As the business phrase goes, “you have to be right before you can be fast, but you had really better be both.”

That expression rings true now more than ever—especially in the coatings industry—as coatings manufacturers battle against delays caused by supply chain woes, not to mention making sure the coating is of proper quality once it reaches the customer. With that in mind, a large focus of these coatings manufacturers is typically placed on developing relationships with large customers to land the next big account.

But what about small- to mid-sized customers? They are faced with the same supply chain disruptions and labor challenges as the larger corporations, but with fewer resources to accomplish their goals.

While small- to mid-sized businesses represent a large market, it is clear that this market is also underserved. This represents an opportunity for coatings manufacturers to be both “right” and “fast” to partner with these customers.

PPG Versolon solutions present the answer to this opportunity. As the newest name in coatings, our team of experts works alongside customers and we utilize effective distribution channels to deliver coatings and solve problems, making it easier to do business with us. Local representatives equip customers with personalized support, logistics management and delivery service to create valuable partnerships with these specialized industrial businesses.

The Need for Speed

PPG truly has a worldwide presence, and PPG Versolon experts are right down the street from local customers in the U.S. and Canada to support logistics and fast turnarounds.

For example, a job shop might get an order for a shade of blue that it needs to match. Thanks to personalized color-matching software and local distribution just down the road, they’re able to fill the order quickly.

This removes the risk of just-in-time inventory and can turn what could have been a multi-week lead time into a mere day or two. Leveraging our local distributor and dealer networks enables PPG to use tools like our point-of-sale color matching as well as local service in a wide range of applications ranging from agricultural and construction equipment to trailers, wheels and sheds.

A Right-Hand Resource

While the ability to expedite delivery times is beneficial, it’s ultimately important to have the right product applied correctly once it’s on site.

Whether it’s in the spray booths with the painters of these distinct companies and job shops, writing product specifications or providing hands-on training, PPG Versolon solutions provide the support needed to help do the job correctly. Throughput is critical to our customers—we are committed to making sure the right coating for the job is applied accurately by keeping a trained eye on opportunities to get the job from in-process to accounts receivable quicker and getting the next job or color onto the shop floor—and repeating the cycle!

Our technical service professionals travel to a customer’s facility to ensure they have the right products and understand how to make our coatings work in a unique environment. Training sessions can be conducted virtually or on-site through our local sales and support teams, our large network of distributors or PPG stores.

It’s this type of one-to-one service that helps build long-term relationships – the connections that are the foundation of a successful coatings process.

As more manufacturers become dependent on consistent product quality and availability of standard industrial colors, PPG Versolon solutions deliver a wide range of pre-formulated and in-demand colors for coatings applications in the technology you need, all while keeping projects on schedule.

Mike Cooney is product manager of PPG’s commercial coatings business. He has been with PPG for over 33 years, including 28 years in PPG’s technical department that culminated in managing the technical service and color matching teams.