The industrial coatings industry has a deep and distinguished history in the United States. Dating back to the country's colonial days, America's first paint mill was established in 1700 by Bostonian entrepreneur Thomas Child. By the mid-1800s the industrial revolution had propelled the industry to new heights, cementing an integral piece of the American economy that is still with us, 300 years after Mr. Child set up shop. Following years of company acquisitions and consolidations, today's $17 billion coatings market is dominated by a few large players, with the top 10 companies representing about 77 percent of the U.S. market. Not only do we exist in a field of titans, the markets we serve are equally impressive, with roughly a third of the world's total economic output being derived from manufacturing industries. According to Paint & Coatings 2000: Review and Forecast, 14 major manufacturing industries depend on OEM coatings for their production. We are fundamentally linked to the automotive, machinery, appliances, paper, furniture and metal goods sectors.