Christine Esposito08.11.05
As in years past, architectural and decorative coatings manufacturers are optimistic about the future. They are rolling out new products and making improvements to their retail shops, all aimed at enticing customers to pick their products over the competition's. With mortgage rates hovering at historically low levels, housing starts and resale numbers remained positive in 2004, and many companies are predicting double-digit sales growth again in 2005.
But there's a major issue at hand: the rising cost, and in some cases, availability, of key materials.
Continued Growth in 2005
As a group, architectural and decorative paint manufacturers Coatings World spoke with were quite pleased by their 2004 performance. Firms large and small reported gains last year, and most are bullish about 2005.
"We have a strong year in terms of our total gallon sales going up," said Todd Braden, vice president of marketing at Portland, OR-based Rodda Paint, which merged with Cloverdale Paint of Surrey, B.C., Canada in the third quarter of 2004.
According to Braden, the full effects of the Cloverdale deal should bolster
But there's a major issue at hand: the rising cost, and in some cases, availability, of key materials.
Continued Growth in 2005
As a group, architectural and decorative paint manufacturers Coatings World spoke with were quite pleased by their 2004 performance. Firms large and small reported gains last year, and most are bullish about 2005.
"We have a strong year in terms of our total gallon sales going up," said Todd Braden, vice president of marketing at Portland, OR-based Rodda Paint, which merged with Cloverdale Paint of Surrey, B.C., Canada in the third quarter of 2004.
According to Braden, the full effects of the Cloverdale deal should bolster
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