. Cartisan’s
arrival in Pune represents our commit-
ment to elevating car care standards in
Western India and reflects our vision
of offering comprehensive and person-
alized services that resonate with the
needs of this dynamic market,” said
Jitendra Kalra, CEO, PPG Asian Paints.
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
10-12 Fresh Paint 0324.indd 11
Nippon Paint’s
AQUATERRAS Receives
Seatrade Maritime Award
for Marine Technology
Nippon Paint Marine’s biocide-free,
self-polishing coating AQUATERRAS
won the Marine Technology Award at
last week’s Seatrade Maritime Awards
in Shanghai.
The Seatrade Maritime Awards hon-
ors shipping organizations going above
and beyond to drive industry progress,
raising the benchmark for excellence
with their exceptional work. With four-
teen categories, the prestigious Seatrade
Maritime Awards ceremony brings to-
gether leaders in the maritime industry to
network and celebrate the year’s greatest
achievements. The Seatrade Maritime
Awards were established in 1989 and are
one of the most well-respected accolades
in the industry to win.
AQUATERRAS won in the Marine
Technology Award category with
this award recognizing the coating’s
Fresh Paint
contribution to improving ef-
ficiencies, lowering operating
costs and reducing emissions
for the shipping industry.
AQUATERRAS is the world’s first bio-
cide-free self-polishing coating with an
environmentally friendly formulation.
Nippon Paint Marine has conducted
thorough testing which demonstrates
that AQUATERRAS does not contain
biocidal substances and active ingre-
dients and poses no harm to marine
life. Testing with marine life has been
done with marine fish, bivalves, crus-
taceans and seaweeds at Nippon Paint
Marine’s purpose-built R&D centers;
none of which were harmed or affected
by AQUATERRAS.
Unlike traditional antifouling coat-
ings that rely on biocides, such as cop-
per or cuprous oxide, AQUATERRAS
sets a new standard. AQUATERRAS’s
surface is super-smooth and extremely
flat due to its biocide free formulation
and its self-polishing hydrolysis reaction
Coatings World | 11
2/28/24 2:43 PM
 Fresh Paint
helps to make a vessel’s surface
even smoother over time, effec-
tively self-polishing as the ves-
sel moves. Leveraging cutting
edge medical anti-thrombogenic poly-
mer technology, AQUATERRAS incor-
porates hydrophilic and hydrophobic
micro-domain structures that actively
repel any biological adhesion onto its
surface. As a result, marine organisms
are unable to attach and grow on the
hull, which enables improved vessel
performance and efficiency.
AQUATERRAS uses the latest science
and technology to enable customers to
increase operational efficiencies and re-
duce GHG emissions and fuel costs. Data
shows that AQUATERRAS can provide
an up to 10% fuel saving, which sup-
ports Nippon Paint Marine’s customers
in driving greener operations, increasing
efficiencies and uptime, reducing costs
and emissions, and protecting their most
valuable assets. AQUATERRAS is used
across a range of different sectors within
the shipping industry, including contain-
er shipping, tankers and bulk carriers,
with cruise a particular early adopter.
The system is being tested by major ship-
yards and shipowners, with patches ap-
plied to various vessels.
Rodda Paint Acquires
Valley Paint Manufacturing
Rodda Paint has purchased Valley Paint
Manufacturing, in Woods Cross, Utah.
Founded in April 1982 by Russell
Swan and Brad Olson with a vision
to fill a niche in the local market for
light industrial coatings, Valley Paint
Manufacturing has built an outstand-
ing reputation in manufacturing quality
products since, growing their sales both
regionally and nationally, from their fa-
cility located in Woods Cross, UT.
David Wolf, president and COO of
Rodda Paint, along with Brian Villa, exec-
utive VP of sales and operations of Rodda
Paint and Tim Vogel, chairman and CEO
of Cloverdale Paint Group, are extremely
pleased with the fit between Rodda Paint
Co. and Valley Paint Manufacturing.
With a robust employee base, manu-
facturing and distribution capacity and
technical and sales expertise, the Valley
12 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
10-12 Fresh Paint 0324.indd 12
Paint Manufacturing acquisition pro-
vides high quality people, industrial
technology, manufacturing and formu-
lating capacity to Rodda Paint Co. and
the Cloverdale Paint Group.
Valley Paint Manufacturing will con-
tinue to operate independently in the
Salt Lake City area with the support of
Rodda Paint Co., making products to
service their existing customers and ex-
panding their sales and operations to fur-
ther grow their distribution nationwide.
“It is with purchases like these of
great companies with strong reputa-
tions that fit our growth strategy, that
Rodda Paint Co. in support with the
Cloverdale Paint Group, plans to con-
tinue to grow our coating network to
higher levels,” said Wolf.
PPG Earns Top Recognition
At CARES North America
PPG announced that it received the “au-
dience favorite” award for its presenta-
tion at the recent CARES North America
Sustainable Forum, which highlights the
innovative techniques and strategies used
in sustainable automotive manufacturing.
Presented by Thierry Destruhaut, PPG
customer sustainability business part-
ner, automotive OEM, and determined
through audience voting, the presentation
covered key topics facing automakers
and suppliers, including cradle-to-grave
carbon emissions, critical themes that
the industry can address in the near and
long term, and how to calculate carbon
footprint emissions.
“The automotive industry is quickly
progressing against the decarbonization
of scope 3 downstream emissions thanks
to electrification of automotive fleets,”
said Destruhaut. “As a result, it is be-
coming even more crucial to align on a
level playing field for scope 3 upstream
carbon footprint calculations and data
in order to identify the best options for
further decarbonization.”
“The recognition from CARES un-
derscores PPG’s commitment to strong
sustainability leadership in the automo-
tive industry,” said Dennis Taljan, PPG
general manager, Optima Solutions,
Automotive OEM Coatings. “In an
evolving automotive marketplace, we are
consistently working to bring sustainable
products and solutions that bring value
to our customer and the industry overall.”
Founded by major automotive equip-
ment manufacturers, the CARES Forum
creates a platform for OEMs and sup-
pliers to discuss how to achieve a more
sustainable manufacturing process. The
2023 event drew approximately 300 at-
tendees, ranging from automotive profes-
sionals to sustainability advocates.
BCF’s UK Coatings
Industry’s Net Zero
Roadmap Awarded
Publication of the Year
The British Coatings Federation (BCF) se-
cured a win in the Publication of the Year
category at the 2024 Trade Association
Forum (TAF) Awards ceremony in
London, in front of over 350 delegates.
The Publication of the Year Award
was presented to BCF for the in-house
production and design of the UK coat-
ings industry’s first-ever edition of their
Road to Net Zero document, a report
that outlines the industry’s progress in
reducing carbon emissions, the baseline
and targets and practical information
for members on how they can measure
and reduce their carbon footprint. The
Roadmap concludes with recommen-
dations for Government to support the
industry on this journey, and what is
needed from the wider supply chain to
ensure that the industry is successful.
BCF were also Highly Commended
for TAF’s Diversity and Inclusion Award
for their work with their members pro-
moting a more diverse workforce in the
UK coatings industry.
BCF have historically recognized
talent within the industry and existing
initiatives through their Diversity and
Inclusion, Young Leader of the Year,
and Apprentice of the Year Awards at
their annual BCF Awards ceremony. In
2021 BCF formed its ED&I Committee,
made up of members who support
work in the area, such as the BCF
Board of Directors’ commitment to
championing ED&I within their com-
panies as senior representatives in the
industry to build a more balanced, high-
performing sector. CW
March 2024
2/28/24 2:43 PM

BASF Launches RMC1000,
One-Coat Clear for Refinish Industry
R
M, a premium refinish paint
brand of BASF, is introducing
RMC1000, a one-coat clear for
the refinish industry. Answering cus-
tomer demand for speed and efficiency,
RMC1000 reduces cycle time, provides
superior sag resistance, and offers
excellent appearance.
In response to market demand for in-
creasing productivity, RMC1000 can be
applied with one wet coat and 30 min-
utes of drying at 140°F, saving customers
at least ten minutes due to no flash-off
time and no second coat when compared
to 1.5 coat clears on the market.
The value of ten minutes for body
shop owners is more than mere time sav-
ings. With no flash-off time nor second
coat application, they can increase cycles
per day, unlocking over half a million
dollars in additional revenue per year.
For example, if a customer uses a
competitive 1.5 coat clear with an av-
erage booth run time of 90 minutes for
four cycles per day using an average
RO of $3,750, their income would be
$315,000 per month, per booth.
If that same customer swapped their
1.5 coat clear with RMC1000, the time
savings could allow them to run 4.6 cy-
cles per day. An extra 0.6 cycles doesn’t
seem like much, but could add $564,000
per year in additional revenue.
“RMC100 is a trailblazing product
for our customers. As the very first one-
coat clear in the industry, the increase
in speed and efficiency is simply unob-
tainable through any other product on
the market,” said Jim Reddy, BASF mar-
keting manager, Americas – Refinish
Coatings. “When you combine that ben-
efit with energy savings, CO2 emission
reduction, and the ease of application,
RMC1000 not only answers the grow-
ing demand from shops for improved
productivity and less complexity, it
exceeds it.”
In addition to unlocking the oppor-
tunity for additional revenue, RMC1000
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
13 CW New Products 0324.indd 13
also increases efficiency without adding
repair orders.
Swapping out a competitive 1.5 coat
clear with RMC1000 can save custom-
ers $2,000 per year in energy saving
with less booth run time and 7000 lbs.
per year in CO2 emissions, which is the
same as a car driving 6,433 miles, or
Michigan to Alaska and back, BASF
notes. Furthermore, shops can achieve
immediate savings on RO cost per hour
with RMC1000.
RMC1000 one-coat clear is now
available for national rule markets.
Tnemec Announces
Release of Series 108
And 109 ProBond
Tnemec Company, Inc. announced the
launch of Series 108 and Series 109
ProBond, the newest epoxy penetrating
sealers in the Tnemec family of high-
performance coatings.
Series 108 and 109 yield the next evo-
lutionary step in Tnemec’s world of low-
stress penetrating epoxy sealers. These
products continue Tnemec’s legacy of
premium high-performance coatings and
will go forth as a go-to problem-solving
primer in the epoxy sealer arena, the
company reported.
Series 108 and 109 bring additional
performance and convenience features
to the marketplace, such as extended
pot life and recoat windows, low-tem-
perature cure, shipping and packaging
advantages, and more.
“The performance of these epoxy
resins is astounding,” said Dan O’Toole,
director of sales at Tnemec. “With this
next generation of ProBond products,
you can expect an even more robust
sealer providing best-in-class service.”
With the applicator in mind, these
products were designed to adhere to a
multitude of substrates, including old
finishes, and are frequently used as an
overcoating primer.
Series 108 and 109 are solvent-free
New Products
coatings applied at a low film thickness
to reduce stress and weight on old tight-
ly adhered coatings, creating a reliable
foundation to accept high-performance
epoxy and polyurethane finishes.
Carboline Launches New
Urethane Mastic for
Emergency Maintenance
Carboline announced the launch of
Carbothane DTM Mastic, a one-coat
solution for emergency maintenance or
quick-turn coating projects.
Carbothane DTM Mastic is a ure-
thane-based hybrid that exhibits ex-
ceptional performance over minimally
prepared steel surfaces.
Its mastic properties offer excellent
corrosion protection, and as a urethane,
it retains its color and gloss longer and
weathers far better than competing ep-
oxy mastic maintenance coatings.
In July 2023, Carbothane DTM
Mastic was trialed on an emergency
pipeline coating project at a liquid termi-
nal in Philadelphia, PA, after corrosion
and discoloration were found.
The terminal owner needed the pip-
ing repainted quickly to remain com-
pliant with regulations from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The product was applied by hand in
tough conditions, including a minimally
prepared surface, the presence of mois-
ture, and very hot summer temperatures.
The application was smooth, and the
coating performed as intended, bring-
ing the piping back into EPA compliance
with no fines.
“This field trial, and other recent
success stories like it, demonstrate the
immediate impact Carbothane DTM
Mastic has had on unplanned or emer-
gency coating project outcomes. Every
product we develop is intended to solve
specific problems, so the market’s re-
sponse to Carbothane DTM Mastic so
far is a great sign,” said Justin Manuel,
director of global product line. CW
Coatings World | 13
2/28/24 3:44 PM
 Business Corner Strategies & Analysis
Global Supply Chain Transitions and
The Changing Role of Countries in SE Asia
by Gary Shawhan,
Contributing Editor
gshawhan@chemarkconsulting.net
Country Dynamics:
India vs. China
Is India ready to take the lead from China
in servicing the global supply chain? The
answer to this question is perhaps.
Certainly, China has provided sufficient
reasons for companies to look elsewhere.
Within Southeast Asia, India represents the
second largest economy at $3.7 trillion.
This contrasts with China, whose economy
is valued at $17.7 trillion in 2023.
India is a country of 1.4 billion people
vs. 1.5 billion for China. In 2023, India
represented the world’s fifth largest econ-
omy (Table 3) as measured by GDP com-
pared to that of China, which is second to
the United States.
Today, India is a country that is on a
strong economic growth curve. It has a
large, energetic, young work force and a
government that is committed to infra-
structure development. The Indian gov-
ernment has also instituted policy changes
favorable to supporting foreign direct in-
vestment. This includes initiating new clean
energy policies more in line with global
sustainability goals.
Deutche Bank has estimated that
India’s GDP could almost double by 2030,
TABLE 3. Economic Data Comparison - India vs. China
Economic Indicator
Gross Domestic Products (GDP), 2023
GDP Growth Rate, 2023-2024
GDP per capita, 2023
Unemployment 2023
Income Tax Rate/Corp. Rate, 2023
Exports (as % GDP) 2023
Imports (as % GDP) 2023
Total Reserves
14 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
14-15 BusinessCorner 0324.indd 14
Part 2
approaching ~$7 trillion by 2030.
India’s GDP in 2023/2024 is pegged at
6.3%, slightly above earlier estimates for
the year. China’s 2023 GDP is anticipated
to be around 5% for the year. This estimate
is down from an earlier forecast of around
5.5% as the Chinese economy has increas-
ingly struggled to regain its past high level
of economic growth. This downward trend
is expected to continue into 2024 with an
estimate of 4.5% GDP (or possibly lower)
for China.
Other differences in the current business
climate between India and China include:
• India has an emerging economy with a
young workforce that is ambitious and mo-
tivated to improve their economic position.
• India has fostered partnerships and
a positive working relationship with most
SE Asia countries that is far less conten-
tious than their current relationships with
the Chinese government. This has put India
in a much more favorable position to chal-
lenge China as an alternative global source
of supply.
One of the challenges facing India is the
fragmentation and in-country segregation
of regional territories and their governmen-
tal systems. Historically, regional sects have
impeded India’s ability to move decisively
with unilateral actions necessary to respond
to business opportunities. Recent policy
changes by the Indian government that are
favorable to foreign investment are helping
China India
$13.6T $3.7T
5.0% 6.3%
$9.8k $2k
4.4% 2.6%
45%/25% 31.9%/32.4%
19.5% 19.7%
18.7% 23.6%
3.2T 400B
to eliminate this as an issue going forward.
India has also built a good working
relationship with many of the other coun-
tries in the region. At a time when China
is challenging the sovereignty and border
security of many of the same SE Asia coun-
tries, India has established relationships
with them by extending a helping hand and
provided support on both defense and hu-
manitarian issues.
China’s labor costs have risen steadily
with the growth in its supply chain posi-
tion. One consequence of this evolution is
China has developed a large middle-class.
In turn, this has created in-country compe-
tition for their global export business.
China has aggressively pursued direct
investments in establishing manufacturing
operations throughout SE Asia. This has al-
lowed China to leverage their supply chain
position by extending their manufacturing
reach to neighboring countries that still
possess a low-cost labor force.
China has also been aggressively in-
vesting in next generation automation to
improve manufacturing efficiencies within
existing Chinese facilities. This effort is de-
signed to allow China to retain a net cost
advantage, especially in the higher-tech,
value-added markets.
China’s authoritarian government has
provided a singular point of control for
policy (including tariffs, allocations and
lockdowns), business direction and invest-
ment. Early in its economic growth cycle
this was an advantage. In recent years, this
has increasingly become an impediment
to foreign investment and to reliance on
China as a supply chain partner.
Current Investment
Climate: China vs. India
Foreign direct investments (FDI) into both
Chinese and Indian companies experienced a
decline in 2023. China’s State Administration
of Foreign Exchange posted a third quarter,
2023 decline of $11.8 billion for foreign
March 2024
2/28/24 2:37 PM

TABLE 4. Bilateral Trade between India, China, and the U.S.
Trade Partners 2022-2023 Bilateral Trade
% Change
India and the U.S. +7.6%
China and the U.S. -3.5%
India and China -1.5%
* % change 2020 to 2021 (@$80.5 billion)
direct investments in non-Chinese compa-
nies. Compared to nine-month YTD 2022
vs. 2023, the decline in FDI for China was
$10.8 billion or 8.4%. In comparison, the
nine-month decline in foreign direct invest-
ments for India was 14.3% from 2022 to
2023 or $26.5 billion versus $31 billion.
Reasons for the decline in FDI (for both
China and India) include investor uncer-
tainty about the economy overall and an
increasingly conservative attitude by corpo-
rations toward offshore investments. This
reluctance also extended to private equity
and venture capital.
In general, as the global economy recovers
this trend in FDI is expected to reverse. For
China (as noted earlier) the additional mitigat-
ing issues are likely to impact foreign direct
investments, making recovery less certain.
Merger and
Acquisition Activity
India and China have recently experienced
a decline in M&A activity. For China,
M&A activity (by value) in the third quar-
ter of 2023 declined 83% from Q2 which
was reported at $8.1 billion. As compared
to Q3 2022, the value of M&A deals was
down 65%.
India’s M&A activity for Q3 2023 in-
creased 25% from the previous quarter but
was 3% lower when compared to the third
quarter of 2022. For the full nine-month
period, M&A activity was $65.6 billion
YTD in 2023. This, however, was down
57% from the same period in 2022 reflect-
ing the apprehension of investors based, in
a large part, on the economy.
The Indian government is beginning
to get behind the investment community
wanting to establish manufacturing in their
country. This is particularly true for high
technology industries including consumer
electronics, semiconductors, automo-
tive and aerospace. As an example, Prime
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
14-15 BusinessCorner 0324.indd 15
Strategies & Analysis Business Corner
$ billion
$128.5
$38.1
$113.8
Minister Narendra Modi has pledged $10
billion to support investments in semicon-
ductor capacity.
Recent investment activity highlights
in India by key high-tech manufacturers
include:
• Micron is planning an estimated $825
million investment in India for new semi-
conductor manufacturing facilities. AMD
is also planning to invest $400 million in
India over the next several years.
• Foxconn, a Taiwanese-based com-
pany and China’s largest single employer,
already has nine production campuses and
more than 30 factories already operating
in India. Foxconn is also building several
new facilities there, which includes a $360
million factory to manufacture phone-case
components and a $240 million plant to
manufacture semiconductors.
• Apple Inc., who has partnered with
Foxconn in China on iPhone production,
recently announced plans to double their
investments and employment in India. This
reflects Apple’s intent to move manufac-
turing out of China based on the current
geopolitical climate. In Q3 2023, Apple
reported absorbing the added costs for
manufacturing the iPhone 15 in India to
underscore their intent to reduce depen-
dence on China.
• Boeing and Airbus both have various
components and sub-assemblies manufac-
tured in India. Boeing has indicated they
have plans to increase manufacturing of
components tied to market demand for
new aircraft.
• Nissan is reportedly looking to ex-
pand their Indian-based domestic auto pro-
duction to include exporting its in-country
manufactured cars. Tesla Inc. is ready to
invest up to $2 billion to set up a factory in
India if the government cuts its import duty
on its vehicles to 15% for the first two years
of operations.
2021-2022 Bilateral Trade
% Change* $ billion
+44.8% $119.5
NA $60.2
NA $115.5
• Amazon intends to make a large in-
vestment in India. Amazon plans an addi-
tional $15 billion investment by 2030 with
Amazon Web Services contributing $12.7
billion directed at India’s surging economy.
Outlook for Trade
Relations Between India,
China, and the U.S.
The shift in trade relations between China
and India with the United States is beginning
to be reflected in the import/export data for
the last couple of years. For FY 2023, the
U.S. became India’s largest trading partner.
Exports to India from the U.S. for the period
2022-2023 rose to $78.3 billion and imports
rose to $50.2 billion for the period.
In comparison, bilateral trade between
China and the United States for FY 2023
was $58.1 billion. This included US exports
of $7.7 billion and imports of $50.5 billion.
This trend is expected to continue as
relationships between the U.S. and India
continue to strengthen.
SE Asia countries had increasingly re-
lied on Chinese manufacturers as a key
source of supply for various products and
services. China also represented a ma-
jor export market for their own goods.
Without a viable alternative, the impact to
the economy of many SE Asia countries by
even partially disengaging with China is a
problem. India, as an emerging economy
in the region, is now positioned to provide
them a timely option.
Chinese companies, faced with the
growing tensions between China and many
of their traditional global export customers
including the United States, are also modi-
fying their supply chain strategies. China, as
a sole source of supply, has become a risk
to their own manufacturing infrastructure.
Chinese companies are now looking to set
up manufacturing in India or with other SE
Asia countries. CW
Coatings World | 15
2/28/24 2:37 PM
 International Coatings Scene Europe

The Quiet Before the Dawn

by Terry Knowles
European Correspondent
tknowles@rodmanmedia.com

T
he European coatings industry –
and indeed much of the global
coatings industry – appears to
be experiencing a much quieter time
than has been witnessed for many years.
After continuous waves of acquisi-
tions effected to broaden companies’
global and regional reaches, and after
years and years of investments in new
production facilities, much of this activ-
ity has quieted recently.
In the post-COVID era, the problems
of distribution and access to raw ma-
terials have been superseded by geopo-
litical tensions in Eastern Europe and
increasingly in the Middle East. One
of the things that business appreciates
is certainty, and in the current environ-
ment that is in short supply.
Where there have been acquisi-
tions in recent years they have been in All of them are commanding newer will play its part by taking a leading role
markets and locations far away from collaborations and imperatives within in the SusInkCoat project, which will
geopolitical turmoil, such as in Latin industry and supply chains, although explore how to make inks and coatings
America on the part of AkzoNobel, and the sustainability agenda is much higher more sustainable.
more recently Kazakhstan, on the part in Europe than it is in other parts of the The company will work together
of Nippon Paint. world. What we have seen in the distant with private partners and other soci-
Companies remain active in pursu- past has been the consortium-based co- etal stakeholders to develop new ma-
ing pieces to pick off for their global- operation of many top companies and terials, processes and applications to
ization jigsaw puzzle, but with time high-tech start-ups in areas such as a improve the durability, functionality
the pool from which they choose seems biotechnology that have been target- and recyclability of coatings, thin films
to be dwindling, unless they break ing the development of new paths to and inks. This research program, which
new ground with different strategies recycled materials. will be five years in length, is backed by
(which is what Nippon Paint is doing at However, more recently AkzoNobel the Ministry of Economic Affairs and
the moment). announced that it had signed up to be Climate Policy and the Dutch Research
part of a new major government-funded Council (NWO).
Modern Perspectives project in the Netherlands that tack- “Our discussions about collaborat-
And a ‘Perspectief’ les sustainability from the other angle. ing with our SusInkCoat partners have
So where have companies been concen- Called Perspectief, the project has drawn been very positive,” said André van
trating their efforts and strategies if not more than 80 industry participants into Linden, AkzoNobel’s R&D director of
in overseas growth? a variety of consortia aimed at progress- scientific academic programs, who is
Three areas stand out. First, there is ing the greater recycling of materials. also the co-lead of SusInkCoat. “We’re
the sphere of sustainability, second there Seven broad consortia have been all facing the same societal challenges
is the domain of technology and finally established as part of the government- – how to become more circular – and
there are the areas associated with energy. funded Perspectief program. AkzoNobel we’re looking for the same solutions in

16 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com March 2024

16-17 CW Europe Report 0324.indd 16 2/28/24 2:47 PM


different application areas. But we’ve
never done that together for this specific
research topic, so we need an ecosystem
to help us solve these challenges.”
Van Linden adds that the program
– one of many R&D projects the com-
pany is involved with – will also sup-
port AkzoNobel’s ambition to achieve
50% fewer carbon emissions in its own
operations and across the value chain
by 2030.
“We want to make the recyclability
of materials – such as furniture, build-
ing materials and steel constructions
– easier by introducing functionalities
like self-healing, higher durability and
triggered release,” he continued. “The
more you can leave the materials in
their original state, the more sustain-
ably you can operate.”
AkzoNobel will be working along-
side Canon, Evonik, GFB, PTG and
RUG Ventures, which together have ex-
tensive knowledge of market demands,
supply chains and production processes.
All the SusInkCoat partners will work
with academic researchers at several
Dutch universities in an effort to iden-
tify promising developments that can
be commercialized, used for education
purposes or for outreach to the public.
Regular readers of this column will
be aware that what is happening with
the sustainability agenda is expected to
usher in a new dawn for industry with
the development of renewable coatings
based on a raft of sustainable technolo-
gies that will bring much greater growth
over the next quarter of the century, as
the EU seeks to continue its greening
by 2050.
Such major ambitions require
phenomenal research and collabora-
tive efforts, which is what industry is
currently undertaking.
Mastering Eco-Friendliness
From Every Angle
Eco-friendliness within the coatings in-
dustry continues to be the primary im-
perative for companies within Europe,
with environmental awareness being
pre-eminent in both the consumers’ and
the end-users’ minds.
This theme is ushering in many
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
16-17 CW Europe Report 0324.indd 17
Europe International Coatings Scene
AkzoNobel's latest powder coatings expansion at Como harnesses recycled energy as the industry leader
advances even further with the greening of its own production processes. (Image credit: AkzoNobel)
different ways to make production
greener, while simultaneously leading
to many refinements in the final coat-
ings themselves and what they represent
in reducing energy consumption. This is
also a strong echo of the thinking hap-
pening within the European Council as
far as chemistry is concerned.
Powder coatings are a long-estab-
lished sector that has experienced great-
er popularity in recent years, coupled
with much innovation from the energy
reduction angle. Considerable energy-
reduction advances in this sector have
already been laid out by AkzoNobel,
the clear leader in powder coatings.
Very recently AkzoNobel complet-
ed an expansion of its largest powder
coatings factory in Europe – at Como
in Italy – which is especially apposite
given the strength of the Italian white
goods sector.
Four new manufacturing lines are
now operational following the €21 mil-
lion project – two of them dedicated to
automotive primers and two to archi-
tectural coatings. New bonding equip-
ment lines have also been added, to
ensure that the products meet and ex-
ceed industry standards.
“Increasing our capabilities in Como
is a significant milestone which supports
our ambition to create safety of sup-
ply for our customers,” explained Sanal
Limoncuoglu, commercial director of
AkzoNobel’s Powder Coatings business
in South and East Europe (S&EE) and
Middle East Africa (MEA). “We’re now
well equipped to serve all our customers
in the EMEA region with highly efficient
lines that are state-of-the-art in terms of
consistency and quality.”
AkzoNobel’s Como site is the compa-
ny’s largest plant for producing powder
coatings. It supplies products for seven
main market segments: home applianc-
es; architecture; automotive; agriculture
and construction machinery; trade coat-
ers; furniture; and general industry.
The extra capacity in Como has been
installed in a renovated building where
powder coatings were originally made
– a sustainable reuse of an existing part
of the site, which was established in
1992. The new lines also use recycled
energy and are focused on meeting the
highest standards in sustainable produc-
tion, supporting the company’s ambition
to reduce its carbon emissions by 50%
by 2030.
More of the Three Rs
Marketing, PR or otherwise, one can’t
help noticing the three Rs in that last
paragraph: reuse, recycle and reduce.
And that is very much the vocabulary we
should expect more of from the coatings
industry in the coming years. CW
Coatings World | 17
2/28/24 2:47 PM
 International Coatings Scene Latin America
Walmart Pushes into Central America
With Glidden
by Charles W. Thurston
Latin America Correspondent
thurstoncw@rodmanmedia.com
I
n March 2023, Walmart announced
that it would spend close to $1.5 bil-
lion modernizing existing stores and
opening new ones in Mexico and Central
America. During an investor presentation
in February of this year, Walmex, as the
company is known in the region, said it
had opened 162 new stores across Mexico
and Central America in 2023, including
101 in the last three months of the year.
“Last year we opened the highest num-
ber of stores since 2013,” said Guilherme
Loureiro, then the executive president
and CEO of Walmart de México y
Centroamérica, according to MexicoNow.
In January of this year, the company
named Cristina Ronski as senior vice
president and CEO of Walmart Central
America, replacing Flavio Cotini.
Walmex operates 3,569 stores and
clubs in the region as well as 31 distribu-
tion centers across six countries, reaching
690 cities, according to a 2022 report by
European Supermarket Magazine.
In Central America alone, the company
has 896 stores in four formats and more
than 38,000 associates in the five coun-
tries within the region, according to the
Walmart operates the Pali chain in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. (Source: Walmart)
18 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
18-19 CW latin am 0324.indd 18
company website. Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are
included in the company’s Central America
network, which excludes Panama.
The Walmart expansion plan has been
at work for several years.
“As we seek to prioritize our resources
and accelerate our ecosystem in Mexico,
Costa Rica and Guatemala, we believe
there may be attractive opportunities for
further growth in Honduras, El Salvador
and Nicaragua that could be better cap-
tured under a different structure,” said
Loureiro in 2022.
Walmart sales in Mexico and Central
America are growing. In 2023, sales were
$40.5 billion in the region, compared
with about $36 billion in 2022, according
to Statista.
The strong economic growth in the re-
gion helps these sales. Within Walmart’s
five-country definition of the region, Costa
Rica demonstrated the strongest growth
in 2023 at 4.9% followed by Guatemala
at 3.4%, Nicaragua and Honduras at
3.3%,and El Salvador at 2.3%, accord-
ing to the United Nations Economic
Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC).
Glidden to Lead Regional
Walmart Paint Sales
In 2023, a new agreement between
Walmart and PPG made Glidden paint
the primary brand across 3,800 Walmart
stores. The reported multi-year arrange-
ment will enable PPG to control much
of the shelf space at Walmart stores and
super-centers. Glidden Grab-n-Go is fea-
tured at Walmart in 25 premixed colors,
while 132 colors can be mixed.
Among other brands of paint and coat-
ings carried by Walmart in the region are
Flex Seal, Kilz, Krylon and Rust-Oleum.
A range of paint manufacturers and
distributors are present in the Central
American market, led by Costa Rica,
which has the most robust economy. The
top five paint manufacturers in Costa Rica
are Sur Quimica, with sales of $244 mil-
lion per year; Mexichem Costa Rica, with
sales of $53 million; Lanco & Harris with
sales of $38 million, Pintuco Costa Rica
with sales of $21 million; and HB Fuller
Centroamerica, with sales of $16 million,
according to Dun & Bradstreet.
Glidden also has forged a distri-
bution agreement in Costa Rica with
El Lagar stores.
“Our brand of paints and coatings is
joining with another market leader, El
Lagar, for distribution in Costa Rica, with
the aim of further strengthening our pres-
ence in the country,” said Horacio Dobal,
PPG Industries LATAM director of mar-
keting and brand, according to a February
report by the Costa Rica Star.
In El Salvador, the largest paint
March 2024
2/28/24 2:48 PM

companies are Sherwin-Williams with
$42 million in annual sales; Industrias de
Foam with $37 million; Fultac with $10
million; GSQ El Salvador with $3 million
in sales; and Pinsal with under $3 million
in annual sales, according to D&B.
In Guatemala, the largest paint compa-
nies are Grupo Solid with $103 million in
annual sales; Latin American Paint Corp
with $32 million; Extru Export with $25
million; Sur Color with $22 million; and
Celulosas y Colorantes with $15 million
in sales, according to D&B.
In Honduras, the largest paint com-
panies are Importadora de Produtos
Internacionales with $12 million in annual
sales; Pintuco de Honduras with $10 mil-
lion in sales; HB Fuller Honduras with $4
million; Centro de Colores with $3 million
in sales; and GSQ with $3 million in sales,
D&B reported.
In Nicaragua, Pinturas Modelo, with
annual sales of $8 million, is the only paint
company listed by D&B in the country.
In Panama, outside of its agreement
with Walmart, Glidden plans to bring its
total number of company stores to 20 by
the end of 2024, according to Dobal, in
the Star report.
“While the Walmart-Glidden relation-
ship is going very well in the United States,
the partnership recently has slowed down
in Central America,” says Marcelo Diniz
Carneiro, PPG’s General Manager Latin
America South and Central America for
Architectural Coatings.
The largest paint companies in Panama
are Centro de Pinturas Pintuco with
$46 million in annual sales; Formica
Distribution Center with $17 million;
GSQ Panama with $10 million; Central
de Pinturas with $10 million; and Global
Paint Investment with $5 million in sales,
D&B indicates.
Growth in Central America
Robust, Housing Improving
Central America is poised to grow by 3.9%
this year, resulting in a gross domestic
product (GDP) for the region worth $510
billion, according to the International
Monetary Fund. Within this figure, GDP
per capita for the 63.8 million inhabit-
ants of the region is estimated at $16,770
for 2024.
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
18-19 CW latin am 0324.indd 19
Latin America International Coatings Scene
“In 2023, a new agreement
between Walmart and PPG
made Glidden paint the
primary brand across 3,800
Walmart stores.”
Housing programs are well devel-
oped in Central America, helping poor
families move into better homes, which
can help drive the demand for econo-
my-grade paints and coatings.
During 2023, the UN Habitat imple-
mented the New Urban Agenda and
Post-Pandemic Recovery in Central
America and the Dominican Republic.
This program was launched in collabo-
ration with the Andalusian Regional
Government, the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation, the
Secretariat for Central American Social
Integration (SICA), as well as with the
support of El Consejo Centroamericano
de Vivienda y Asentamientos Humanos
(CCVAH), governments, academia, and
non-governmental organizations, the
UN reported.
WALMART GLOBAL SALES BY REGION
(Source Statista)
Within the region, Costa Rica’s
housing programs are viewed as most
successful. “Costa Rica’s subsidy pro-
gram – one program of the National
Finance System for Housing (SFNV)
– is directed toward construction,
land acquisition and construction, or
purchase or improvement of an exist-
ing house,” according to a 2023 UN
Habitat report.
Similarly, in Nicaragua, the Programa
de Desarrollo Local (PRODEL) serves
as a second-tier institution providing
capital to a network of micro finance
institutions (MRI) that lend to low-
income families in accordance with
PRODEL’s lending principles and strat-
egy, according to UN Habitat.
Still, “Frequent mention is made of
Nicaragua’s housing deficit of 400,000
to 500,000 in the national media, but
the provenance of this number is not
entirely clear,” UN Habitat noted.
Much work in the public housing
arena remains to be done. This is par-
ticularly true for housing in mega cities
in the region, like San Salvador, in El
Salvador, and in Tegucigalpa, Honduras,
which show among the highest rates of
poor households, ranging from 65% in
Tegucigalpa to 65% in San Salvador,
the UN noted. CW
Coatings World | 19
2/28/24 2:48 PM
 International Coatings Scene Russia

Russian Printed Inks Market is Still

Adapting to Sanctions

W
estern sanctions have nearly
crippled the Russian print-
ed business, cutting off lo-
cal firms from their trade partners in
Europe. Reasonable solutions have
been eventually discovered in friendly
countries of Asia, but things are still far
from perfect.
In October 2022, Russian newspaper
Vedomosti reported that printing houses
all over the country were poised to mas-
sively turn the plug on their operations,
as vital imports from Europe, North
America and Japan had been disrupted
by sanctions.
A group of managers told the publi-
cation that the industry suffered a 90%
import dependence on technologies,
spare parts and consumables, including
printed inks.
Pavel Arseniev, general director of
Pareto-Print, a Moscow-based printing
house, disclosed that a part of Western Book Fair, market players talked about RBC, a Russian business newspaper,
suppliers severed ties with their Russian the creeping crisis in the industry. reported. In May, several Russian pub-
clients on their own motion. Since the onset of the COVID-19 lishing groups rolled out plans to raise
Still, most suspended trade obey- pandemic, the number of printing prices, citing a 5% to 10% increase in
ing the 5th European sanctions pack- houses in the country shrank by 20%, the cost of consumables in the previous
age, passed in July 2022, under which a not least because the business bears few months and another 15% rise ex-
broad range of chemical products were extra costs associated with printed ink pected during the rest of the year.
prohibited for export to Russia. imports, a local publication, Moscow Speaking during the Moscow Book
Facing unprecedented challenges, Gazette, reported. Fair, Arseniev confirmed that his com-
the Russian printing industry turned to Larisa Danilova, general director of pany primarily relied on printed inks im-
alternative markets. the OktoPrint Service, one of the leading ported from China and Korea.
Vedomosti disclosed that business suppliers for the Russian printed indus- The import-replacement campaign,
owners managed to keep their opera- try, admitted that offset ink production embarked on by the Russian coatings in-
tions running thanks to imports from is absent in the country, so the entire dustry in the wake of Western sanctions,
politically neutral countries, in the demand in this field was covered by im- has stalled in the printed ink segment.
first place China, India, Turkey, Iran ports from China and Korea. First Model Printing House told
and Korea. Some varnishes for the industry are RBC, “It is difficult to call the process of
Although the industry averted the manufactured in Russia, but dependence searching new [foreign] suppliers instead
collapse, the Russian printed ink market on imported raw materials in this seg- of European ones import substitution.”
experienced a 35% to 40% hike in aver- ment remained tough. Russian businesses expressed little to
age prices, stemming from logistics chal- For example, solvent D60 required no interest in pumping money into print-
lenges and other sanctions-related issues. for varnish production is available on ed ink manufacturing.
the domestic market, but its quality was Arseniev, for example, said that the
Reading Becomes Costly not what the printing houses required, Russian printed houses tried to talk
Printing houses reportedly still struggle Danilova claimed. companies producing furniture adhe-
to fully adapt to the new conditions. The problem fueled the upward rally sives into exploring opportunities for
During the International Moscow in the Russian book market in 2023, printed ink production.

20 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com March 2024

20-21 CW Russia 0324.indd 20 2/28/24 2:52 PM


“Printing houses have to bear part of the costs, refraining from
passing the rising spending onto their customers. Printing
businesses plan their pricing policy taking into account the
purchasing power of the Russian population.”
However, none of the engaged com-
panies have eventually jumped into
concrete projects.
The only Russian manufacturer of
offset inks, Polygraphic Inks LLC, oper-
ating capacities of the Torzhok printed
inks plant, have been keeping a low pro-
file in recent years.
An anonymous source familiar with
the matter told RBC that the equipment
installed at large enterprises requires a
certain ink composition, and it was es-
sentially impossible to print books using
the Russian company’s inks. The publica-
tion also indicated that Polygraphic Inks
LLC manufactured printed inks in small
volumes, not providing concrete details.
Dwindling Margins
The Russian printing industry’s turn to
the East appeared to be painful for the
business margins of the sector.
Basically, the transition from
European to Asian consumables has
driven the operational costs up by 15%
to 20%, according to Arseniev.
“Firstly, logistics are becoming more
complicated,” he explained. “Secondly,
delivery times have increased. Thirdly,
our Asian partners do not find it neces-
sary to come up with attractive prices,
realizing that we do not have any rea-
sonable choice. In addition, fluctuations
in exchange rates also contributed to the
[direness] of the situation.”
The First Model Printing House
paints a similar picture, also underpin-
ning the swings in the currency exchange
market as one of the reasons for the dif-
ficulties. “As the industry is dependent
on imports, all prices, even of Asian
manufacturers, are denominated in for-
eign currency,” a spokesperson for the
company said.
During 2023, Russia’s currency
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
20-21 CW Russia 0324.indd 21
Russia International Coatings Scene
steadily lost value, falling 40% against
the U.S. dollar since December 2022. To
stabilize the currency and keep inflation
at bay, the Russian Central Bank was
forced to increase the key interest rate
from 7.5% to 16%, which has become
a problem for the Russian printing busi-
ness itself, as bank loans have become
less affordable for most operations.
On top of that, printing houses have
to bear part of the costs, refraining
from passing the rising spending onto
their customers. Printing businesses
plan their pricing policy taking into
account the purchasing power of the
Russian population. As a result, mar-
ket players find themselves “engaged in
dumping,” which drives business profit-
ability down across the board, accord-
ing to Arseniev.
The “basic need” of the market for
consumables is indeed being met through
supplies from Asian countries and par-
allel import, the Russian Industry and
Trade Ministry said, noting that the sec-
tor experiences certain difficulties due to
the Russian ruble’s exchange rate tur-
bulence. The Ministry, however, did not
offer details.
Packaging Inks
In Sufficient Supply
The picture is slightly different in the pack-
aging inks segment, where the import-re-
placement push seemingly succeeded.
In the middle of 2022, for ordinary
Russian citizens, dairy products ap-
peared to be a stark indicator that some-
thing was going wrong in the national
economy. Consumers accustomed to
colorful, diverse packaging were sur-
prised to discover shelves filled with
featureless packs.
The supply disruptions took a
heavy toll on Russian operations – they
struggled to stretch the available ware-
house reserves for as long as possible
and, then, switched to off-white, mini-
malist product packaging, according
to Soyuzmoloko, a Russian union of
dairy manufacturers.
In July 2022, the Russian govern-
ment removed packaging inks from
the excise tax for the use of denatured
ethyl alcohol.
The move was justified by a need to
bolster the competitiveness of the four
Russian packaging ink manufacturers –
Gangut, Beta-Silicon, Partner and Print-
color, which had established capacities of
approximately 45,000 tons per year, the
Industry and Trade Ministry reported.
The measure paid off as Russian
packaging swiftly regained its color.
Soyuzmoloko said this happened pri-
marily thanks to import-replacement
efforts, as Russian packaging ink pro-
duction perked up in the past few years.
However, there is no information on
the scale of import dependence in this
sector. Simultaneously, when designing
support measures for the Russian pack-
aging ink manufacturers, the Russian
Industry and Trade Ministry also includ-
ed packaging inks in the list of goods ap-
proved for parallel import.
Parallel import is a tool approved by
the Russian government in May 2022
that allows Russian businesses to import
goods of brands that depart from the
country without the permission of the
brand’s owner.
Occasional reports indicated that some
Russian companies imported coatings
and raw materials from Europe through
third countries, such as Turkey, Armenia
and the nations of Middle Asia. However,
aside from the Ministry’s note, there is no
indication that the tool has ever been used
for sourcing printed inks. CW
Coatings World | 21
2/28/24 2:52 PM
 International Coatings Scene India, Asia-Pacific

Top Ten Paint and Coating Producers in India

(Part 1)

by Yogender Singh in 1975 by setting up a manufacturing unit TABLE 2. Manufacturing plant locations of Berger
India, Asia-Pacific Correspondent in Jamaica in the Caribbean region. Since Paints
then, the company has continuously ex-
Location State
panded its footprint in various countries
Editor’s Note: These are five of the largest across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Kundaim Industrial
Goa
Area, North Goa
paint and coatings manufacturers in India Caribbean countries.
Jammu 1and 2, Sidco
(Part 2 will follow in April 2024). Asian Paints along with its subsidiaries Industrial Growth Jammu & Kashmir
have operations in 15 countries across the Center
1. Asian Paints world with 27 paint manufacturing facili- Howrah West Bengal
CEO: Amit Singyle ties, servicing consumers in more than 60 Rishra West Bengal
Head Office: Mumbai countries through its brands Asian Paints, Puducherry Puducherry
www.asianpaints.com Apco Coatings, Asian Paints Berger, Asian Jejuri Maharashtra
Ring 2022-23 financial year: $4.20 billion Paints Causeway, SCIB Paints, Taubmans
Hindpur Andhra Pradesh
(INR 344.866 billion) and Kadisco Asian Paints.
Hindpur Unit 2 Andhra Pradesh
Year of establishment: 1942 Asian Paints PPG Pvt. Ltd. is a JV be-
Sikandarabad Uttar Pradesh
tween Asian Paints and U.S. paint major

A
Taloja Maharashtra
sian Paints is the largest paint and PPG Industries Inc. The company is a major
coating producer in India by a wide producer in the field of protective, perfor- Nalbari Assam

margin. With net sales of $4.20 mance and powder coatings in the country. Naltali Assam
billion (INR 344.886 billion) in 2022-23 Sandila Uttar Pradesh
financial year, the company accounts for 2. Berger Paints
more than 50% of the India’s architectural CEO: Abhijit Roy commissioned in under 24 months despite
coating business. Head Office: Kolkatta COVID-19 related disturbances adding to
Established in 1942 as a small partner- www.bergerpaints.com the production capacity by 33,000 metric
ship firm in Mumbai, Asian Paints has ex- Sales revenue in 2022-23: $1.236 billion ton per month, the bulk of which is water-
panded its product range and geographical (INR 105.68 billion) based paint. This new facility also produces
presence over the years to become India’s Year of establishment: 1923 resins, emulsions, colorants, stainers, con-
leading paint manufacturer. struction chemicals and putty.

B
In 1967, the company went public and erger Paints India Limited (BPIL) is The current promoters of the Berger
got listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. the second largest paint producer in group are the Delhi-based Dhingra broth-
With a vision to be a global player, Asian India with sales revenue of $1.236 ers, KS Dhingra and GS Dhingra, who had
Paints started its international operations billion (INR 105.68 billion) in 2022-23 acquired BPIL in the year 1991 from the
financial year. Incorporated in 1923, BPIL UB group. Prior to this acquisition, BPIL
TABLE 1. Production facility of Asian paints in India
is present in both the decorative paint seg- was operating in India under various other
Installed ment, and the industrial segment, namely, promoter groups since 1923.
Location capacity/ Segment general, automotive, protective and powder
per annum
coatings. Decorative segment accounted for 3. Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited
Rohtak 400,000 Decorative
nearly 80% of the total sales revenue in the Managing Director: Anuj Jain
Kasna 80,000 Decorative
last financial year. Head Office: Mumbai
Ankleshwar 130,000 Decorative
The company has 13 manufacturing www.nerolac.com
Khandala 300,000 Decorative
plants in India, two in Nepal, one each in Sales revenue in 2022-23 financial year:
Patancheru 80,000 Decorative Poland and Russia. Its decorative segment $852 million (INR 70.81billion)
Vishakhapat- includes brands such as ‘Weathercoat’, Year of establishment: 1920
300,000 Decorative
nam
‘Luxol’, ‘Silk’ and ‘Easy Clean’.

A
Mysuru 300,000 Decorative
In 2023, Berger Paints commissioned 74.99% subsidiary of Japanese
Sriperumbudur 140,000 Decorative
a state-of-the-art, fully automated manu- paint major Kansai Paints Co. Ltd.,
Industrial facturing facility at Sandila, Uttar Pradesh Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd (KNPL)
Sarigam 7,200MT
coatings
at an investment of more than $120 mil- is the largest industrial paint and third larg-
Industrial
Taloja 14,000 lion (INR10 billion). The factory was est decorative paint company in India. With
coatings

22 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com March 2024

22-23 CW India Report 0324.indd 22 2/28/24 2:59 PM


TABLE 3. Manufacturing locations of Kansai Nero-
lac paints in India
Manufacturing plant
location
State
Jainpur, Kanpur
Uttar Pradesh
Dehat
Bawal Haryana
Lote, Chiplun Maharashtra
Hosur Tamil Nadu
Sayakha Gujarat
Sarigam Gujarat
Goindwal Punjab
Kakoda Goa
Vishakhapatnam -
Andhra Pradesh
Upcoming
eight state-of-the-art production plants, all
of which are strategically located near ma-
jor automobile producers, the company is
the most dominant player in Indian auto-
motive coating industry.
Kansai Nerolac produces industrial
coatings from its strategically located plants
in Bawal, Sayakha, Lote, Hosur, Jainpur
and Marpol to serve the specific segments.
The company offers an extensive portfolio
of industrial coatings, which covers a range
of automotive coatings, powder coatings,
performance coatings liquid – both general
industrial and high performance coating –-
and auto refinish solutions.
The company produces architectural
coatings from its production plants located
at Hosur, Jainpur, Lote, Goindwal Sahib,
and Sarigam. Kansai Nerolac offers a com-
prehensive range of products covering in-
terior, exterior, designer water-base finishes,
enamel, primers, wood finishes, water-
proofing, adhesives, construction chemi-
cals, as well as some other niche products.
Kansai Nerolac Piant Limited was in-
corporated in 1920 as Gahagan Paints
and Varnish Company. Later, in 1930,
three British companies were merged to
form Lead Industries Group. In 1933,
Lead Industries Group Ltd. acquired the
entire share capital of Gahagan Paints and
Goodlass Wall (India) Ltd. was born, which
later became popular as Goodlass Nerolac
Paints (Pvt.) Ltd.
It came under the fold of Tata Forbes
Group in 1976 as Forbes Gokak acquired
the entire stake from Lead Industries. In
1986, Japanese paint major Kansai Paints
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
22-23 CW India Report 0324.indd 23
India, Asia-Pacific International Coatings Scene
acquired a 36% stake and entered a JV
with the company. In 1999, Kansai Paints
acquired the stake of Forbes Gokak, fol-
lowing which Kansai Nerolac Private
Limited became a subsidiary of the former.
4. AkzoNobel India
Managing Director: Rajiv Rajgopal
Head Office: Gurugram (Haryana)
www.akzonobel.co.in
Sales revenue in 2022-23 financial year:
$457 million (INR 38.021 million)
Year of establishment: 1954
O
perating in India since 1954,
AkzoNobel India, a subsidiary of
Dutch multinational paint and
coating producer AkzoNobel, is the fourth
largest paint and coating producer in India.
Present both in architectural and indus-
trial segments, AkzoNobel India operates
five strategically located plants in North,
Central, Western, and Southern part of
the country.
TABLE 4. Manufacturing facilities of AkzoNobel
India
Plant location State
Mohali Punjab
Gwalior Madhya Pradesh
Hyderabad Telengana
Bangaluru Karnataka
Thane Maharashtra
The company’s Dulux brand in architec-
tural segment is one of the most recognized
brands in Indian architectural coating in-
dustry. The company has an installed capac-
ity of 300 million liters per annum based on
three shifts and six working days/week.
AkzoNobel India is an integrated player,
covering all segments and coating all sur-
faces while having a strong presence in the
premium segments. With access to global
R&D technology, the company focuses on
innovations by bringing best in class differ-
entiated products to the Indian consumer.
Over the years it has expanded its footprint
into adjacent categories of waterproofing,
woodcare, putty and adhesives.
It has strengthened its distribution foot-
print with the much-needed reach into the
under-served districts of India as tier 2/3/4
cities are likely to drive the future growth of
paint and coating products. Akzo in India
is among the top four paint companies
with market share of 6% operating in the
decorative paint segment primarily through
its well-known brand “Dulux” and in the
areas of industrial coating through leading
brands such as Interpon, International, and
Sikkens. Industrial segment contribute to a
little more than one-third of sales for Akzo
Nobel India.
5. Indigo Paints
CEO: Hemant Jalan
Head Office: Pune, Maharshtra
www.indigopaints.com
Sales revenue: $129 million (INR 10.73
billion)
Year of establishment: 2000
F
ounded in the year 2000, Indigo
Paints is the fifth largest paint pro-
ducing company (based on market
capitalization) company in India. With its
head office in Pune, Maharashtra, Indigo
commenced its operations as a small
producer of economical cement paints.
However, over time, it underwent a trans-
formation, expanding its portfolio to
encompass a diverse assortment of deco-
rative paint products.
Indigo operates five manufacturing
facilities strategically located in Jodhpur
(state of Rajasthan), Kochi (state of
Kerala), and Pudukkottai (state of Tamil
Nadu). Jodhpur and Pudukkottai fa-
cilities operate two production units
each. Indigo Paints is primarily in
decorative segment.
TABLE 5. Manufacturing facilities of Indigo Paints
Location State
Jodhpur Unit I Rajasthan
Jodhpur Unit II Rajasthan
Kochi Kerala
Pudukkottai Unit I Tamil Nadu
Pudukkottai Unit II Tamil Nadu
Indigo has recently completed the ac-
quisition of a majority stake of 51% in
Apple Chemie India Pvt Ltd. Concentrated
mainly in the state of Maharashtra, Apple
Chemie is a rapidly expanding company
operating in the field of construction
chemicals and waterproofing. CW
Coatings World | 23
2/28/24 2:59 PM
 International Coatings Scene Africa
Boom for Road Traffic Coatings Suppliers
In East Africa
Paint and
coatings market
players in East
Africa have
developed
their brand of
road markings
to effectively
by Shem Oirere
guide road Africa Correspondent
users within and
G
overnments in East Africa are invest-
beyond their ing in new road construction and in
the maintenance of existing ones dur-
borders. ing the current 2023/2024 fiscal year, a trend
that is likely to create more business opportu-
nities for producers and distributors of road
traffic coatings.
Tanzania’s finance minister Mwigulu
Nchemba said by April 2023, the country
was in the process of constructing 1,480
km of roads to bitumen standard. For the
2023/2024 fiscal year, Tanzania has allocated
$561 million for the construction of 798 km
of tarmac roads to as well as 177 bridges.
Uganda has also announced a $1.8 bil-
lion budget allocation for the landlocked
country’s transport sector that includes
24 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
24-25 CW Africa Report 0324.indd 24
completion of 16 major national road proj-
ects. The government has also secured $608
million for the upgrading and signalization of
the nearly 504 kms of roads in at least eight
urban authorities.
Elsewhere, in Kenya, Prof. Njuguna
Ndung’u, Treasury cabinet secretary, sought
approval from the country’s parliament for
$1.7 billion to finance construction of vari-
ous roads and bridges as well as rehabilita-
tion and maintenance of existing ones during
the 2023/2024 fiscal year.
Rwanda also said the government will
carry out maintenance of nearly 1,170 km
of national paved roads that would require
properly designed and appropriately placed
road markings for safe movement of traffic.
Connecting Countries
Meanwhile, the East Africa Community
(EAC), an intergovernmental organization
March 2024
2/28/24 3:01 PM

composed of seven countries in East
Africa including the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya,
Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and
Tanzania, is supporting construction of
multinational roads linking several of
these countries for ease of movement of
human and vehicular traffic.
For instance, the 400 km Malindi-
Lunga Lunga-Tanga-Bagamoyo road
linking Kenya and Tanzania is in prog-
ress with financing from the African
Development Bank (AfDB) and the
European Union, two agencies that
have already provided $405 million for
the project.
Another multinational road, the
305 km Kabingo-Kasulu-Manyovu-
Gitara-Rumonge linking Tanzania and
Burundi, has secured $322 million in
grants and loans from the AfDB.
All these national and multinational
road projects in East Africa would re-
quire high volumes of signage on the
road surfaces for the control, warning,
guidance and additional information
for road users.
Road markings, said Kenya’s State
Department for Transport, “can
also be used to supplement kerb-
side or overhead signs or they may be
used independently.”
Kenya has based its road markings
manual, in terms of material for the
signage and design, on the 1968 UN
Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
Some of the road markings include
longitudinal markings, road junction
marking and others such as those out-
side of road junctions like pedestrian
crossing, hatched and chevron mark-
ings, arrow markings, parking bays and
worded markings.
The Importance
Of Road Markings
The road markings are a vital compo-
nent for road safety with the increasing
use of the road network in East Africa.
Each of the countries in the region has
adopted a uniform and well-planned
system of road signage to minimize
road transport problems triggered by
pavement deterioration, skid accidents
and the impact of weather conditions.
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
24-25 CW Africa Report 0324.indd 25
Africa International Coatings Scene
With some road accidents attributed
to poor road markings, paint and coat-
ings market players in East Africa have
developed their brand of road markings
to effectively guide road users within
and beyond their borders.
For instance, Crown Paints, one of
the leading paint and coatings solutions
firms in East Africa, said it early on ad-
opted an initiative to develop suitable
and accurate road markings especially
in Kenya, in accordance with the regu-
lations established by State Department
of Transport to support the drive to
avert road accidents commonly attrib-
uted to confusion and erratic driving
behavior among motorists.
Currently, Crown Paints, which has
four subsidiaries in East Africa includ-
ing Regal Paints Uganda, Crown Paints
Tanzania Ltd, Crown Paints Rwanda
Ltd and Crown Paints Allied Industries
Ltd, deals in two road marking prod-
ucts comprising Crown Road marking
range of products and the thermoplastic
road marking material.
The company, which posted a 6%
increase in revenues for the year end-
ed Dec. 31, 2022 to $78 million from
$74 million in 2021, recommends the
Thermoline road marking system for
the road network in East Africa due to
its fast-drying quality as well the prod-
uct’s high retro-reflective performance
during the day and night.
The thermoplastic road marking ma-
terial is a formulation of plasticized res-
in, aggregate, pigment and glass beads
supplied in powder form.
“Thermoline is heated and applied to
the road surface where it rapidly cools
and sets with the material consisting
of 100% solids and is environmentally
friendly as it is solvent free,” Crown
Paints said in a previous statement.
Apart from Thermoline being a
product of synthetic resin in combina-
tion with pigment, extenders and retro-
reflective glass beads, Crown Paints
says the product “conforms to the
British Standards (BS) specifications,
3262: Part 1/1989 and Kenya Standard
KS 2157-1: 2008.”
“Thermoline Road marking solu-
tions aim to make our roads safer and
more user friendly, making the driving
experience more enjoyable,” Crown
Paints added.
Road contractors and agencies in
East Africa have also been supplied with
Plascon Road Marking Paint by Plascon
East Africa, a product the company says
it formulates “with a special synthetic
alkyd binders and Chlorinated Rubber
Resin which dry rapidly and gives max-
imum resistance to wear and weather.”
The Plascon Road Marking Paint
product, like similar ones from other
suppliers in the market, is targeted at
the marking of traffic lines for high-
ways, streets, airports, factories, park-
ing lots and playgrounds according
to information on the company’s
profile page.
“Plascon Road Marking Paint is
recommended where the drying time is
considered very important - i.e. espe-
cially on roads that carry heavy traffic
and where a rapid drying time is re-
quired,” it says.
Road safety remains a key concern
in East Africa with Kenya, Tanzania,
Uganda and Rwanda reporting high
accident rates despite best efforts to
reduce the incidents, some attrib-
uted to poor quality or absence of
road markings.
For instance, Kenya’s National
Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA)
said at least 3,090 Kenyans either died
or were injured in road accidents be-
tween Jan. 1 and Feb. 11, 2024, a sig-
nificant increase from 2,384 people for
similar period in 2023.
Tanzania on the other hand reported
1,550 deaths from 1,640 road accidents
between Jan. 1 to Dec. 12, 2023.
Police reported in Uganda a 12.8%
increase in road accidents since 2022,
with deaths surging by 2.4% to 2,042
for the six months to August 30, 2023.
With the increasing expansion of
road surfaces in East Africa, more busi-
ness opportunities for players in the re-
gion’s road traffic coatings market are
guaranteed even as governments in the
region push not only for more mod-
ern transportation infrastructure net-
works but the safety that comes with it
as well. CW
Coatings World | 25
2/28/24 3:01 PM

FEATURE
Automotive Coatings
Recovery in the automotive OEM market can be attributed to the backlog of orders
and replenished inventories following the resolution of last year’s OEM supply
chain disruptions.
Kerry Pianoforte, Editor
T
he market size of automotive OEM coatings world-
wide was valued at $16.9 billion in 2022, according
to data from Statisa. It is forecast that the market val-
ue of this industry will grow to approximately $25.5 billion
worldwide by 2030.
“In 2023, the automotive market slightly recovered, par-
ticularly due to the improved availability of semiconduc-
tor chips,” said Dr. Uta Holzenkamp, president of BASF’s
Coatings division. “As a manufacturer of both automotive
OEM coatings and refinish coatings, we were able to sup-
ply our customers with higher volumes to meet the resulting
increase in demand.”
According to PPG’s Annual Report, automotive OEM
coatings organic sales increased by more than 10%, led by
higher selling prices in all regions and higher sales volumes in
the U.S. and Latin America.
Sales were unfavorably impacted by industry-wide produc-
tions disruptions due to semiconductor chip shortages, which
continued in 2022 but improved as the year progressed.
Sales volumes were also impacted by lower automotive
industry production due to the geopolitical uncertainty in
Europe and the impact of the pandemic-related disruptions
in China.
26 | Coatings World www.coatingsworld.com
26-28 Automotive Coatings 0324.indd 26
Starry Night was named Axalta’s 2024
Automotive Color of the Year
(Photo courtesy of Axalta)
Recovery from the Pandemic
Although there are still some lingering challenges associated
with the pandemic, there is cause for optimism. Recovery is at-
tributed to improved sales chain operations, renewed invento-
ries and catching up on back orders from the previous year.
“Compared to the previous year, which was primarily char-
acterized by high raw material prices and supply chain dis-
ruptions, the delivery situation for different value chains has
improved a lot,” said Holzenkamp. “The automotive market
has also recovered, which is largely attributed to the backlog of
orders and replenished inventories following the resolution of
last year’s OEM supply chain disruptions.
“The assumptions on the automotive market outlook for
the coming years have significantly changed compared with our
view in 2019,” Holzenkamp added. “Growth is expected to be
moderate globally and stagnating in Europe. Our focus remains
on delivering and developing winning factors that will contrib-
ute to our customers’ success now and in the future.”
PPG reported that in the first quarter 2023, global industrial
production was expected to remain at lower levels. The annual
report stated, “In China, pandemic-related disruptions are ex-
pected to continue into the first quarter. Aggregate sales vol-
umes are anticipated to decline by a mid-single-digit percentage
March 2024
2/28/24 3:04 PM
 Automotive Coatings FEATURE

compared to the first quarter 2022. Sales testing for PPG technologies, including with stunning colors and effects. And
volumes are expected to be similar to powder coatings, fire protection coat- all this in just the thickness of a human
the prior year quarter in the automotive ings, dielectric coatings, adhesives and hair. Functionality is key – for our OEM
OEM coatings business…Positive selling sealants, surface pre-treatment and e- customers and the car owners alike.
prices is expected to continue, although coat technologies. Its modular design Therefore, we focus on scratch resistance
some of the strong selling prices realized will allow for independent projects to be to keep the car looking new for a longer
in 2022 will begin to reach their anniver- carried out concurrently in each of the period of time.”
sary in the first quarter. Year-over-year application areas. This flexibility will en- Certainly the pivot to water-based
segment margins are expected to continue able development of material and process coatings is a primary factor driving R&D
to improve on a sequential basis in the solutions across the range of current and for automotive coatings. BASF has al-
first quarter 2023.” potential customers. ways been a forerunner when it comes
Asia-Pacific and China remain the to water-based coating technologies, be
hottest regions for growth for automo- Driving Innovation it for the OEM or the Refinish Coatings
tive OEM coatings. One factor driving The automotive industry is a high-tech business. “We continuously develop our
this growth is the increasing popularity sector that places the highest demands on portfolio further, to minimize the environ-
of electric vehicles. materials and products. mental impact and provide our custom-
“The trend towards electric vehicles “Accordingly, we work closely with ers with the most sustainable products
has significantly accelerated with different our customers to develop the best pos- on the market,” said Holzenkamp. “In
speed in the regions,” said Holzenkamp. sible technologies for their individual September 2020, we launched our latest
“The automotive industry is currently needs,” said Holzenkamp. “Modern au- and most advanced refinish product lines
growing primarily in the largest region, tomotive coatings must fulfill a variety R-M AGILIS and Glasurit 100 Line. By
Asia-Pacific, and new Chinese manufac- of functions: they protect the substrate increasing the efficiency and significantly
turers such as BYD are using their his- from corrosion, stone chips or UV radia- lowering the environmental impact, the
torical chance to conquer markets inside tion and make the vehicle an eyecatcher products meet the highest expectations
and outside their country. Accordingly,
BASF has expanded its market position
there in recent years through strategic in-
vestments. Europe, like North America,
remains an important market for us. In
the refinish coatings industry, we are cur-
rently seeing a consolidation of work-
shops in many regions, which we are
supporting as a reliable global premium
coatings partner.”
PPG recently inaugurated a bat-
tery pack application center (BPAC) in
Tianjin, China. The $30-million facility
features a full range of capabilities to test
the application of PPG coatings technolo-
gies, materials and systems for electric
vehicle (EV) battery packs, allowing cus-
tomers to accelerate the development of
new EV technologies.
“The new application center is an im-
portant milestone in our effort to support
our customers in China in the EV battery
market,” said Vincent Robin, PPG global
vice president, Automotive Coatings.
“The new facility will be an important
way for customers to validate our cus-
tomizable coatings solutions that help
them reduce application cost, increase
battery life, range and charging speed,
and contribute to occupant safety.”
The BPAC will include application

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 FEATURE Automotive Coatings
PPG has inaugurated a $30-million facility in Tianjin, China to test coatings technologies, materials and systems for electric vehicle battery packs.
(Photo: Business Wire)
of modern body shops. Besides reducing CO2 emissions due to
shorter process times in the body shop, the value of volatile or-
ganic compounds (VOCs) is consistently below 250g/l and thus
the lowest on the market, making the new product lines the eco-
friendliest automotive refinish coatings available.”
Sustainability is another factor for automotive OEM cus-
tomers. “We have focused specifically on this area for many
years and offer innovative products and processes to support
our customers in achieving their individual sustainability goals,
said Holzenkamp. “Our aim is to make the best possible use of
existing resources and reduce CO2 emissions. For this reason,
we have introduced products in both the automotive OEM and
automotive refinish sectors that are certified according to the
biomass balance method and are based on the use of renewable
raw materials at the start of the production process. Reducing
the energy consumption, introducing low VOC products and in-
creasing material efficiency are not only more efficient solutions,
but also more sustainable.
“In addition to sustainability, we are also investing in research
and development to enhance the functionality of coatings, such
as improving transparency for radar waves and reflection for
LiDAR sensors, which are crucial for driver assistance systems
and autonomous driving.”
Color Trends
Keeping up with changing trends in color and design is essential
for auto OEM coatings manufacturers. Each year, designers for
BASF’s Coatings division create a new collection of colors to in-
spire automotive designers around the globe. The latest edition
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26-28 Automotive Coatings 0324.indd 28
of BASF Automotive Color, titled ON VOLUDE, provides excit-
ing colors that also adopt an increasing focus on sustainability
and functionality.
According to the designers, non-classic automotive hues
emerged, propelling colors through a series of shifts reflecting
a positive mood, with a focus on lighter shades and the explo-
ration of new, expressive color spaces. Throughout the trend
collection, colors explore features far beyond color position by
adding sustainable, recycled raw materials, LiDAR and RADAR
compatible concepts, and haptic surfaces.
“Furthermore, we have been witnessing a steady increase in
interest in contrast painting for surfaces and design elements in
the automotive OEM industry,” said Holzenkamp. “With our
innovative overspray-free paint technology (OFLA), we can
provide our customers with the desire for individual decorative
and contrast colors through a precise, fully automated painting
process. We are already developing tailor-made products world-
wide with our partners using the efficient and more environ-
mentally friendly OFLA process.”
Axalta Coating Sytems announced Starry Night as it 2024
Global Automotive Color of the Year. Starry Night marks the
10th year Axalta has introduced its automotive color of the year
and the first time featuring a black shade.
“Black is the second most popular automotive color globally
and we’re excited to feature a black shade as our 2024 Global
Automotive Color of the Year,” said Dan Benton, global color
marketing director at Axalta. “Starry Night is a hue where black
is bright and dark is distinguished. This year’s color is part cos-
mic and part classic, but all Axalta.” CW
March 2024
2/28/24 3:04 PM

Color Helps Set the Mood
in Our Home Lives
Now that we are moving further away from the pandemic, a wider range of colors is
starting to emerge in our homes.
David Savastano, Contributing Editor
E
ach year, many of the leading architectural paint and coat-
ings manufacturers select their colors of the year. Many
factors go into these choices, ranging from fashion trends
and surveys to a general feeling about how everyday life is go-
ing. For example, during the COVID pandemic, warm, natural
and muted colors were the predominant selection for most every
paint company.
In speaking with color experts from many architectural paint
specialists, there are a wide range of colors that are catching the
eye of consumers. Blues were very much in this year, followed by
green and tans. Here are this year’s colors from these companies:
• For Sherwin-Williams, Upward, a light blue with a touch
of grey, made for the ideal choice this year. Sue Wadden, direc-
tor of color marketing, Sherwin-Williams, says that Upward is a
“really peaceful color.”
“Upward SW 6239 is a light and airy blue with a little bit of
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
29-33 CW color trends 2024 0324.indd 29
FEATURE
Upward SW 6239 is Sherwin-
Williams’s 2024 Color of the Year.
(Source: Sherwin-Williams)
grey, a little bit of lightness and a touch of periwinkle that makes
it ethereal,” added Wadden. “It is a really peaceful color that
evokes happiness and positivity, creating a calm environment in
any room homeowners choose to apply it to. I think it can work
well both inside and outside of the home.”
While Sherwin-Williams’ paints are well known in the home
market, the company is a leader in more coating segments, most
notably aerospace, and Upward fits in nicely there.
“Even though we’re talking about Upward SW 6239 mostly
in the home interior space, I can see it in commercial spaces
as well, especially aerospace,” Wadden said. “The color has an
almost silver iridescence that would be applicable there and in
other technological spaces.”
• Benjamin Moore selected Blue Nova 825, a blend of blue
and violet, as Color of the Year 2024.
“Blue Nova is an intriguing blend of blue and violet that
sparks adventure, elevates the everyday and expands horizons,”
Coatings World | 29
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 FEATURE Color Trends

Hannah Yeo, color marketing and development manager at

Dutch Boy chose Ironside as its 2024 One-Coat Color of the Year.
(Source: Dutch Boy Paints)
Benjamin Moore, noted. “An alluring mid-tone balances depth
and intrigue with classic appeal and reassurance, Blue Nova is a
great fit for use in a study or home office. Moreover, the hue is
flexible enough to be an excellent color choice for a bedroom,
living room, ceiling, or even cabinetry.
“Blue Nova 825 offers an opportunity to be creative, wheth-
er it is used to color drench a room or define a portion of it, in a
way that is approachable for consumers,” Yeo added.
• Skipping Stones, Dunn-Edwards’ 2024 Color of the Year,
can be described as a serene and steely blue with hints of green
and grey. Skipping Stones is part of Dunn-Edwards’ New Dawn
color palette.
“Skipping Stones feels like a daydream and can add a sense
of mystery and thoughtfulness to any space,” said DeMing
Carpenter, color expert at Dunn Edwards, in announcing the
selection. “It’s part of the resurgence of blue and represents a
shift away from the bold, warm-toned colors we’ve seen gain
popularity over the past few years. This blue is timeless and ver-
satile, fresh and serene.”
“New Dawn is all about finding tranquility in the midst of
our hyper-connected, fast-paced world,” Sara McLean, color ex-
pert + stylist at Dunn-Edwards, said. “The colors are soft and
earthy, creating spaces where you can have a quiet moment. The
decor is clean and minimal, yet a touch of nature’s asymmetry
adds this sense of peaceful balance.”
• C2 Paint chose Thermal, a sky blue, as its 2024 Color of
the Year.
“Thermal is that intense, uplifting summer sky blue, or the
vast blue skies of New Mexico in the dead of winter with snow
on the ground,” said Philippa Radon, interior designer and

Limitless is PPG’s 2024 Color of the Year. (Source: PPG)

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full page template.indd 1 2/7/24 2:57 PM
 FEATURE Color Trends

C2 paint color specialist. “In terms of transitioning this color

C2 Paint selected Thermal as its 2024 Color of the Year. (Source: C2 Paint)
Benjamin Moore selected Blue Nova 825 as its Color of the Year 2024.
(Source: Benjamin Moore)
into your home with the best results: ceilings, cabinetry, laundry
space or pantry, children’s spaces, meditative areas - we like to
think of the mood and spirit of the room - the intention and de-
sired ‘feel’ behind a color choice, knowing that first works best
and is a steadfast guide.”
Radon said that C2 Paint’s team of color experts observed
that there is a sense of individualism this year that is leading to
people making personal choices.
“Over the past year, one of the most valuable key trend direc-
tions we observed is the individual freedom of style and that this
is not a trend but an embodied lifestyle and personal choice,”
Radon said.
• Dutch Boy opted for a deep olive shade with Ironside as
its 2024 One-Coat Color of the Year. Ashley Banbury, NCIDQ
and color marketing manager, Dutch Boy Paints, observed that
Ironside imparts a sense of comfort to homeowners.
“We see the need for comfort in a home; comfort has evolved
– bringing shades into the home that make you feel wrapped in
a blanket has grown in popularity,” Banbury said. “As there is
a new appreciation for dark shades in the home, Ironside is a
perfect shade that creates a cocooning environment but sets the
perfect backdrop to layer shades giving you visual comfort in
a space.
“Having a connection to nature is an important trend that
is going to continue in our home,” added Banbury. “For color,
the green undertone of Ironside has the calming elements that
we seek from natural shades – designing a space to promote
positive wellness.”
• Stainmaster Paint, Lowe’s exclusive paint brand, selected
English Green, a nature-inspired tone, as its inaugural Color of
the Year.
“Lowe’s and STAINMASTER are giving customers the in-
sight, inspiration and confidence to refresh their homes in the
new year with English Green,” said Monica Reese, Lowe’s direc-
tor of private brands style, in announcing the choice. “In addi-
tion to offering an array of on-trend colors, STAINMASTER
paint has a great washability in the matte sheen finish, making
it both fashionable and functional for life’s toughest messes.”
• AkzoNobel chose Sweet Embrace, a pastel pink shade, as
its Color of the Year 2024.
“With society in a state of flux, we’re reassessing how we
cope with the world,” said Heleen van Gent, creative director of
AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center, in announcing the choice.
“Starting at home, we’re looking to create our own ‘special
somewhere’ that grounds us in our individual memories and re-
lationships. Our Color of the Year, Sweet Embrace, and its three
complementary color palettes can help us achieve that.”
• Cracked Pepper, a soft black, is Behr Paint’s 2024 Color of
the Year. Cracked Pepper complements existing colors, materi-
als, and finishes in commercial and residential spaces.
“Cracked Pepper is a versatile black that elevates any in-
door or outdoor space,” said Erika Woelfel, VP of color & cre-
ative services at Behr Paint Company. “This infinite hue also
has the power to shift an ambiance with subtle changes of

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 Color Trends FEATURE

Sweet Embrace is AkzoNobel’s Color of the Year 2024. (Source: AkzoNobel)

light throughout the day—from igniting energy to tranquil and

meditative. For a bold statement, you can wrap your walls in
Cracked Pepper or add an accent for a hint of sophistication.”
• For its 2024 Color of the Year, PPG and its paint families,
including Glidden, chose Limitless, a fresh warm honey beige
hue that holds both the power of a primary color and the es-
sence of a neutral.
Kat DiBenedetto, PPG global color expert, said Limitless is
a perfect fit for how our world is moving to limitless possibili-
ties, adding that 2024’s overarching theme is that consumers
are doing what makes them happy unapologetically.
“Limitless is like a ray of sunshine, and is a perfect warmer
neutral, an energizing take that can be used in unconventional
ways, whether it is for interiors and exteriors or even accents
such as ceilings and cabinets,” said DiBenedetto. “It is a fresh
warm hue, strong enough to stand on the walls as well as be a
highlight. Limitless is also ideal for commercial environments,
healthcare, hospitality and extends beautifully to exteriors.
You will be seeing it everywhere, even pillows and blankets,
transportation and aerospace interiors.”
• Warmth remains a highly desired feeling, and Miller
Paint’s choice of Mushroom R012, an earthy warm white neu-
tral, fits that sensibility.
“Mushroom R012 takes its cue from the surrounding for-
ests in our region,” said Puji Sherer, VP of marketing, color &
brand at Miller Paint. “An integral part of our natural world,
mushrooms support the colorful life that grows up from
our soil. Our 2024 Color of the Year mimics nature and is
a beautiful backdrop for our home spaces. By choosing the
warm white Mushroom for our Color of the Year, we are
elevating a hue that can fit easily into any architectural or Dunn-Edwards Corporation selected Skipping Stones as its 2024 Color of
design style.” CW the Year. (Source: Dunn-Edwards)

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 FEATURE

2024 CEO Forum

This year’s forum includes CEOs from leading coatings companies from the
U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. The participants are Gregoire Poux-Guillaume,
CEO, AkzoNobel; Uta Holzenkamp, President, BASF’s Coatings Division;
Dan Calkins, CEO, Benjamin Moore; Abhijit Roy, CEO, Berger Paints;
João Serrenho, CEO, CIN; Michael Hansen, CEO, Hempel: Steve Crossman, COO,
HMG Paints; Tim Knavish, CEO, PPG Industries and Armodios Yannidis, CEO, Vitex.

Dan Steve Michael Uta Tim Gregoire Abhijit João Armodios

Calkins Crossman Hansen Holzenkamp Knavish Poux-Guillaume Roy Serrenho Yannidis

CW: How did the market for paints and coatings
fare overall in 2023?
AkzoNobel: For AkzoNobel, 2023 was a year that deliv-
ered a clear rebound in performance. Our volumes stabilized,
helping us to outperform many of our markets, while our
profits rebounded on resilient pricing and the first effects of
raw material deflation. Our efforts to transform the company
also gathered pace. We were able to absorb persistent global
inflation and unfavorable currency effects to beat the targets
we set ourselves at the beginning of the year.
Looking at the year in a bit more detail, most of our end
markets seemed to bottom out in the second half of 2023,
with some areas actually showing robust growth trends. This
was certainly true for our Powder Coatings business, which
recovered well from a construction-driven downturn in the
second half-year. Results for Decorative Paints in EMEA
reflected a stabilization in volumes
and continuing pricing power, while
Deco in China grew volumes in a more
challenging pricing environment. Our
Coatings businesses in China performed
well throughout.
With regard to our Industrial Coatings activities, metal
coatings markets (coil, packaging) stabilized globally after
a tough start to the year, which left wood coatings as the
main segment under continuing volume pressure. Stalwarts
such as Aerospace Coatings, Marine and Protective Coatings
and Vehicle Refinishes – businesses that benefit from strong
macro trends – continued to perform well.
BASF: In 2023, the automotive market slightly recovered, par-
ticularly due to the improved availability of semiconductor chips.
As a manufacturer of both automotive OEM coatings and refin-
ish coatings, we were able to supply our customers with higher
volumes to meet the resulting increase in demand.
Benjamin Moore: Overall, in 2023, there were several economic
factors impacting the home improvement and architectural coat-
ings categories, and ultimately our industry at large. As we saw
mortgage rates increase, homeowners were less inclined to move,
which softened home sales significantly in comparison to recent
years. Related to shifts in the economy, consumers prioritized oth-
er necessities over home improvement which led to a decrease in
home remodeling opportunities. Weather also contributes to the
longevity of the painting season and was shortened in some re-
gions this past year. However, the professional segment was able
to sustain business by working through backlogs, which contrib-
uted to paint and coatings sales.
Berger: 2023 has been a reasonably good year for Berger in
a paints market that had moderate growth. We had a double-
digit volume growth YTD December and a very strong operating
profit growth on the back of raw material price reduction. We
have achieved most of the goals that we had set for ourselves at
the beginning of the year. Our distribution expansion for one,
has happened at a faster clip than before. Many of our key cat-
egories like construction chemicals, emulsions and automotive
paints have shown significant improvement this year. In the first
three quarters, we have been very competitive with our peers in
the market with very healthy profit growth in the third quarter.

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And having turned 100 years in India in the last month of the
year, we are now approaching 2024 with a great sense of expec-
tation and optimism.
CIN: In 2023, the market
showed positive growth in
terms of value, although at
a modest pace. This growth
was mainly sustained through strategic pricing adjustments.
Despite a decline in volume across our primary markets, this trend
was notably reversed in the final months of the year. However,
there was an exception to this trend in the protective coatings
segment, which showed significant dynamism. The growth in this
segment was attributed to a harmonious blend of both price and
volume dynamics.
Furthermore, the year witnessed a widespread reduction in
raw material prices following two consecutive years of increases.
This reduction not only bolstered overall profitability but also
presented a positive shift. However, this shift was somewhat tem-
pered by the pressures experienced in terms of staff costs.
Hempel: 2023 was another year where we saw high inflation,
low consumer confidence and supply chain disruption impacting
the paint and coatings industries Hempel works in to differing ex-
tents. But in spite of the challenges, Hempel continued to navigate
its growth path, guided by its Double Impact strategy. Our focus
has been on delivering cutting-edge technologies and compelling
brands, all geared towards fulfilling our customers’ demand for
increasingly sustainable solutions.
HMG: 2023 was a tale of two halves with confidence across the
UK growing in Q3 and Q4 following a very cautious start to the
calendar year. Inflationary pressure in the UK had an impact on
many of our customers in the early to middle part of 2023, espe-
cially on energy prices, which led to altered buying patterns and
behaviors. However, across the board there was positive growth
across many of the sectors we operate in as the impact of inflation
and other events settled down.
PPG: The market for paints and coatings experienced pockets of
growth in 2023, while some segments remained challenged. In
the fourth quarter, PPG delivered solid volume growth in China,
stabilized demand in Europe, and continued expansion in key
end-use markets such as aerospace, automotive OEM, and pro-
tective and marine coatings. Despite challenges in global industri-
al production and architectural coatings demand, PPG’s strategic
initiatives and strong market positioning enabled us to achieve
exceptional results, setting a strong foundation for growth.
Vitex: The market in 2023 has been challenged by the adversities
the Climatic Crisis will be causing also in the future. A mild win-
ter kept construction projects active, however with demanding
circumstances regarding humidity and temperature fluctuations.
Projects stopped in the spring as it was abnormally cold and then
followed a period with heavy rainfall, therefore external paint
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
34-41 CEO Forum 0324.indd 35
2024 CEO Forum FEATURE
jobs were postponed. In the summer we experienced extreme heat
waves that led to the government prohibiting works outside for a
period. In parallel we experienced megafires in forests and floods
that disrupted demand and the supply chain. Despite the adversi-
ties, sales have grown beyond the targets initially set for the year.
CW: Have you seen a return to pre-pandemic
business conditions (increased demand, less
supply chain disruptions, etc.)?
AkzoNobel: We expect to continue seeing positive volumes, driv-
en by improving end market conditions and share gains across
many of our activities. Our Coatings businesses, for example,
have room to rebound, with volumes remaining below 2019
levels. This is also the case for Deco EMEA, where we expect
a progressive rebound over the next few years. The slow mar-
ket recovery in Deco China is expected to sequentially continue
during 2024.
BASF: Compared to the previous year, which was primarily
characterized by high raw material prices and supply chain dis-
ruptions, the delivery situation for different value chains has im-
proved a lot. The automotive market has also recovered, which is
largely attributed to the backlog of orders and replenished inven-
tories following the resolution of last year’s OEM supply chain
disruptions. The assumptions on the automotive market outlook
for the coming years have significantly changed compared with
our view in 2019. Growth is expected to be moderate globally
and stagnating in Europe. Our focus remains on delivering and
developing winning factors that will contribute to our customers’
success now and in the future.
Benjamin Moore: The pandemic had
significant impacts on our business and
while we continue to navigate the post-
pandemic environment, we have seen
some critical factors such as supply chain disruptions and de-
mand level out. Through changes we made both operationally
and in the business in recent years, we’ve built a new resilience
and have been able to implement stronger continuity plans that
enable us to weather future challenges ahead.
Berger: As indicated in last year’s edition, most, if not all, seg-
ments of the Indian paint market have seen a complete revival.
This year did witness some supply chain disruption, but we were
largely covered due to some great planning work by the concerned
teams. The decorative paint market started off well but softened
mid-year due to extended rains in some parts of the country and
a delayed and extended winter that tempered demand. There was
a late revival of demand in the last quarter of 2023. The market
growth for industrial and protective coatings have also shown a
similar trajectory.
CIN: CIN’s supply chain proved to be highly resilient in 2023,
Coatings World | 35
2/28/24 3:19 PM
 FEATURE 2024 CEO Forum
despite the global challenges that emerged towards the end of
the year, including the Red Sea attacks. We worked diligently to
mitigate risks and ensure that our operations continued to run
smoothly. Thanks to our close collaboration with suppliers and
logistics partners, we were able to maintain high levels of effi-
ciency and quality throughout the year. We are committed to con-
tinuously improving our supply chain processes and capabilities
to ensure that we can continue to deliver value to our customers,
no matter what challenges lie ahead.
Hempel: The various disruptions we have seen over the last few
years continued in 2023 and they have taught us how critical
robust risk management and business resilience strategies are to
future-proofing our supply chain. Supply chain disruption, such
as the one we’ve seen in the Red Sea area since end of 2023, has
been exacerbated by geopolitical turbulence, alongside anoma-
lous weather conditions affecting shipping lanes.
And so, in another year impacted by external challenges, our
systems are serving us well. The Hempel team works continuous-
ly to ensure a reliable supply of products and we use a dynamic
enterprise risk management setup to assess all risks, including the
secure supply of critical raw materials
HMG: As mentioned in our 2022 review, have seen a number of
the markets we operate in return to pre-pandemic levels, such as
the decorative coatings markets, which saw huge spikes during
the pandemic return to a more normal level of demand. We have
also seen a slight reduction in supply chain disruption but that is
very fluid and influenced heavily by the current ongoing geopoliti-
cal situations across, the globe. We’re lucky to have a purchasing
team who work collaboratively with our suppliers so we’ve man-
aged to mitigate any major supply chain disruptions for ourselves
and limit the impact to our customers.
PPG: While challenges still exist, we have seen recovery in many
areas, and most notably in aerospace. Economic growth in
Mexico, targeted price increases, and improvements in raw mate-
rial cost and availability have also contributed to improvement
in business conditions. We see demand improving in China, par-
ticularly with electric vehicle growth, and we are witnessing an
increase in infrastructure spending in several key markets.
We are still seeing barriers to growth due to the impacts of
slow existing home sales in the U.S., soft global industrial pro-
duction, skilled labor availability, as well as higher wages, interest
rates, and global tax rates. We are keeping our eye on the cur-
rent geopolitical environment, the U.S. labor market, consumer
spending, and Red Sea logistics as potential challenges in the
year ahead.
PPG, however, experienced significant progress in return-
ing to its historic segment margin profile in 2023. The company
delivered its fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year margin
improvement in the fourth quarter. Strong earnings growth and
effective working capital management led to record operating
cash flow, exceeding $2.4 billion for the year. PPG’s robust fi-
nancial performance and strengthened balance sheet position us
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34-41 CEO Forum 0324.indd 36
well for navigating potential challenges and creating value for our
customers and shareholders in this dynamic market environment.
Vitex: In terms of sales and demand,
the pandemic has not had a negative
effect on us and did not hinder our
growth trajectory. Moreover, the sup-
ply chain has had less disruptions from
the pandemic aftermath in 2023. The
disruptions we are experiencing now come from geopolitical issues
as well as from climatic incidents. Climatic Resilience became a top
priority for us, and we came up with three pillars of immediate ac-
tion: first shifting our stocks strategy from “Just in Time” to “Just
in Case” to sustain supply chain disruptions, second developing
our mind-set and sales narrative to consider meteorological param-
eters when consulting customers, and third, develop products that
can be used under extreme climatic conditions.
CW: What areas of the paint and coatings market
represent the most growth opportunities for
your company?
AkzoNobel: We’ve established a roadmap for growth in the
mid-term.
Our portfolio shows clear opportunities for organic growth,
driven by a combination of structural market growth, cyclical
tailwinds and sustainability-driven innovation and differentia-
tion. Based on this, we believe we can deliver low single digit vol-
ume growth over the mid-term.
Our high volume Industrial Coatings and Deco EMEA busi-
nesses are expected to deliver flattish volumes, beyond a prob-
able bounce back initially off a low base. We anticipate steady
moderate growth in our high value, low volume Automotive
and Specialty Coatings business, primarily driven by our Vehicle
Refinish activities. We’re also excited about the growth trajectory
of Aerospace Coatings in the coming years.
The bulk of our organic growth will be driven by our strong
emerging market presence in Deco in Asiamand LATAM, as
well as our solid offering in Powder Coatings and Marine and
Protective Coatings, where we expect mid-single digit growth.
BASF: The trend towards electric vehicles has significantly ac-
celerated with different speed in the regions. The automotive
industry is currently growing primarily in the largest region, Asia-
Pacific, and new Chinese manufacturers such as BYD are using
their historical chance to conquer markets inside and outside
their country. Accordingly, BASF has expanded its market posi-
tion there in recent years through strategic investments. Europe,
like North America, remains an important market for us. In the
refinish coatings industry, we are currently seeing a consolidation
of workshops in many regions, which we are supporting as a reli-
able global premium coatings partner.
Benjamin Moore: As we go forward, we are optimistic about the
March 2024
2/28/24 3:19 PM

return to growth for the residential repaint segment, as well as
new store openings and the optimization of our product portfolio
to meet the needs of our customer.
Berger: Berger has significant presence across protective coatings,
automotive, general industries, and decorative paints segments
with leadership status in some and a strong number 2 position
in others. And being in a vibrant economy, we have been able
to identify growth opportunities across most segments where we
are present. In decorative architectural products, we have some
very innovative interior emulsion products
to offer. Within water proofing and con-
struction chemicals, that is a fast-growing
business for us, and there are a slew of so-
lutions that we have launched with a few
more in the pipeline. The government’s
plan to invest heavily in the infrastructure sector, as laid out in the
latest fiscal budget, presents us with significant opportunities in
the projects business where we already have a sizeable presence.
The automotive and the general industrial sectors of the economy
has been performing really well and we have had many break-
throughs both in terms of innovative products and new clients.
CIN: CIN operates in multiple market areas and has the potential
for growth in each of them. We are committed to expanding our
portfolio of products and services in all of our business units and
have established strategies to achieve this goal.
Based on our analysis, we have identified that CIN Performance
Coatings, particularly the Protective and Industrial units, have the
highest potential for growth in the coming years. We have identi-
fied the needs of our customers and have developed innovative
solutions to meet these needs so we are confident that our focus
on these areas will result in significant growth for our company.
We will continue to invest in research and development to en-
sure that we provide the best solutions for our customers and
maintain our position as a leader in the industry.
Hempel: Guided by our Double Impact strategy, our focus at
Hempel will continue to build segment leadership positions in
selected geographies within Marine, Decorative, Infrastructure
and Energy. Our technology and expertise in these areas brings
real value to our customers and our focus will ensure we have a
robust product development pipeline, with sustainability as a key
driver in our innovation, to continuously reinforce our position.
HMG: Rather than one or two particular market opportunities,
we’ve seen growth opportunities surrounding water-based tech-
nologies in nearly all of the markets in which we operate. As the
consumer becomes more sustainability focused with the upcoming
government targets on environmental impacts, water-based tech-
nology is a key area for the future of the business. Our research
and development team have already started numerous projects in
collaboration with both raw material suppliers and customers on
the next generation of coatings which will be able to hit environ-
mental/green targets without compromising performance.
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
34-41 CEO Forum 0324.indd 37
2024 CEO Forum FEATURE
PPG: In 2024, PPG will continue to focus on strategic growth ini-
tiatives to drive volume growth and capitalize on demand across
various sectors. We expect to see growth in aerospace products,
protective coatings, automotive refinish and automotive OEM
coatings, and continued growth in Mexico.
In aerospace, we posted significant organic growth year-over-
year in 2023. Aircraft manufacturers continue efforts to ramp up
production of new aircraft and we’ve seen travel return to pre-
pandemic levels, so we expect demand to only continue to grow
in the years ahead.
We see continued growth opportunities for our protective and
marine coatings business. Our business relationships in China as
well as the country’s investments in liquid natural gas, which uses
many of our advantaged protective products, position us well for
continued expansion in the market. There’s also significant in-
frastructure investment in the U.S. and other countries that offer
growth opportunities for the protective business. With technolo-
gy-advantaged products and a focus on sustainability, we’re ex-
ploring opportunities for cross-selling and expansion, particularly
in Mexico where we’re leveraging our existing networks to grow
our protective coatings business in the same way we’ve used our
retail networks to grow the protective business in the U.S. and in
other countries.
Finally, in automotive OEM, we saw strong year-over-year
margin improvement due to moderating input costs and automo-
tive OEM growth. We expect markets like China to continue to
contribute to our growth in this area.
Vitex: In 2023 we have managed to grow our market share in
the architectural paints segment in all the markets we operate.
Higher premium products as well as innovative ones are very well
accepted by our customers, a fact that rewards our long-term in-
vestment in people and processes as well as our curious mindset.
Growth comes primarily from larger projects and the tourism
industry in Greece and Cyprus while the consumers demand ap-
pears weak. In contrary we see stronger consumers sentiment and
DIY demand in Bulgaria and Serbia.
CW: What is your business strategy for growth in
2024 and beyond?
AkzoNobel: We have good momentum heading into 2024 and
expect to resume growing volumes while delivering further mar-
gin – and profit – expansion. Our roadmap for both growth and
profitability gives us confidence that we can make a significant
step change in the performance of the company. We see opportu-
nities for sustainability-driven innovation and increased scale in
select markets, which will drive low single digit volume growth
in the mid-term.
We’re also aware that there’s significant value to be gained
through improving our operations. We have bottlenecks in busi-
ness-critical supply chains, under-investment in key sites and
low capacity utilization. To help address this challenge, we’ve
launched an industrial excellence program and expect to see the
Coatings World | 37
2/28/24 3:19 PM
 FEATURE 2024 CEO Forum
full benefits by 2027. It’s focused on reducing complexity, en-
hancing productivity and optimizing our network through the
investment and modernization of our anchor sites. It aims to de-
liver cost reduction, enhanced efficiency, improved service levels
and heightened overall competitiveness.
BASF: Our customers are at the center of everything we do,
and we will continue to support our customers in these trans-
formational time of huge innovation need while staying com-
petitive. This includes innovative products and services that
meet the increasing demand for sustainability and environ-
mental friendliness, especially in the automotive industry. We
will use our global presence and our strong market position to
drive growth. To enter new markets and expand our range of
surface solutions, we will also actively explore opportunities
beyond traditional paints and coatings, such as digital busi-
ness models.
Benjamin Moore: Our strategy is rooted in core strategic pil-
lars that grow the business from the inside out, which starts
with growing and engaging our people internally to foster a
collaborative environment.
By staying close to our customers, we can better anticipate
their needs and provide solutions and support to help them
succeed, while building on the strong loyalty that directly con-
tributes to our growth as a business. Further, we remain com-
mitted to ensuring the health and stability of the independent
channel who extend an expertise and premium service experi-
ence to customers that can’t be found in other retail outlets.
Innovating and delivering a best-in-class premium product
mix positions us well for growth across segments including the
residential repaint and commercial segments, architectural and
design community, and even for DIY.
Our focus on sustaining and growing the independent
channel through we which we exclusively distribute our prod-
ucts yields growth opportunities through new store open-
ings, and expansion into new regions both domestically and
internationally.
Berger: The Indian paint market has in recent times seen the
entry of many new players with more in the pipeline. We be-
lieve there will be some tough competition in the days ahead
and are preparing to address them.
Our overall business strategy is to remain focused on prof-
itable growth. This will require us to keep expanding the dis-
tribution, creating and growing innovative, profitable brands,
managing costs to protect margins and to retain talent.
CIN: CIN is deeply committed to solidifying its position as a
market leader in the Iberia and Africa markets, as well as ex-
panding into new markets where we have production plants.
As part of this commitment, we are currently investing heavily
in enhancing our production plant and logistics capabilities.
These initiatives are designed to improve our manufacturing
processes, making them more streamlined and efficient. By
38 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
34-41 CEO Forum 0324.indd 38
doing so, we aim to accelerate our delivery times and reduce
costs, allowing CIN to maintain our competitive advantage in
the industry. Our efforts include implementing cutting-edge
technologies and modernizing our equipment to improve pro-
duction capabilities. We are also exploring new automatized
logistics solutions to optimize our supply chain and improve
delivery times. These enhancements will enable us to better
serve our customers and meet their evolving needs. Overall,
our goal is to continue to deliver high-quality products while
expanding our reach into new markets. We are excited about
the potential of these initiatives and look forward to sharing
our progress with our valued customers and partners.
Hempel: Building on the momentum of last year, we are in a
robust position to accelerate growth in the years to come. The
success and efficacy of our Double Impact strategy will see us
continue our growth trajectory and we are confident that we
are firmly on the path to establishing ourselves as an industry-
winning enterprise. We will continue to invest in innovation,
digitalization and our people, as these are the three key en-
ablers of our strategy.
HMG: This reply is very similar to the ones John Falder and
Brian Falder would have provided throughout our history, in
that it is continuing to develop long-term sustainable partner-
ships. The team at HMG has never been
stronger in terms of personnel and we
have some extremely exciting potentials
in terms of customers and new products.
The nature of HMG’s business is that
our diverse portfolio of products allows
us to quickly adapt to market trends and even emerging mar-
kets and work closely alongside our customers to grow sus-
tainably. There are no aggressive strategies for growth but a
steady and sustainable growth pattern that allows us to focus
on quality and consistency.
PPG: PPG’s business strategy for growth in 2024 and beyond
revolves around delivering consistent organic growth above
global industrial production by leveraging technology-advan-
taged products, enhancing productivity, and driving sustain-
ability throughout the supply chain. The company remains
committed to modernizing and simplifying operations to sus-
tain long-term value creation while balancing cash return to
shareholders with investments for growth. By focusing on or-
ganic volume growth, continued margin recovery, operational
efficiency, and strategic acquisitions, PPG plans to strengthen
our market position and drive sustainable growth.
Vitex: Our medium-term growth strategy in Greece is pri-
marily through the ETICS systems. We have made significant
investments to create capacity that will help our country’s am-
bitious targets for energy efficiency in buildings. . In parallel,
we continue to invest in growing our architectural paints foot-
print, also in the Balkan states.
March 2024
2/28/24 3:19 PM

CW: In what areas are you focusing your
R&D efforts?
AkzoNobel: We’re committed to capturing the opportunities
that sustainability presents as a catalyst for innovation. We
recognize that sustainability is driving changes in our indus-
try and believe this aligns with our strengths in innovation
and our leadership position in sustainability.
We continue to develop sustainable products that dif-
ferentiate us from competitors, allowing us to gain mar-
ket share and command higher margins. We’ll also focus
on accelerating our development efforts and reducing time
to market.
BASF: Both automotive OEM customers and repair work-
shops are placing increasing emphasis on the sustainability of
coatings. We have focused specifically on this area for many
years and offer innovative products and processes to support
our customers in achieving their individual sustainability
goals. Our aim is to make the best possible use of existing
resources and reduce CO2 emissions. For this reason, we have
introduced products in both the automotive OEM and auto-
motive refinish sectors that are certified according to the bio-
mass balance method and are based on the use of renewable
raw materials at the start of the production process. Reducing
the energy consumption, introducing low VOC products, and
increasing material efficiency are not only more efficient solu-
tions, but also more sustainable.
In addition to sustainability, we are also investing in re-
search and development to enhance the functionality of coat-
ings, such as improving transparency for radar waves and
reflection for LiDAR sensors, which are crucial for driver as-
sistance systems and autonomous driving.
Benjamin Moore: Our R&D team sits at the forefront of
technology and innovation, consistently working to develop
best-in-class formulations and contributing to many firsts in
the industry.
We are currently rounding out an
ongoing effort from the last few years
focused on optimizing our product port-
folio – inclusive of updating existing
formulations, eliminating redundancies
and reintroducing the Benjamin Moore
brand portfolio within the market. This advancement is in-
tended to streamline the solutions we offer our customers and
simplify consideration and purchase.
New product introductions are informed by any gaps
that we identify through this process, coupled with areas
of opportunity we uncover with our customers, that can
be solved through our innovation of new technologies and
paint solutions.
Berger: As an industry innovation leader, R&D is a mission
critical function for Berger Paints.
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
34-41 CEO Forum 0324.indd 39
2024 CEO Forum FEATURE
Product Innovation: We are working on new formulations
to enhance application properties, and environmental sustain-
ability around low-VOC (volatile organic compound) coat-
ings, anti-microbial coatings, and advanced color systems.
Raw Material Optimization: Researching alternative raw
materials and ingredients to enhance product quality and
reduce costs, while also directing attention to sustainable
sourcing practices.
Environmental Sustainability: We are also focusing on sus-
tainability initiatives that will minimize the environmental im-
pact of coatings throughout their lifecycle, from raw material
sourcing to disposal. This encompasses developing biodegrad-
able coatings, recycling programs, and energy-efficient manu-
facturing processes.
Market-Specific Solutions: In the area of protective coatings,
automotive and industrial sectors, our research involves un-
derstanding customer requirements and meeting them through
custom-created solutions.
CIN: We divide our R&D activities according to our four
main business units: Architectural, Industrial, Protective and
Yachting and Marine Coatings.
In Architectural Coatings, our main efforts are aimed at
replacing solvent-based enamels and varnishes for wood and
metal with water-based ones. In this area, we are also actively
working on the development of a bio-based paint that per-
forms like our best-selling interior paint.
Concerning Industrial Coatings, we continue to develop
tailor-made water-based coatings for many OEM customers
who have very demanding specifications and whose industrial
installations must meet VOC emissions. In this field, we are
also involved in studying and exploring some smart paints,
namely self-healing ones.
Regarding Protective Coatings, we are developing ultra-
high solids coatings for the anticorrosive protection of metallic
structures. In this area, we are also investigating water-based
coatings and verifying their performance.
As far as Yachting and Marine Coatings are concerned, we
are dedicating most of our time to adjusting some products from
our portfolio, which have a great performance in European
markets, in order to make them more suitable to cover other
markets. In this field, we are also working on new antifouling
products to meet the demanding requirements of BPR.
In order to ensure that our coatings meet the highest stan-
dards of environmental sustainability and occupational health
and safety, we are constantly engaged in extensive research and
development efforts. Our team works tirelessly to identify and
replace raw materials that are not in line with emerging and
future legislation and regulations so that our coatings remain
at the forefront of compliance and innovation. We take pride in
our commitment to creating products that are not only effective
and reliable, but also eco-efficient and safe for use in any setting.
Coatings World | 39
2/28/24 3:19 PM
 FEATURE 2024 CEO Forum
Hempel: Innovation comes to life in all aspects of what we do
– in how we develop new products and services, our business
models and our new strategic initiatives. In 2023, we maintained
sharp focus on innovations
to develop more sustain-
able solutions that meet our
customers’ needs, enabling
them to lower their CO2 footprint while protecting and beautify-
ing their assets.
The urgency of climate action has increased focus on innova-
tion, particularly around optimizing processes, reducing use of
raw materials and enabling our customers to reduce their environ-
mental footprint. In the wind power industry, for example, we are
working in partnership with key industry players to enhance wind
turbine blade durability, reduce maintenance expenses and extend
blade lifespan.
HMG: Our R&D efforts are primarily focused on advancing sus-
tainable technologies, enhancing product performance, and explor-
ing ways we can add value to our customers by optimizing their
processes. We’re hoping the supply chain issues of the last few years
are behind us and our R&D team can focus on developing the
next generation of products which will become pillars of the HMG
portfolio over the next decade and beyond.
PPG: PPG continues to prioritize research and development efforts
aimed at developing technology-advantaged products, enhancing
manufacturing processes, and promoting sustainability. With a fo-
cus on customer needs and market trends, PPG collaborates with
partners and customers to innovate and address emerging chal-
lenges. Sustainability remains a core focus, with ongoing efforts to
reduce environmental impact and develop products that support
customer sustainability goals. By continuing to invest in R&D and
innovation, PPG aims to maintain its competitive edge and drive
long-term growth and value creation.
Vitex: Our R&D efforts are focused on serving consumer needs
for healthier and safer indoor living environments as well as offer-
ing sustainable solutions for the Green Building sector which will
grow further in our region. Last year we published Heath Product
Declarations for several of VITEX’s products highlighting our ma-
terial health excellence.
All our state-of-the-art outdoor protective coatings and ETICS
provide excellent performance, low environmental footprint and
verified unique sustainability characteristics. Beside these a new
concept and driver “Meteo Works” is coming to introduce a new
era towards more “climate resilient products.”
CW: What is your company’s long-term plans?
AkzoNobel: See answer to question 3
BASF: The basis for long-term success is a strong team living
a culture based on trust, courage, and empowerment. Times of
40 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
34-41 CEO Forum 0324.indd 40
transformation require all to embrace change with curiosity and
implement bold ideas for the future always having the value for
the customers in mind. Our long-term plans also involve expand-
ing our range of surface solutions. In addition to our focus on
automotive paint that enables our customers to stay competitive
and successful, we also concentrate on solutions beyond paint and
explore digital business models to enter new markets. To support
this, our Digital Incubation Unit serves as a platform to nurture
and develop innovative digital business ideas in the Automotive
and Surface Solutions sector. There are many possibilities in the
upcoming AI capabilities that we can not even dream of today.
Sustainability will remain a key priority for us. We will work
closely with our partners to implement strategies that align with
our Net Zero targets and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Benjamin Moore: For more than 140 years, Benjamin Moore
has had one focus – to manufacture premium paint and beauti-
ful colors that help to transform the spaces in which we live and
work. We will continue to build on our industry-leading expertise
and deliver a differentiated consumer portfolio to gain market
share and accelerate growth by expanding both domestically
and abroad.
Since our founding in 1883, we have remained committed to
the independent channel – exclusively distributing our products
through locally owned and operated stores. This commitment is
steadfast into the future and we will continue doing our part to
ensure the health of the channel by collaborating with our net-
work of retailers to sustain and grow successful businesses.
Berger: We have commenced our 100th year of business in India
and are keenly aware of the enormous legacy that we have been
entrusted with preserving and building on. Our vision is therefore
achieving the status of being one of the most respected companies
in the world in the paints and coatings sector. Some of the long-
term plans that will guide us on the way to accomplishing that
vision are:
Distribution Expansion: This is key to the long-term success of
Berger Paints and will always form a critical element in all our
plans regardless of what the length of the outlook.
Product Innovation: The low per capita consumption of the Indian
paint market indicates the continuing potential for innovations in
different price segments and product categories. The BOP category
in decorative products as well as new solutions in construction
chemicals and protective coatings offer the highest potential.
R&D Investments: To continue investing in research and devel-
opment to drive product innovation, enhance performance, and
differentiate offerings from competitors.
Brand Building and Marketing: Especially considering the in-
creasingly crowded marketplace, strengthening the brand image
and enhancing marketing efforts to increase brand awareness,
customer loyalty, and brand equity is extremely crucial.
March 2024
2/28/24 3:19 PM

Operational Excellence: With the anticipated pressure on
margins from increased competition, improving operational ef-
ficiency, supply chain management, and manufacturing processes
to reduce costs, increase productivity, and maintain quality stan-
dards takes on special importance. This would possibly entail in-
vestments in automation, technology upgrades, and continuous
improvement initiatives.
Sustainability Initiatives: In keeping with our ESG compliance
norms, we will be focused on reducing environmental impact,
promoting circular economy principles, and addressing social
responsibility concerns. Some of these will include the integra-
tion of sustainable practices into business operations, responsible
sourcing of raw materials, suitable manufacturing processes, and
product stewardship.
Talent Development: We have been increasingly investing in
employee training, that include talent and leadership develop-
ment programs. Our open organizational culture aids a culture
of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning and this is
something we are very keen to preserve.
Customer-Centricity: Having come this far by prioritizing cus-
tomer satisfaction and building long-term relationships with them,
Berger Paints will continue to look for ways of delivering value-
added solutions, exceptional service, and personalized experiences.
Digital Transformation: A few years ago, Berger embarked on
a calibrated but expansive digital transformation encompassing
all functions and business lines. Depending on the function and
area of operations, this exercise covered Logistics and Supply
Chain, Inventory Management, Human Resources and Digital
Learning, CRM Enhancement, IoT, Robotic Process Automation,
Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, Colour Visualization tools,
Financial Management, e-Commerce, Digital Marketing and
Cybersecurity. We are at the far end of that transformation cycle
that has already transformed the organization and made it more
nimble, agile and purposeful in its approach.
CIN: Looking ahead, our topmost priority is to consolidate and
enhance our leadership position. We are steadfast in our unwav-
ering commitment to upholding the most superior quality stan-
dards across every facet of our operations. Moreover, CIN is fully
dedicated to integrating sustainable practices into our business
framework, with the ultimate goal of creating a future where ex-
cellence and environmental responsibility are in perfect harmony
Hempel: We are committed to our growth journey – not just be-
cause it makes good business sense, but because it will maximize
the positive impact that our company, people and owner can have
together on the world around us.
We unveiled our Double Impact strategy in 2020 with the am-
bitious goal of doubling both our revenue and positive influence
within a five-year time-frame. Thanks to the success of this stra-
tegic framework, we have extended its application beyond the
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
34-41 CEO Forum 0324.indd 41
2024 CEO Forum FEATURE
initial 2025 horizon.
In 2023, we added a fourth pillar to our strategy called
Scalable Operations. We did so to make sure that we maintain
focus on fostering a highly profitable business that is scalable for
future growth. Our ultimate goal is to increase value creation for
the Hempel Foundation, so it can have an even more positive im-
pact on society through its important philanthropic work.
HMG: Our ongoing commitment is to invest in our infrastructure
(production, logistics, R&D and more) along with that of our
people. Our people are the bedrock of our future and investing in
them will only enhance the efficiency and performance of HMG.
This has been evident amongst our senior leadership team, who
have taken on a number of challenges over the last 12 months and
have created outcomes that have positively impacted the perfor-
mance of the business. We enter 2024 with a strong foundation
and an unwavering focus on a future that holds great promise
and together we will continue to drive our company forward.
PPG: Our company’s long-term plans
prioritize sustained growth, innovation,
and value creation for our stakehold-
ers. We’re committed to maintaining our
global leadership in paints and coatings
by delivering technology-advantaged
products that enhance productivity and sustainability for cus-
tomers. We’ll continue investing in research and development to
innovate new customer-focused solutions and streamline opera-
tions using digital technologies to drive efficiency and operational
excellence worldwide.
From a capital allocation perspective, we’ll return value to
shareholders through dividends and prudent share repurchases
while pursuing strategic acquisitions to complement our capabili-
ties and support growth. Expanding into emerging growth mar-
kets, capitalizing on electric vehicle trends, and strengthening our
presence in the aerospace, automotive, and protective coatings
sectors are key objectives.
Sustainability remains paramount. We’re dedicated to reduc-
ing our environmental footprint, promoting sustainable practices,
and developing eco-friendly products. With a focus on long-term
sustainability, innovation, and strategic growth, we’re poised to
deliver value and success for years to come.
Vitex: Our long-term plan relates to technology and excellence.
We will continue our successful path of balancing exploration
into the long term and execution in the present time. We are al-
ready in the process and investing in incorporating digitalization
practices to optimize our processes and maximize our efficiency.
Moreover, we are developing our foresight by trying to create a
futures thinking mindset that will help us bring even more in-
novations to our customers and elevate our profile as a dynamic,
efficient and fast moving company. This strategy translates into
a bouquet of products and services that are unique to our cus-
tomers. We will continue to create daily wonders with science,
fun and care. CW
Coatings World | 41
2/28/24 3:19 PM
 FEATURE

Where to Eat and Stay in

Indianapolis during ACS 2024
Indianapolis offers plenty of top-flight hotels and restaurants to enjoy once the show closes.

By David Savastano, Contributing Editor

F
rom April 30 to May 2, 2024, the Conrad Indianapolis Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
paint, coatings and ink industries 50 W Washington St. 350 W. Maryland St.
will head to the 2024 American Indianapolis, IN 46204 Indianapolis, IN 46225
Coatings Show in Indianapolis, IN, where Tel: 317-713-5000 Tel: 317-822-3500
attendees will meet with raw materials www.hilton.com/en/hotels/indcici-conrad- www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/in-
and equipment suppliers and distribu- indianapolis dcc-indianapolis-marriott-downtown/
tors, as well as listen in on informative overview
technical presentations. Crowne Plaza Indianapolis-Downtown-
It will come as no surprise that ho- Union Station, an IHG Hotel JW Marriott Indianapolis
tels and restaurants have already started 123 W. Louisiana St. 10 S. West St.
booking up as attendees look for places Indianapolis, IN 46225 Indianapolis, IN 46204
to stay and restaurants to enjoy once the Tel: 317-631-2221 Tel: 317-860-5800
show closes down each day. Here is our www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/ www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/indjw-jw-
list of places to stay and to eat; it is by no indianapolis/inddt/hoteldetail marriott-indianapolis/overview
means a comprehensive list:
Embassy Suites by Hilton Indianapolis Le Méridien Indianapolis
Hotels in Indianapolis Downtown 123 S. Illinois St, Indianapolis, IN 46225
The Indianapolis Convention Center is right 110 W. Washington St. Tel: 317-737-1600
in the middle of downtown Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46204 www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/indmd-le-
and there is a wide range of hotels to stay at Tel: 317-236-1800 meridien-indianapolis/overview
near the convention center. Here are some www.hilton.com/en/hotels/indwwes-em-
of the choices you may wish to consider: bassy-suites-indianapolis-downtown Omni Severin Hotel
40 W. Jackson Place
The Alexander Hyatt Regency Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN 46225
333 S. Delaware St. 1 S. Capitol Ave. Tel: 317-634-6664
Indianapolis, IN 46204 Indianapolis, IN 46204 www.omnihotels.com/hotels/indianapolis-
Tel: 317-624-8200 Tel: 317-632-1234 severin
www.thealexander.com www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/
indri-hyatt-regency-indianapolis

42 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com March 2024

42-43 ACS Preview 0324.indd 42 2/28/24 3:29 PM

 Where to Eat and Stay in Indianapolis during ACS 2024 FEATURE

The Westin Indianapolis High Velocity Ruth’s Chris Steak House

241 W. Washington St. 10 S. West St. 45 S. Illinois St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204 JW Marriott Indianapolis Circle Centre Mall
Tel: 317-262-8100 Indianapolis, IN 46204 Indianapolis, IN 46204
www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/indwi- Tel: 317-860-6500 Tel: 317-633-1313
the-westin-indianapolis/overview www.highvelocityindy.com www.ruthschrisphg.com/indianapolis-
downtown
Restaurants in Indianapolis Iozzo’s Garden of Italy
There is a wide variety of food choices to 946 S. Meridian St. Shapiro’s Delicatessen
select from in Indianapolis; here are some Indianapolis, IN 46225 808 S. Meridian St.
of the possibilities that are available: Tel: 317-974-1100 Indianapolis, IN 46225
Tel: 317-631-4041
Bluebeard Livery - Indianapolis www.shapiros.com
653 Virginia Ave. 720 N. College Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46203 Indianapolis, IN 46202 Slippery Noodle Inn
Tel: 317-686-1580 Tel: 317-383-0330 372 S. Meridian St.
bluebeardindy.com www.livery-restaurant.com/Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN 46225
Tel: 317-631-6974
Bosphorus Istanbul Cafe Loughmiller’s Pub & Eatery www.slipperynoodle.com
935 S. East St. 301 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46225 Indianapolis, IN 46204 St. Elmo Steak House
Tel: 317-974-1770 Tel: 317-638-7380 127 S Illinois St, Indianapolis, IN 46225
www.thebosphoruscafe.com loughmillerspub.com Tel: 317-635-0636
www.stelmos.com
BRU Burger Bar Indianapolis Mesh
410 Massachusetts Ave. 725 Massachusetts Ave. Tastings A Wine Experience
Indianapolis, IN 46204 Indianapolis, IN 46204 50 W. Washington St.
Tel: 317-635-4278 Tel: 317-955-9600 Indianapolis, IN 46204
www.bruburgerbar.com/locations/bru-indy www.meshrestaurants.com Tel: 317-423-2400
www.tastingsbar.com
Cafe Patachou Nada
225 W. Washington St. 11 W. Maryland St. Tony’s of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN 46204-3435 Indianapolis, IN 46204 110 W. Washington St.
Tel: 317-632-0765 Tel: 317-638-6232 Indianapolis, IN 46204
w w w. e a t d r i n k n a d a . c o m / l o c a t i o n / Tel: 317-638-8669
The Capital Grille indianapolis www.tonysofindianapolis.com
40 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204 The Oceanaire Seafood Room Union 50
Tel: 317-423-8790 30 S. Meridian St. Suite 100 620 N. East St.
www.thecapitalgrille.com/locations/in/ Indianapolis, IN 46204 Indianapolis, IN 46202
indianapolis/indianapolis/8032 Tel: 317-955-2277 Tel: 317-610-0234
w w w. t h e o c e a n a i r e . c o m / l o c a t i o n / www.union-50.com
Conner’s Kitchen + Bar indianapolis-in
350 West Maryland St. Vida
Indianapolis, IN 46225 OP Italian 601 E. New York St.
Tel: 317-405-6100 10 S. West St. Corner of New York and Park
www.connersindy.com Indianapolis, IN 46204 Indianapolis, IN 46202
Tel: 317-860-5777 Tel: 317-420-2323
Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse www.opitalianindy.com www.vida-restaurant.com
117 E. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204 The Rathskeller Weber Grill - Indianapolis
Tel: 317-638-4000 401 E. Michigan St. 10 N. Illinois St.
fogodechao.com/location/indianapolis Indianapolis, IN 46204 Indianapolis, IN 46204
Tel: 317-636-0396 Tel: 317-636-7600
www.rathskeller.com www.webergrillrestaurant.com/indianapolis

March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com Coatings World | 43

42-43 ACS Preview 0324.indd 43 2/28/24 3:29 PM

 People

PPG Announces Executive Appointments,

Promotes Irene Tasi, Alisha Bellezza

P
PG announced that Irene Tasi, cur- senior specialist of color & trends
rently senior vice president and marketing. The pair will work togeth-
chief growth officer (CGO), will er closely to amplify color at Dunn-
become senior vice president, industrial Edwards through trend forecasting,
coatings. In addition, Alisha Bellezza, research and development, and strategic
currently vice president, automotive coat- marketing initiatives.
ings, will become senior vice president, Lambert is a leading creative director
automotive coatings. Both appointments and trend leader with decades of expe-
are effective March 1, 2024. rience across creative agencies, brands,
Tasi was named and industries – with color and design
CGO and a member at the core. As the leader of the Dunn-
of the company’s Edwards Color Team, he will lead re-
Operating Committee search and development, trend strategy,
in late 2021. Since marketing innovation, and more.
then, she has helped After 13 years as an architectural
to lead and acceler- sales representative for the company,
ate PPG’s growth Hoferkamp brings an intricate back-
agenda with respon- ground and understanding of Dunn-
sibility for corporate Tasi Edwards, the color market, and the
strategy, long-range multi-channel customer journey to the
planning, sustainability, communications new Color Team. She is a seasoned
and marketing, brand and sales excellence, color expert, having previously owned
digital, market-driven innovation, and new and operated a surface design company
growth initiatives. She has played an instru- in Southern California for more than
mental role in developing PPG’s Enterprise 10 years.
Growth Strategy. “We are thrilled to usher in a new
Bellezza was ap- era of color at Dunn-Edwards with,
pointed to her current not one, but two, leaders at the helm
role last year and has of our Color Team,” said Lisa Kudukis,
served on the com- vice president, marketing & innovation
pany’s Operating at Dunn-Edwards. “Scott’s unique cre-
Committee since ative lens and experiential vision will
joining the company. infuse new energy into our color efforts,
She will continue to while Lauren knows Dunn-Edwards
support PPG’s focus and our customers’ color needs inside
and innovation re- Bellezza and out. This dream team will help
lated to improving us see color in a new light and push
sustainability for automotive customers industry standards.”
while also driving expansion and success As it approaches its 100-year anni-
in the mobility sector and contributing to versary in 2025, the new Color Team
growth at PPG. signifies a new era at Dunn-Edwards
with the development of industry-lead-
Dunn-Edwards Adds New ing color collections for homeowners
Color Leadership Team and professionals alike. The duo will at-
Dunn-Edwards Corporation announced tend Milan Design Week in April 2024.
its next chapter of color leadership
and marketing with the team of Scott Micro Powders, Inc. Names
Lambert, manager of color & trends John McAllister VP of Sales
marketing, and Lauren Hoferkamp, Micro Powders, Inc. appoints John
McAllister as vice president of sales
for both the Industrial and Personal
Care Divisions. With this promotion,
McAllister will lead the entire sales or-
ganization at Micro Powders. He will
develop strategies to achieve Micro
Powders’ fiscal targets along with expan-
sion into new markets.
In his 26-year
career at Micro
Powders, McAllister
has bolstered sales
and demonstrated an
outstanding commit-
ment to the company.
His accomplishments
allowed him to climb
the ranks from re- McAllister
gional sales manager
(1998), domestic sales manager (2006),
and most recently director of global sales
– Industrial Division (2016).
McAllister’s experience in leading
sales teams, coupled with product ex-
pertise and knowledge specific to vari-
ous industries that utilize wax powders,
has laid a strong foundation for success.
“I am excited and honored to transi-
tion into this new leadership role,” said
McAllister. “I look forward to continu-
ing to contribute to the growth and suc-
cess of Micro Powders.”
“John is a tremendous leader who
developed an extremely successful sales
program as director of sales for our
Industrial Division,” said Gary Strauss,
president and COO at Micro Powders.
“We are eager for him to take this next
step as vice president of sales and to
lead our Personal Care Division. We
know he will thrive in his new role.”
Prior to joining Micro Powders,
McAllister worked in chemical dis-
tribution for Dar-Tech Inc., where
he was a technical sales representa-
tive responsible for account man-
agement and new sales development
for the coatings, graphic arts, and
adhesives industries. CW

44 | Coatings World www.coatingsworld.com March 2024

44 CW personnel 0324.indd 44 2/28/24 3:31 PM

 Should you attend RadTech 2024?
Reasons to Attend 2024
Other Shows

Exclusive focus on sustainable and responsible

manufacturing using UV+EB technology

Largest gathering of UV+EB Industry Experts in the

world

Latest updates on regulations and compliance specific to

UV+EB technology

Connect directly with customers, peers, experts, and

leaders who are specifically involved in UV+EB curing

Discover new market trends, innovations, and

partnerships in the UV+EB technology

Exhibit floor with the leading suppliers of UV+EB

technology, showing you their latest innovative products.

Conference program focused on the latest

advancements in UV+EB technology.

Today’s Choices,
Tomorrow’s Future:
2024
UV+EB for Sustainable
May 20-22, 2024 & Responsible
Orlando, Florida USA Manufacturing

www.radtech.org
Radtech CWM0124.indd 1 1/24/24 3:15 PM
 Industry News
Albert Invent Achieves Its
Carbon Negative Goal
A
lbert Invent, a company acceler-
ating R&D with its data-driven,
end-to-end platform, announced
that it has achieved several milestones in
its journey to make a positive environ-
mental impact.
Carbon neutral since inception, Albert
Invent is now carbon negative. Over the
past year, the company offset its carbon
emissions by 115%.
In addition, Albert Invent secured three
significant certifications for sustainability:
it is a California Green Business, it earned
an EcoVadis Silver medal and it achieved
its Greenly Silver Certificate. The company
noted that it attained these certifications in
a timely manner due to Albert Invent’s fo-
cus on sustainability.
To that end, the company has named
Chairman and Co-founder Ken Kisner its
new Chief Sustainability Officer. In this
role, Kisner will guide Albert Invent and
its customers in efforts to reduce green-
house gas emissions and expedite the
process of developing more sustainable
products across the chemical and materi-
als science industry.
The data accessible through the Albert
end-to-end R&D platform can assist sci-
entists in developing products with less
environmental impact, such as leveraging
paints with lower volatile organic com-
pounds (VOCs) to eliminate the emission
of solvents into the air or removing use of
“forever” chemicals in products like per-
sonal care products, food packaging, or
stain proof clothing.
Today, the Albert platform shares in-
valuable data insights with users, giving
organizations instant visibility into chemi-
cals and their properties from the initial
stages of product experimentation all the
way through the development lifecycle.
This makes it possible to ease and ac-
celerate the creation of more sustainable
products while producing less waste in the
process because fewer iterations are need-
ed; inventory is preserved and more read-
ily used before expiration thanks to data
46 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
46 CW Industry News 0324.indd 46
supplied by Albert in real time.
“Even in Albert Invent’s earliest days,
Ken and I saw a massive opportunity
to affect the sustainability of the Earth
through our products and practices,” said
Nick Talken, Albert Invent’s CEO and
co-founder. “Sustainability is important
to us on a personal level, but more than
that, we realize our customers’ pains as-
sociated with creating more sustainable
products while reducing waste. The Albert
platform instantly and seamlessly furthers
their initiatives. Ken is the ideal person to
convey this message to the market and to
help lead the chemical and materials sci-
ence industry into a net zero future.”
Kisner’s interest in chemical and mate-
rials sciences was sparked while growing
up working in a family-owned paint fac-
tory. He began applying his approach to
sustainability in his work with paint and
coatings before moving into inks and 3D
printing. Every company Kisner has been
involved with has become a California
Green Business, underscoring his long-
standing commitment to the environment.
“With every company I’ve started, sus-
tainability was a key initiative,” Kisner
added. “Albert Invent is no exception. Now
that we have taken steps to ensure our own
backyard is clean, we can begin execut-
ing on an important part of our vision for
Albert: to help accelerate the innovation of
more sustainable materials. We look for-
ward to assisting our customers in achiev-
ing this goal and in furthering additional
green initiatives in the days to come.”
Evonik Expands Production
of Precipitated Silica
In Charleston, SC
Evonik invested in a plant expansion for
precipitated silica at its site in Charleston,
South Carolina. The new line in South
Carolina makes the supply chains of
Evonik partners in the region resilient by
enabling local silica sourcing.
Silica is a key ingredient for fuel-
efficient tires and other products like
toothpaste or coatings. The group is in-
vesting a mid-double-digit million euro
amount. The construction of the new pro-
duction line is scheduled to begin in mid-
2024. Operations will start in early 2026.
“North America is an important stra-
tegic growth region for us,” said Maike
Schuh, CFO of Evonik and responsible
for the Americas region. “With the invest-
ment in Charleston, we are strengthening
our strategic customer-centric approach
and improving our cost and sustainability
position. Evonik is investing in innovative
and green solutions and technologies that
offer our customers superior sustainability
benefits.” With the new line in Charleston,
the company will increase its production
capacity for precipitated silica at the site
by 50 percent.
“With this expansion, our state-of-
the-art Charleston site becomes a major
hub for precipitated and sustainable silica
products in North America,” says Lauren
Kjeldsen, head of the Smart Materials
Division, which includes the silica business.
Over the past years, Evonik has
continuously invested in modern silica
production updates and strategic acquisi-
tions around the globe to further enhance
the business.
The Charleston facilities are part of a
network of 18 precipitated silica produc-
tion sites globally.
Scott Bader's New
£12.5 Million Site
Now Operational in NC
Scott Bader has begun production of its
structural adhesives and gelcoats at a new
£12.5 million manufacturing facility in
North Carolina.
The development of the 15-acre site
represents the company’s commitment to
serving the needs of the North American
market, coupled with recent expansion
and investment in its Canadian facility.
This will be beneficial for customers in
the marine, renewables, e-mobility and
land transport markets. CW
March 2024
2/28/24 3:33 PM

Evonik Launches High-Performance
Phosphate Methacrylate
E
vonik introduced VISIOMER
HEMA-P 100 to the market, a
phosphate methacrylate monomer
that is non-migratory and its effects are
long-lasting.
Incorporated by polymerization,
HEMA-P provides transparent flame
retardancy, improves adhesion and re-
duces corrosion. It is an effective adhe-
sion promoter and anti-corrosive agent.
VISIOMER HEMA-P can improve dis-
persibility and act as a complexing agent.
VISIOMER HEMA-P is versatile and
may be used as a monomer for emulsion
and solution polymers, vinyl ester and
unsaturated polyester composites, acrylic
adhesives, acrylic water proofing resins
and cast PMMA.
Applications include coatings for
wood, textiles and paper, direct-to-metal
(DTM) coatings, structural adhesives,
waterproofing roofs and parking decks
and architectural cast PMMA.
Photo courtesy of Evonik
VISIOMER HEMA-P stands out due
to its high monoester content, which
helps ensure maximum performance.
Unlike traditional additives, VISIOMER
HEMA-P provides flame retardancy
without compromising transparency or
mechanical properties.
VISIOMER HEMA-P is also available
in a low viscosity 70% solution in MMA
for easier handling. VISIOMER HEMA-P
70M and the new VISIOMER HEMA-P
100 are available globally.
March 2024 ­www.coatingsworld.com
47 CW suppliers corner 0324.indd 47
MÜNZING Develops
AI-based Chatbot
MÜNZING has entered into a collabo-
ration with German AI specialist Aleph
Alpha to increase its investment in
Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The collaboration with Aleph Alpha
aims to make significant progress in
product development to bring innovative
solutions to market faster and optimize
existing products and formulations in
terms of sustainability.
MÜNZING is being supported by
adesso in the development of the AI tool.
The globally active IT service provider is
acting as an experienced implementation
partner for Luminous, the multimodal AI
language model from Aleph Alpha.
“Our joint efforts are aimed at in-
creasing the efficiency of our products,
opening up new markets and always of-
fering our customers the best possible
solution. This cooperation underlines our
commitment and our claim to continuous
innovation and positioning as a pioneer
in the AI revolution,” said managing di-
rector Dr. Michael Münzing.
The cooperation, which started in
August 2023, has already resulted in a
prototype of the MÜNZING Intelligence
Chatbot (MIC), which is being exten-
sively tested by the application technol-
ogy department. Together with adesso,
MÜNZING will drive forward the de-
velopment of the AI chatbot in order to
successfully use it in research and devel-
opment in the next step and be able to re-
spond even more efficiently and precisely
to individual customer requirements.
ROSS Designs
VMC-100-Gallon
VersaMix Multi-Shaft Mixer
Capable of processing viscous solutions,
dispersions, suspensions, and emulsions
with viscosities in the hundreds of thou-
sands of centipoise, the ROSS line of
VersaMix Multi-Shaft Mixers is built for
longevity, speed and efficiency.
Suppliers Corner
Photo courtesy of Ross
The ROSS VMC-100 is designed for
vacuum operation up to 29.5”Hg and
supplied with interchangeable 100-gal.
mix cans, each fabricated with a 50-psig
ASME-code stamped jacket for heating/
cooling via glycol.
The VMC-100 features three indepen-
dently driven agitators, with a Three-Wing
Anchor Agitator equipped with optional
hinged sidewall and bottom Teflon scrap-
ers to improve heat transfer across the
jacketed vessel.
The High Shear Mixer is capable of
introducing powders sub-surface while
the batch is low in viscosity. Through the
ROSS Solids Liquid Injection Manifold
(SLIM) Technology, raw material addi-
tions are less dusty and lumps or fish eyes
are avoided. The 8” diameter High Speed
Disperser continues to apply shear as the
batch increases in viscosity.
Optional features include a cover-
mounted thermowell; built-in vacuum
pump; pneumatic vacuum make/break
valves; and touchscreen controls with rec-
ipe management system (10 recipes using
10 steps based on speed, time, tempera-
ture, and vacuum level). This feature al-
lows operators to seamlessly record and
replicate multiple formulations in the
VMC-100. CW
Coatings World | 47
2/28/24 3:34 PM
 Meetings
American Coatings Show
Is April 30 – May 2, 2024
March 11-14, 2024
PCI Powder Coating Week
Location: Orlando, FL
Venue: Renaissance Orlando at
SeaWorld
Contact: Kelly LeCount
Phone: 859-525-9988
www.conference.powdercoating.org
March 26-28, 2024
Eurocoat 2024
Location: Paris, France
Venue: Porte de Versailles
Contact: Cyril Ladet
Phone: +33 (0)1 7792 8684
Email: cladet@infopro-digital.com
www.eurocoat-expo.com
April 16-18, 2024
Middle East Coatings Show
Location: Dubai, UAE
Venue: Dubai World Trade Center
Email: andrewgathercole@dmgevents
www.middleeastcoatingsshow.com/
dubai/
April 30 - May 2, 2024
American Coatings Show
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Venue: Indianapolis Convention Center
Contact: American Coatings Association
(ACA)
Email: chames@paint.org
www.american-coatings-show.com
May 15, 2024, 2024
Metropolitan Paint and Coatings
Association Annual Meeting
Location: West Orange, NJ
Venue: The Highlawn
Contact: MNYCA
Phone: 201-489-8096
Email: patty.paletto@mnyca.org
www.mnyca.org
48 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
48 Meetings 0324.indd 48
May 20 - 22, 2024, 2024
RadTech 2024 UV+EB Technology
Expo & Conference
Location: Orlando, Florida
Venue: Hyatt Regency Orlando
Contact: Mickey Fortune
www.radtech.org
June 3-7, 2024
55th Annual Short Course on
Advances in Emulsion Polymerization
and Latex Technology
Location: Bethlehem, PA
Venue: Lehigh University
Contact: Dr. Mohamed S. El-Aasser,
Lehigh University
Email: debra.nyby@lehigh.edu
wordpress.lehigh.edu
June 2 - 5, 2024
SSCT Annual Technical Meeting
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Venue: The Vinoy
Contact: Southern Society for Coatings
Technology
Phone: 601-310-7687
Email: ssctorg@gmail.com
www.southerncoatings.org
June 18, 2024
Metropolitan Paint and Coatings
Association Annual Golf Outing
Location: Neshanic Station, NJ
Venue: Neshanic Valley Golf Course
Phone: 201-489-8096
Email: patty.paletto@mnyca.org
www.mnyca.org
June 19-21, 2024
Coatings for Africa
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Venue: Sandton Convention Center
Phone: + 971 4 445 3773
Email: paddyoneill@dmgevents.com
www.coatingsforafrica.com
June 24-27, 2024
Coatings Science International
Conference - CoSI 2024
Location: Noordwijk, the Netherlands
Venue: Alexander Hotel
Contact: Dr. Catarina Esteves
Email: a.c.c.esteves@tue.nl
www.coatings-science.com
July 24, 2024
Metropolitan Paint and Coatings
Association Day of Baseball
Location: Bridgewater, NJ
Venue: TD Bank Ballpark
Phone: 201-489-8096
Email: patty.paletto@mnyca.org
www.mnyca.org
Sept. 6-8, 2024
Asia Pacific Coatings Show
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Venue: Bangkok International Trade and
Expo Center
Email: andrewgathercole@dmgevents
www.asiapacificcoatingsshow.com
Oct. 9-11, 2024
CEPE Annual Conference and General
Assembly
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Contact: The European Council of the
Paint, Printing Ink, and Artist’s Colours
Industry (CEPE)
Phone: +32(0)2 897 20 20
Email: secretariat@cepe.org
www.cepe.org
Dec. 3-5, 2024
CHINACOAT
Location: Guangzhou, China
Venue: China Import and Export Fair
Complex
Contact: Sinostar
Email: info@sinostar-intl.com.hk
www.chinacoat.net CW
March 2024
2/28/24 3:36 PM
 Classifiedsv

Blades Products & Services

Advertising Index

Company Name Page Website

Azelis Americas Cover 2 www.azelisamericas.com

Hoffmann Mineral GmbH Cover 4 www.hoffmann-mineral.com

Honeywell Advanced Materials 27 www.advancedmaterials.honeywell.com

RadTech Intl North America 45 www.radtech.org

Ross Mixers 3 www.mixers.com

Siltech Corporation 45 www.siltech.com

Sinostar-ITE International Limited 31 www.chinacoat.net

WYN Polymers (WYN de México Productos Químicos SA de CV) 5 www.wynpolymers.com

January 2023 ­www.coatingsworld.com

March ­ Coatings
CoatingsWorld
World || 49
41

CWM CLASSIFIEDS 0324.indd 51 2/28/24 11:36 AM

 Final Coat
PPG and Tasca Racing Extend Partnership
Into 2024 Drag Racing Season
PPG has extended its partnership with Tasca Racing, led by team president and driver Bob Tasca III, pictured with the PPG Nitro Funny Car. (Photo: Business Wire)
P
PG announced that it has extended its sponsorship of
the Tasca Racing team for the 2024 season. The eye-
catching PPG Nitro Funny Car will be on the track
for three NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION (NHRA)
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series races, starting with the
season opener at Gainesville Raceway in Florida this March.
The PPG FORD DARK HORSE NITRO MUSTANG
Funny Car will make its debut at the inaugural FloRacing
PRO (Professional Racers Owners Organization) Superstar
Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton,
Florida. This invitation-only event featured races for the Top
Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock division classes.
Led by Bob Tasca III, team president and driver, Tasca
Racing is running the full schedule in this year’s NHRA
Nitro Funny Car division. The team’s 11,000-horsepower
Nitro Funny Car will display the PPG logo in every race.
50 | Coatings World ­www.coatingsworld.com
50 Final Coat 0324.indd 50
Tasca is also vice president of Tasca Automotive Group, a
key customer of PPG’s Automotive Refinish business. The
Tasca Automotive Group operates multiple car dealerships,
collision centers and service centers that use PPG products.
“We are delighted to be sponsoring Tasca Racing again in
2024,” said Bill Shaw, PPG global business director, strate-
gic initiatives, Automotive Refinish. “It’s a new year, they’ve
got a beautiful new car, and with a top-three finish last sea-
son, we can’t wait to see what Bob and the rest of the Tasca
Racing team achieve in the upcoming season.”
“PPG has played a key partnership role in the growth
of our collision centers over the years,” said Tasca. “When
I’m running the PPG Nitro Funny Car, PPG always shows
up with a great group of fans to support us and our racing
program. We could not be happier to have them back for the
2024 season.” CW
March 2024
2/28/24 3:42 PM
full page template.indd 1 1/30/24 10:34 AM
 An extra coat of SILLITIN Z 89
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