Changes in our lifestyles and improvements in coatings innovation have led us to expect more from paint than just aesthetics. PPG Paints, a leading paint supplier to professional painters, facility managers and contractors, has seen customers’ needs shift from products solely for color and decorative purposes to products that provide added functionality, as well as the need for a partner that can service their account with the right product in the right place at the right time.

With decades of experience servicing pro customers, PPG has a unique perspective on the products and services pros need – now and in the future. John Salvadore, PPG Architectural Coatings product expert, offers his insights into the emerging product and service trends in the coatings space.


Coatings World: How long have you been in the architectural paint segment, and in particular the Pro part of the segment?

John Salvadore: I’ve worked in the architectural paint segment for over 20 years and have been with PPG’s Architectural Coatings business in the U.S. and Canada, for the past nine. In my current role as director of product management, I’m responsible for ensuring our products meet the needs of our customers now and in the future, and acutely familiar with all products in our PPG professional portfolio.


Coatings World: How has the architectural coatings field changed over the years?

John Salvadore: As customer values and lifestyles change, so do their purchasing preferences. Most recently, as a result of the pandemic and increasing economic inflation, among other factors, we’ve seen customer preferences shift away from architectural products that just provide aesthetic benefits to those that provide more functionality.

As technology advances it allows us – PPG as a company – to continuously innovate to meet the changing needs of the customer, most recently that of multifunctional products and more sustainable choices, and it also allows the industry to evolve with the rest of the world. For example, the coatings industry is a historically built on a traditional brick-and-mortar model but we’re seeing a digital evolution begin to take shape. PPG is modernizing alongside the industry through taking a unique approach to paint and service offering, digitally enabled fulfillment centers and updated delivery model.


Coatings World: What are the most important qualities – high-quality paints, services or anything else – that Pro customers are looking for from their paint supplier?

John Salvadore: Pro customers value quality of products as much as they value a reliable partner focused on helping them service their customers and grow their business, all in a cost- and time- efficient way. Pros have come to expect value-add services from their paint partners such as digital capabilities like online ordering, options for product delivery and pick-up, while continuing to rely on their relations with PPG representatives for product knowledge to help them select the best product for the job at hand.

PPG’s service options, like the newly revamped PPG Paints App, coupled with PPG’s more than 140 years of industry expertise, help to guarantee that Pros receive the right product, at the right place, at the right time. This service model positions PPG to be the trusted partner that professional painters are seeking.


Coatings World: Are you hearing more requests from your Pro customers regarding sustainable paints and coatings, and how can PPG help them with that requirement?

John Salvadore: Sustainability is at the forefront of many industries currently, given the critical moment that we’ve reached to slow the impacts of climate change. While some professional painters are seeking out sustainable products in certain regions of the world, such as Europe, there are other regions that are slower to adopt these offerings. Oftentimes, pros are influenced by architects, specifiers as well as their end-use customers, either residential or commercial, to use sustainable products.

PPG strives to be the first-choice partner to enable our customers’ sustainability ambitions. A core focus for the architectural coatings portfolio has included reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and transitioning to water-based paints, which have now become commonplace in the industry. PPG offers several zero- or low-VOC products, which assist architects, building owners, professional painters and consumers in selecting products that reduce the exposure of VOC in an indoor environment. We are increasingly looking for products that have a lower carbon emission footprint to support decarbonization across the value chain. These products also appeal to users, both professional and DIY, who are increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of the purchase and use of goods.

While the above is focused on minimizing the impact paints have on the environment, architectural coatings create much value when it comes to protecting and beautifying our homes and surroundings. More projects than ever are being driven by a firm desire to have a positive impact on people as well as the planet, and PPG has continued to advance innovations that promote circularity, improve the useful lifetime of an asset, or absorb emissions.


Coatings World: There is a lot of interest in coatings with multi-functional coatings. What are some of the properties that your Pro customers are being asked for by their customers?

John Salvadore: We’re certainly seeing a shift in customers’ preferences away from products that simply serve color and decorative purposes to products that provide added functionality. In other words, customers now expect paint to do more than look good. This shift has been so prominent that in the future, PPG expects more than a third of its sales to be related to products with multi-functional capabilities.

For example, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred an increased emphasis on the hygiene and sanitizing practices that commercial and residential spaces utilize to keep us safe. Because of this, we’re seeing more interest in products with antiviral and antibacterial properties to aid in providing an extra barrier from disease-causing agents in between regular cleanings. Economic inflationary pressure also heightens customer awareness of maintenance costs, possibly increasing interest in investing in premium products that may require less maintenance in the long-term.


Coatings World: Along those lines, what are some of the developments that PPG has launched or is working on that will help meet the needs for multi-functional coatings?

John Salvadore: PPG continues to evaluate how our products and innovations can meet increasing demands for multi-functional products. This is reflected in our continuously growing portfolio of coatings products which includes antimicrobial paint and more.

PPG COPPER ARMORTM is an innovative antimicrobial interior paint that combines all of the benefits of a premium paint, including excellent wash and wearability, with the provision of an extra barrier against germs, and is an example of one of our current multi-functional product offerings.

Copper Armor paint, powered by Corning® Guardiant® technology, is proven to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on painted surfaces, including SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, within two hours of exposure and for up to five years. In addition to its antimicrobial features, Copper Armor is mold and mildew resistant and can be tinted to more than 600 colors within the PPG palette.

Additionally, GLIDDEN® paint by PPG offers a surface temperature-limiting floor coatings product line featuring COOL SURFACE TECHNOLOGYTM, a unique formulation with the ability to limit surface temperatures by up to 20 percent. When coating surfaces such as concrete, wood patios, porches and pool decks, it can help protect bare feet and paws from burns.