A leader in the paint and coatings industry throughout the Americas, Lanco Paints & Coatings (Blanco Group) is continuing its growth. The company, which is headquartered in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, has increased its manufacturing footprint from 10 sites to 13 sites. Meanwhile, Lanco continues to develop innovative new products in its core markets, which include architectural coatings, adhesives, roof coatings, industrial coatings, caulks and sealants, and wood coatings.

Francisco M. Viejo López, EVP of Lanco Manufacturing, Corp., noted that since beginning operations in 1978, Lanco Paints & Coatings' mission has been one of superior customer satisfaction centered on Lanco’s drive to produce the best quality products.

“Based on our founder’s creed, Lanco’s product line encompasses a wide array of applications ranging from architectural coatings and wood finishes to industrial adhesives and high-performance sealants,” said Viejo López. “After many years of hard work and dedication, this family-owned company has grown to an international enterprise with manufacturing facilities in the United States, the Caribbean, Central, and South America.

“Lanco has maintained its sense of purpose even though it remains one of the fastest-growing paint manufacturers in the world,” added Viejo López. “Lanco’s products can be found from the southernmost tip of Chile to northern Canada, giving millions of people the excellent choice of our entire product line.”

Viejo López observed that Lanco Paints & Coatings prides itself on its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, which allows the company to deliver consistently great products at the highest of quality standards.

“Our facilities conform to the highest ISO and safety standards, consistently praised in the industry for their technically advanced procedures as well as the pristine conditions in which we operate,” added Viejo López.

Most recently, Lanco has announced its aggressive expansion into the South American market with the construction of a manufacturing plant for paints, adhesives, sealants, and related products in Santiago, Chile.

Quiñones noted that the new factory, which is under construction with a production/distribution area of approximately 250,000 square feet, will transform Lanco’s efforts and presence in South America.

“The multinational Puerto Rican company’s slogan is ‘don’t stop,” said Viejo López. “The Chilean factory is also joined by a sister factory in the Caribbean, located in Kingston, Jamaica, which will open at the end of 2021, and serve the local market, as well as all of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). By 2022, Lanco plans to begin the construction of a manufacturing plant in Guatemala as well.”

“Lanco’s mission has always been one of complete customer satisfaction, focused on manufacturing only high-quality products, at the best price in the market,” noted Viejo López, executive vice president of Lanco Manufacturing, Corp. “We currently have an extensive range of products that exceeds 2,000 SKUs (products), and are distinguished as an innovative company that works tirelessly and does not conform.” He added that because Lanco always seeks to have a close relationship with all its clients and employees, a large part of the company’s success is due to this.

Regarding the current state of the construction industry in Puerto Rico, Lanco Manufacturing, Corp. is optimistic about continuous growth.

“There has been significant and accelerated growth in the construction industry, and a compelling interest and exponential demand for our products,” Viejo López noted, while adding that because Lanco is a believer in innovation and continuous development of new products.

Viejo López said that Lanco’s Dry-Coat line will grow, joining other popular products such as Dry-Coat Wall Primer (first hydrophobic acrylic for interior/exterior), Dry-Coat High Solids Primer (high solids sealer for concrete), Dry-Coat Elastomeric Crack Filler (100 percent acrylic and silicone elastomeric putty), and the Dry-Coat Super Stretch (plasticizer-free, high-elastic acrylic sealant, and adhesive). In addition, the company recently launched Dry-Coat Roof Sealer (quick-drying roof sealer), Dry-Coat Penetrating Surface Cleaner, CB-Crete (latex and synthetic rubber additive to reinforce cement mixtures and their adhesion), and the Aquavar 3-1 Color Line (water-based wood varnish, stain, and sealer).

Regarding the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Viejo López sees these as times of great uncertainty and hard work, but with many opportunities for improvement, development, and growth.

“First of all, ensuring the safety and well-being of our customers, we have developed new tools that facilitate, among other things, the selection of colors and the purchase of our products. In our Color Expression by Lanco application, you can find a complete color palette, with thousands of options to choose from, which also allows you to upload an image of the space to be painted, and illustrates how the chosen colors will look, providing a benefit to customers when choosing their paint and color of preference,” he said. “It also provides a color identifier for existing colors and the opportunity to calculate the amount of paint needed for the space to be decorated and/or painted.”