• Login
    • Join
  • FOLLOW:
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Research
    • Markets & Technologies
    • Raw Materials
    • Top Companies
    • Directories
    • Jobs
    • Events
    • Microsites
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Research
  • Markets & Technologies
  • Raw Materials
  • Top Companies
  • Directories
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Microsites
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Business Corner
    Editorial
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Editorial Guidelines
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    World Reports
    eBook
    Top Features
    CPMA Celebrates 100 Years of Leadership for the Color Pigments Industry

    Aerospace Coatings Market

    Energy Curing and Coil Coatings

    Lab/Testing Equipment Update

    High Performance and Special Effect Pigments
    Breaking News
    Online Exclusives
    Distributor News
    Financial News
    Paint & Coatings Manufacturer News
    People In the News
    Price Increases
    Product News
    Raw Materials & Equipment
    Video Bites
    Suppliers News
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    RPM to Announce Fiscal 2025 Fourth-Quarter and Year-End Results on July 24, 2025

    Nouryon Earns Awards from Texas Chemical Council and the Texas Chemistry Alliance

    Śnieżka Group Earns Higher Position in ESG Ranking

    SONGWON Appoints New Leader Business Unit Tin Intermediates / PVC

    Cabot Corporation Achieves Platinum Rating from EcoVadis
    Top Companies report
    Market Research
    White Papers / Tech Papers
    Technical Papers
    Product Spec Sheets
    World Reports
    Adhesives and Sealants
    Aerospace Coatings
    Architectural Coatings
    Automotive Coatings
    Automotive Refinish
    Business Operation
    Color Trends & Forecast
    Construction Chemicals
    Corrosion Control
    Industrial Coatings
    Laboratory Equipment
    Marine Coatings
    Market Trends & Forecast
    Powder Coatings
    Production Equipment
    Radcure Coatings
    Special Purpose Coatings
    Wood Coatings
    "Green" Coatings

    ROSS Introduces Custom Coaxial Mixer for Complex Formulations

    AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes, Solera to Enable Data-Driven Sustainability

    PPG Revitalizes School in France as Part of COLORFUL COMMUNITIES 10-year Celebration

    Jotun Joins RightShip’s Zero Harm Innovation Partners Program

    Tnemec Launches New Waterborne Epoxy Products
    Additives
    Binders
    Pigments
    Solvents

    Safic Alcan to Distribute Evonik Functional Silanes in Central Eastern Europe

    CPMA Celebrates 100 Years of Leadership for the Color Pigments Industry

    Orion S.A. Earns 10 Safety Awards from ICBA

    OXERRA Expands Augusta Facility to Enhance U.S. Distribution Capabilities

    Münzing Expands U.S. Operations with New Production Facility in South Carolina
    Company Capabilities
    Buyers Guide
    Distributor Guide
    Add New Company
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Shepherd Color Company, The

    Patcham USA

    WAB US Corp

    Vibrantz Technologies

    Evonik Corporation
    Industry Events
    Webinars
    Live From Show Event
    Top Events
    ABRAFATI SHOW 2025

    Paint Bangladesh 2025

    Paint Expo Eurasia

    CEPE Annual Conference

    Western Coatings Show
    Companies
    White Papers/Tech Papers
    Product Spec Sheets
    Equipment
    Literature/Brochures
    Videos
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Shepherd Color Company, The

    Patcham USA

    WAB US Corp

    Vibrantz Technologies

    Evonik Corporation
    • Magazine
      • Current / Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Business Corner
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Editorial Guidelines
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Directories
      • Buyers Guide
      • Distributor Guide
      • Corporate Capabilities
      • Trade Associations
      • Add Your Company
    • Markets & Technologies
      • Adhesives and Sealants
      • Aerospace Coatings
      • Architectural Coatings
      • Automotive Coatings
      • Automotive Refinish
      • Business Operation
      • Color Trends & Forecast
      • Construction Chemicals
      • Corrosion Control
      • Industrial Coatings
      • Laboratory Equipment
      • Marine Coatings
      • Market Trends & Forecast
      • Powder Coatings
      • Production Equipment
      • Radcure Coatings
      • Special Purpose Coatings
      • Wood Coatings
      • "Green" Coatings
    • Raw Materials
      • Additives
      • Binders
      • Pigments
      • Solvents
    • World Reports
      • Africa Report
      • China Report
      • India/Asia Pacific Report
      • Europe Report
      • Latin America Report
      • Market Research
      • Russian Report
    • Top Companies
    • Online Exclusives
    • Glossary
    • Slideshows
    • Experts Opinions
    • Blog
    • eBook
    • Infographics
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Whitepapers
    • Jobs
    • Microsites
      • Companies
      • White Papers/Tech Papers
      • Product Spec Sheets
      • Equipment
      • Literature/Brochures
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live From Show Event
      • Webinars
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Features

    In the Shop With DuPont Refinish Systems

    Coatings World spoke to Matt Robertson, global marketing director, DuPont Performance Coatings, Refinish Systems about the state of the refinish market including the impact of the recession as well as some of DuPont’s latest technology.

    Tim Wright10.05.10
    What is the current state of the auto refinish market on a global level as well as in the NAFTA, Western & Eastern European and ROW (rest of world) markets?

    Matt Robertson, global marketing director, DuPont Performance Coatings, Refinish Systems: The market in North America and Western Europe is bouncing back a little slower than we would have guessed in mid-2009. As opposed to a steady recovery to 2008 volume levels over two to three years, it now appears these markets have sought a new, lower volume level and will show only incremental growth in the immediate future. Of course, that growth picture is vastly different based on the segment you’re talking about. We see strength in the U.S. MSO segment as further consolidation happens, and increases in the economy sector as cost pressures force some work in that direction.

    It’s no secret that India and China continue to boom, both in premium and economy segments, so we see continued strong growth there. The China market is particularly dynamic with the rise in power of OEMs and buying groups and rapid growth of the economy segment. ROW we see as a mixed bag. Premium and economy segments in both Latin America and Eastern Europe should see better-than-GDP growth, as should developing Asian countries excluding China and India. In developed Asia, we are looking for a modest growth outlook.
        
    China is particularly dynamic for a few reasons. Extremely rapid growth of the car park in all segments is one. I’m not sure a few years ago I would have guessed that Porsche would sell more cars in China in 2012 than in Germany or that China would produce more passenger cars than the U.S. in such a short time.
        
    In addition, there is a huge number of domestic OEMs fighting to grow and, in some cases, sell internationally. There is also a huge push on the part of existing OEMs for central billing agreements with the multi-national paint suppliers.
        
    In China there is also a rapidly evolving insurance situation and a large number of local players, particularly in the economy segments.

    What are your thoughts on the effect the recession has had and continues to have on the market?


    Robertson: Clearly the recession has had a dramatic impact on our markets. Many of our leading indicators—miles driven, consumer confidence, claims frequency and the vehicle repair index—show lots of weakness. On the consumer side, many people decided to live with minor collision damage instead of triggering a deductible and getting their cars repaired. On the supplier side, shops, distributors and paint suppliers drew down inventories to generate more cash. I think this type of downturn makes a lot of people in our value chain hesitant to invest until they see signs of a strong recovery. We see it as a once in a decade chance to grow our share in targeted segments.  

    What are the current trends and issues in the market? What challenges does the market face moving forward in the years to come?

    Robertson: Their are several prevalent and impactful issues in the market such as overcapacity in developed markets. This means shops have to select those paint suppliers that will be great partners in helping them survive and thrive in their marketplace.
        
    Continued consolidation and rising strength of MSOs and mega-dealers in the U.S. is another trend as is the  continued demand on the part of body shops, globally, for paint and supporting systems that deliver greater productivity.
        
    VOC legislation in many nations  is driving a push to waterborne systems and continued pressure from OEMs, insurance companies and consumers is squeezing available margin space.
        
    Lastly, growing economy segments in developing markets are requiring business models beyond the traditional mixing machine/body shop model prevalent in premium segments. A potential barrier to growing business in these markets is the shortage of qualified, trained technicians.

    What are the key issues with your customers and how is your company addressing those needs?

    Robertson: Clearly everyone needs a paint system that is robust, reliable, productive and provides great color match. With shops under greater pressure for improved cost and throughput, there is an ever-increasing desire for paint that hides better and dries faster. In response we work hard to maintain our leadership in paint technology and feel like those companies whose next generation of waterborne paint “sprays like solvent” instead of taking a technological leap forward will be at a competitive disadvantage.
        
    Continuing to be seen as the premiere business partner for the body shop owner requires much more in addition to the best paint, so we focus a great deal of our effort on the non-paint pieces of our value proposition. The key is driving more business to our body shops, and then driving those cars through the body shop faster and more efficiently. This means heavy investment in our Performance Alliance network, insurance relationships, lean consulting, proprietary color systems and offerings uniquely tailored to serving the needs of specific segments. We believe we’ve got the best non-paint value proposition to the body shop to go with our world-class paint systems.   

    What is the latest technology being utilized in the market?

    Robertson: DuPont is a technology leader with over 35,000 patents—an average of about one every other day since our founding in 1802. So, we could constantly advance the state-of-the-art in advanced coatings technologies. But I don't think the wider auto refinish market is asking for nanotechnology or smart coatings, for example. They are asking for technology tha most cost-effectively allows the shop to bring in business and make repairs with a perfect color match.  So our latest technology innovations are tools to help connect the shop to insurance companies and tools that allow faster and better color match such as DuPont's Performance Services and best-in-class spectrophotometers and electronic color delivery systems.
        
    Our newest and most important product is our water based Cromax-Pro line.  It’s clearly the most productive waterborne on the market, providing better hiding and color match than any competitive offering, allowing for significantly better throughput times and greatly reduced energy consumption.  

    Are there any other developments on DuPont’s refinish front worth noting?


    Robertson: We are constantly on the lookout for ways to grow what is the largest and most successful refinish business in the world.  To that end, we continue to assess tactical acquisitions that expand our footprint either geographically or into an adjacent segment. One highlight for us is the opening of our new Coatings Technology Center.  We closed an outdated facility and have stood up our U.S. technology organization in a new state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar facility at DuPont’s Experimental Station, our worldwide technology headquarters. This is a major commitment to ensure our continued product and technology leadership in the industry and allows our scientists to leverage the knowledge of our wider technology organization that has continuously produced market-altering innovations.

    Side bar

    DuPont Performance Coatings Partners with The Body Shop


    DuPont Performance Coatings (DPC) has partnered with The Body Shop, which specializes in “lean” collision repair. The agreement between the parties covers the sharing of The Body Shop’s Star-Link Collision Repair System, a Kaizen centered “lean” business model that was developed by John Sweigart and Brad Sullivan over the past 12 years. The model is currently practiced in all of The Body Shop’s Pittsburgh and New Jersey locations, as well as in several other independent repair shops in the United States and Canada. DPC is partnering with The Body Shop to offer a refined version of the model to DPC body shops. The Body Shop operates a customer-focused group of collision repair centers with plans to continue rapid expansion over the coming years. Sweigart and Sullivan created the Star-Link Collision Repair Network, made up exclusively of repairers who are committed to genuine improvement through Kaizen. This group exists to promote to the customer a substantially better offering, and to work together through shared learning for the sake of a better collision repair industry, according to the company. DPC will offer courses at NACE, SEMA and other events featuring the learning from exposure to The Body Shop.
    Related Searches
    • Automotive Refinish
    • waterborne
    • voc
    Related Knowledge Center
    • Automotive Refinish
      Loading, Please Wait..
      Breaking News
      • RPM to Announce Fiscal 2025 Fourth-Quarter and Year-End Results on July 24, 2025
      • Nouryon Earns Awards from Texas Chemical Council and the Texas Chemistry Alliance
      • Śnieżka Group Earns Higher Position in ESG Ranking
      • SONGWON Appoints New Leader Business Unit Tin Intermediates / PVC
      • Cabot Corporation Achieves Platinum Rating from EcoVadis
      View Breaking News >
      CURRENT ISSUE

      May/June 2025

      • Aerospace Coatings Market
      • Energy Curing and Coil Coatings
      • Lab/Testing Equipment Update
      • High Performance and Special Effect Pigments
      • View More >

      Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
      You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms And Conditions
      • Contact Us

      follow us

      Subscribe

      Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

      Gattefossé Opens New Facilities in Mumbai, India
      TSI Group Unveils myHMB + Vitamin D Logo
      Indena to Showcase Metabolic, Brain Health Solutions at In-Vitality 2024

      Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

      RPM to Announce Fiscal 2025 Fourth-Quarter and Year-End Results on July 24, 2025
      Nouryon Earns Awards from Texas Chemical Council and the Texas Chemistry Alliance
      Śnieżka Group Earns Higher Position in ESG Ranking

      Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

      StimLabs's Umbilical Cord-Derived Wound Care Product Released in U.S.
      New Medical-Grade Bio-Based PVC Compounds Introduced
      Croívalve Reports 1st Tricuspid Coaptation Valve Implant in U.S. Feasibility Study

      Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

      Neurocrine Bioscience’s CRENESSITY Becomes Commercially Available in the U.S.
      Roche's Parkinson's Disease Drug Misses Primary Endpoint
      PTC Therapeutics Submits Vantiquinone NDA to FDA

      Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

      Weekly Recap: Coty Sells SKKN, Henkel Recall, Awards, & More
      Rare Beauty to Host Pop-Up Event with Sephora UK
      Cloud Haircare Expands to Walmart Stores Nationwide

      Latest Breaking News From Happi

      Cosmetify Names Nikkie de Jager the World’s Most Powerful Beauty Influencer
      Big Lips in the Small Wonder
      L’Oréal’s Bioprinted Skin & Dove’s Deodorant Launch

      Latest Breaking News From Ink World

      BCF Sponsors Parliamentary Event to Engage with Policymakers
      Weekly Recap: DIC Corporation, BASF, Toyo Printing Inks Top This Week’s Stories
      INX International Launches Innova Plus NCF Nitrocellulose-Free Inks

      Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

      Mexico's Flexopolis adds second Bobst flexo press
      Paramount Labels installs Rotatek Brava 450
      Esko teams with Bobst for smartGRAVURE System

      Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

      Harper Hygienics Introduces Microbiome Care Baby Wipes
      Drylock Technologies Offers Packaging Breakthrough
      Premier Care Industries Expands Manufacturing Operations

      Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

      David Thordarson Takes Charge of American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society
      UPM Biomedicals Launches FibGel Injectable Nanocellulose Hydrogel for Medical Devices
      ONWARD Medical Attracts €50 Million in Capital

      Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

      Weekly Recap: DuPont, SEMI, Sun Chemical Top This Week’s Stories
      ORNL’s 3D-Printed Metal Molds Poised to Accelerate US Auto Manufacturing
      SRI, NSIC are Catalyzing Corporate Innovation in Japan

      Copyright © 2025 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

      AD BLOCKER DETECTED

      Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
      Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


      FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login