Coatings World staff07.22.20
State of the coatings industry
The following response is from Michael H. McGarry, PPG chairman and CEO:
Our core focus continues to be on the health and safety or our employees, our customers and our communities. Currently, the global Coronavirus pandemic is affecting the coatings industry as a whole and PPG’s global businesses in many ways. Automotive production has stopped in many countries, the aerospace industry has been dramatically impacted, and vehicle traffic has been dramatically reduced, dampening demand for some of our products. On the other hand, some areas of the coatings industry have seen an increase in activity. Our packaging coatings business, which supplies coatings for containers for the food and beverage industries, is experiencing solid growth. PPG also supplies coatings products for the medical, electronics, and building supply industries, which are currently in high demand. Demand for our antimicrobial and biocidal coatings products are growing at a rapid rate as well, and we continue to actively seek opportunities to donate these products to assist with disease prevention.
During this uncertain time, we will continue to take proactive actions to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our industry as much as possible. As the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, PPG will continually review its business to ensure the company is positioned to meet the needs of our customers and conserve cash, while preparing to emerge a stronger company once more normal business conditions resume.
Given the breadth and urgent community needs resulting from the COVID crisis, PPG has also increased and accelerated our charitable contributions around the world. Recently, PPG and the PPG Foundation announced plans to contribute more than $1.5 million to organizations supporting immediate community relief efforts and emerging recovery needs amid the pandemic. We are also donating personal protective equipment, anti-bacterial coatings and other resources where help is needed. Our contributions will touch each major region we serve. We believe that even as we respond to difficult market and business conditions, it is vital to remain an active partner in our communities and help our most vulnerable neighbors at this critical time.
I could not be more proud of our employees around the world who have gone the extra time to help keep each other safe and healthy. Like so many, we are hopeful that, sooner rather than later, the worst will be behind us and we can soon begin to collectively focus on a brighter future.
Key trends in paints and coatings: Social distancing and digitization ushers in a new era of home improvement
The following response is from Devashish Saxena, PPG vice president and chief digital officer:
Now more than ever, the digital offerings of the paints and coatings industry are vital in order to continue serving our customers. As homeowners continue to shelter in place, home improvement projects have experienced a significant surge. Many consumers are hyper-aware of how their home makes them feel and it’s become increasingly important for them to create a space that reflects how they want to feel during an unsettling time. Readily armed with technology and a little more free time, DIYers have shifted how they purchase paint and other home improvement products.
According to a weekly DIY survey from Farnsworth that has been monitoring 1,000 consumers during the pandemic, 60% of respondents said they started a new home DIY project in the last week and home improvement purchases grew from 55% on March 23 to over 80% by April 13. The top product being searched for online is paint, up 700% from March 16 to April 5. Among DIY customers, PPG is seeing triple-digit percentage increases in digital sales, and our strategic move to online resources and a delivery model for architectural paint is being validated.
With this shift in consumer behavior, buying paint online is becoming more mainstream for many looking to make home improvements while sheltering in place. To help DIYers accomplish their projects, PPG is now offering free virtual color consultations in the U.S. This unique virtual solution allows PPG color experts to continue providing recommendations to DIYers, all from the comfort of their home. When submitting a request, customers are asked to provide details about their project, initial color preferences and photos of the space. Then through text, e-mail or FaceTime, PPG color experts provide color recommendations and details on how to order free color swatches from ppgpaints.com. Once a color is selected, customers can either schedule a no-contact delivery or curbside pickup option at PPG Paints stores, or order paint from www.homedepot.com.
To serve our professional customers, we’ve also launched “click and collect” online ordering and delivery platforms in a number of countries where PPG operates, including the U.S., France, the U.K., Cthe zech Republic and Poland. This expanded service has allowed our employees and pro painters to maintain social distancing and still access products they need for essential jobs.
In addition, in 2019 the company launched PPG Services in the U.S., a digitally-enabled service platform that makes it easy for national businesses with multiple commercial facilities across the U.S. to identify and connect with established professional painters, then manage and schedule general painting maintenance projects. With our customers looking for one cohesive solution to manage ongoing general painting maintenance across their multiple facilities with consistency and efficiency, PPG Services delivers a differentiated solutions for key customers. The system simplifies the paint purchase and project management process; provides painting firms with access to incremental work, enabling them to grow their business; and connects commercial customers with a marketplace of quality professional painters. The platform is intended for commercial businesses with multiple locations across a national footprint, such as commercial property managers for large retail, office and hospitality chains, and third-party facility management companies.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to research and development investments in new technologies and digital tools in order to serve our customers in impactful and efficient ways.
For more information on PPG go to their listing in our Top Companies Report.
The following response is from Michael H. McGarry, PPG chairman and CEO:
Our core focus continues to be on the health and safety or our employees, our customers and our communities. Currently, the global Coronavirus pandemic is affecting the coatings industry as a whole and PPG’s global businesses in many ways. Automotive production has stopped in many countries, the aerospace industry has been dramatically impacted, and vehicle traffic has been dramatically reduced, dampening demand for some of our products. On the other hand, some areas of the coatings industry have seen an increase in activity. Our packaging coatings business, which supplies coatings for containers for the food and beverage industries, is experiencing solid growth. PPG also supplies coatings products for the medical, electronics, and building supply industries, which are currently in high demand. Demand for our antimicrobial and biocidal coatings products are growing at a rapid rate as well, and we continue to actively seek opportunities to donate these products to assist with disease prevention.
During this uncertain time, we will continue to take proactive actions to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our industry as much as possible. As the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, PPG will continually review its business to ensure the company is positioned to meet the needs of our customers and conserve cash, while preparing to emerge a stronger company once more normal business conditions resume.
Given the breadth and urgent community needs resulting from the COVID crisis, PPG has also increased and accelerated our charitable contributions around the world. Recently, PPG and the PPG Foundation announced plans to contribute more than $1.5 million to organizations supporting immediate community relief efforts and emerging recovery needs amid the pandemic. We are also donating personal protective equipment, anti-bacterial coatings and other resources where help is needed. Our contributions will touch each major region we serve. We believe that even as we respond to difficult market and business conditions, it is vital to remain an active partner in our communities and help our most vulnerable neighbors at this critical time.
I could not be more proud of our employees around the world who have gone the extra time to help keep each other safe and healthy. Like so many, we are hopeful that, sooner rather than later, the worst will be behind us and we can soon begin to collectively focus on a brighter future.
Key trends in paints and coatings: Social distancing and digitization ushers in a new era of home improvement
The following response is from Devashish Saxena, PPG vice president and chief digital officer:
Now more than ever, the digital offerings of the paints and coatings industry are vital in order to continue serving our customers. As homeowners continue to shelter in place, home improvement projects have experienced a significant surge. Many consumers are hyper-aware of how their home makes them feel and it’s become increasingly important for them to create a space that reflects how they want to feel during an unsettling time. Readily armed with technology and a little more free time, DIYers have shifted how they purchase paint and other home improvement products.
According to a weekly DIY survey from Farnsworth that has been monitoring 1,000 consumers during the pandemic, 60% of respondents said they started a new home DIY project in the last week and home improvement purchases grew from 55% on March 23 to over 80% by April 13. The top product being searched for online is paint, up 700% from March 16 to April 5. Among DIY customers, PPG is seeing triple-digit percentage increases in digital sales, and our strategic move to online resources and a delivery model for architectural paint is being validated.
With this shift in consumer behavior, buying paint online is becoming more mainstream for many looking to make home improvements while sheltering in place. To help DIYers accomplish their projects, PPG is now offering free virtual color consultations in the U.S. This unique virtual solution allows PPG color experts to continue providing recommendations to DIYers, all from the comfort of their home. When submitting a request, customers are asked to provide details about their project, initial color preferences and photos of the space. Then through text, e-mail or FaceTime, PPG color experts provide color recommendations and details on how to order free color swatches from ppgpaints.com. Once a color is selected, customers can either schedule a no-contact delivery or curbside pickup option at PPG Paints stores, or order paint from www.homedepot.com.
To serve our professional customers, we’ve also launched “click and collect” online ordering and delivery platforms in a number of countries where PPG operates, including the U.S., France, the U.K., Cthe zech Republic and Poland. This expanded service has allowed our employees and pro painters to maintain social distancing and still access products they need for essential jobs.
In addition, in 2019 the company launched PPG Services in the U.S., a digitally-enabled service platform that makes it easy for national businesses with multiple commercial facilities across the U.S. to identify and connect with established professional painters, then manage and schedule general painting maintenance projects. With our customers looking for one cohesive solution to manage ongoing general painting maintenance across their multiple facilities with consistency and efficiency, PPG Services delivers a differentiated solutions for key customers. The system simplifies the paint purchase and project management process; provides painting firms with access to incremental work, enabling them to grow their business; and connects commercial customers with a marketplace of quality professional painters. The platform is intended for commercial businesses with multiple locations across a national footprint, such as commercial property managers for large retail, office and hospitality chains, and third-party facility management companies.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to research and development investments in new technologies and digital tools in order to serve our customers in impactful and efficient ways.
For more information on PPG go to their listing in our Top Companies Report.