1. Akzo Nobel nv

Amsterdam, the Netherlands
+31 20 502 7833
www.akzonobel.com

Chairman of the Board of Management: Ton Büchner

Coatings Sales: $13.6 billion (€10.5 billion)

AkzoNobel is the largest global coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. The company’s portfolio includes well-known brands such as International^®, Sikkens^®, Glidden^®, Dulux^®, Crown^®, Interpon^®, Levis^®, Coral^® and Sadolin^®.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, AkzoNobel is a Global Fortune 500 company and is consistently ranked as one of the leaders in the area of sustainability. The company has 55,000 employees and operations in more than 80 countries.

Parent company: AkzoNobel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Source:AkzoNobel Report 2011, press releases, company contact

Recent Acquisitions and Divestments: In October 2011, Akzo closed the acquisition of coatings manufacturer Schramm Holding AG, strengthening the company’s global position in specialty plastic coatings. In December 2011, the company acquired the coatings business of Korean SSCP, a Korean specialty plastics coatings company that has a strong position in the Korean mobile phone market and also supplies coatings to the wider consumer electronics industry.

Notes: Akzo entered into a partnership in China with Quangxi CAVA Titanium Industry Co. Ltd. to help ensure supply of titanium dioxide. Ton Büchner succeeded Hans Wijers as CEO on April 23 at the company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In March of this year, AkzoNobel, in collaboration with the American Chemical Society, launched the biennial AkzoNobel North America Science Award, created to recognize outstanding scientific contributions by an individual in the fields of chemistry and materials research conducted in the United States or Canada.

2. PPG Industries, Inc.

Pittsburgh
412/434.3131
www.ppg.com

Chairman/CEO: Charles E. Bunch

Coatings Sales (Net):Approx. $10.89 billion

PPG’s global coatings businesses comprise coatings for the aerospace, architectural, automotive OEM, automotive refinish, industrial, packaging, and protective and marine markets. The company serves customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets. PPG is the world’s leading manufacturer of transportation OEM and refinish coatings, as well as a technology leader in coatings for the wood-flooring industry and a leader in the supply of paints for consumer electronics.

In 2011, volume gains combined with improved selling prices, which significantly offset the impact of persistent raw materials cost inflation, to increase both sales and earnings in all three PPG coatings reporting segments. Full-year net sales increased about 12 percent year-over-year for both the company’s Industrial Coatings segment (automotive OEM, industrial and packaging coatings businesses), which saw sales of $4.2 million, and its Architectural Coatings – EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) segment, which had sales of $2.1 million. The Performance Coatings reporting segment (aerospace, architectural coatings – Americas and Asia-Pacific, automotive refinish, and protective and marine coatings businesses) reported full-year net sales of $4.6 million, up about 8 percent from 2010. Coatings represented about 73 percent of PPG’s 2011 total net sales of $14.9 billion.

Source: 2011 Annual Report, company Web site, company contact

Notes: :In June 2011, PPG acquired the business of Ducol Coatings South Africa (PTY) Ltd., based in Krugersdorp, South Africa, which began importing and distributing PPG’s automotive refinish products in 2003. PPG continues to use the Ducol brand, as well as Ducol Coatings’ former franchisee and distributor network in South Africa and surrounding African markets.

In the same month, PPG started operations at its first Chinese resin-production facility in Zhangjiagang. With initial production capacity of 27,000 metric tons per year, the plant supplies advanced resin products to PPG coatings plants in the region. Also in June, PPG launched a branding initiative – the first of its kind for the company – that showcases the ways PPG brings innovation, sustainability and color technologies to customers across many markets. The tagline BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE™ positions PPG as a “surfaces” company with capabilities to enhance customers’ surfaces.

In December 2011, PPG Chief Technology Officer Charles F. Kahle II announced that the company had undertaken a strategic initiative with multiple global suppliers to secure and enhance its supply of titanium dioxide, as well as add to the global supply of the raw material.

In January 2012, PPG completed two acquisitions: of Dyrup A/S, a Copenhagen, Denmark-based company that produces architectural coatings, in particular wood stains, and specialty products; and of the coatings businesses of Colpisa Colombiana de Pinturas and its affiliates, including Colpisa Ecuador, that make and distribute coatings for automotive OEM, automotive refinish and industrial customers in Colombia and Ecuador. With the Colpisa acquisition, PPG became the only major coatings supplier with a direct automotive OEM coatings manufacturing presence in Colombia.

3. Sherwin-Williams Co.

Cleveland 
216/566.2000
www.sherwin.com 

Chairman/CEO: Christopher M. Connor

Coatings Sales: Approx. $6.57 billion 

The Sherwin-Williams Co. is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and sale of coatings and related products to professional, industrial, commercial and retail customers primarily in North and South America. The company has four operating segments: Paint Stores Group, Consumer Group, Latin America Coatings Group and Global Group. Three of the four reportable operating segments achieved organic sales growth in 2011. Net sales for the Global Finishes Group increased 32.5 percent to $1.88 billion in 2011. Net sales for the Paint Stores Group increased 9.1 percent to $4.78 billion, and net sales for the Latin America Coatings Group increased 22.7 percent to $828.5 million. The company’s Consumer Group had a challenging year in 2011, due to a significant decrease in architectural paint business with one large retail customer. External net sales for the group decreased 1.8 percent to $1.27 billion. Consolidated net sales for the entire company increased by $989 million, or 12.7 percent, to $8.765 billion. It is estimated that between 70 to 75 percent of sales, or about $6.57 billion, represents coatings sales, with the remainder being related products, including wallcoverings, floor coverings and application supplies.

Sherwin-Williams has company-operated stores in all 50 states, Canada and some countries in Latin America. In 2011, the company opened 60 stores in new markets. The company’s store count in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean now stands at 3,450.

The company manufactures and sells coatings such as Dutch Boy^®, Pratt & Lambert^®, Martin-Senour^®, Dupli-Color^®, Krylon^®, Thompson’s^® and Minwax^®, plus private-label brands to independent dealers, mass merchandisers and home-improvement centers. Sherwin-Williams produces coatings for OEMs in a number of industries and special-purpose coatings for the automotive-aftermarket, industrial-maintenance and traffic-paint markets. 

Source: 2011 Annual Report, company Web site, press releases   

Notes:In July 2011, the company acquired Leighs Paints, a manufacturer of a comprehensive line of intumescent passive fire protection products for the hydrocarbon market. The acquisition significantly enhances the product portfolio of the company’s Protective & Marine business.

4. DuPont Performance Coatings

Wilmington, DE
302/774.1000
www.dupont.com

Chairman/CEO: Ellen J. Kullman

President: John McCool

Coatings Sales: $4.3 billion

DuPont Performance Coatings includes its core markets of automotive, collision-repair and industrial coatings. The company offers high-performance liquid and powder coatings for motor vehicle OEMs and after-market uses, and general industrial applications such as coatings for heavy equipment, pipes, appliances and electrical insulation. The company also offers high-performance specialty products. After-market coatings products are marketed using the DuPont™ Standox^®, Spies Hecker^®, Cromax Pro^® and Nason^® brand names. Standox, Spies Hecker and Cromax Pro are focused on the high-end motor vehicle after markets, while Nason is primarily focused on economy coating applications.

Sales of $4.3 billion were up 12 percent in 2011 when compared to the prior year, reflecting a two percent higher volume and a 10 percent increase in selling prices. Performance Coatings segment sales outside the United States accounted for 75 percent of the segment’s total sales in 2011.

Parent Company: DuPont

Source: Dupont 2011 Annual Report, company Web site

5. The Valspar Corp.

Minneapolis
612/851.7000
www.valspar.com

CEO: Gary E. Hendrickson

Coatings Sales: $3.70 billion

Valspar experienced a total sales increase of approximately 24 percent in 2011. The company operates its coatings-related businesses in two reportable segments: Paints and Coatings. Sales in the Paints segment increased 37 percent (2011 revenue of $1,612 million) and 15.3 percent in the Coatings segment (2011 revenue of $2,092 million) for total coatings sales of $3,704 million. The company’s various acquisitions and joint ventures over the past several years have increased revenues from foreign subsidiaries and operations, which comprised approximately 48 percent of total revenues in fiscal 2011. Sales from foreign operations as a percent of consolidated sales increased in 2011 compared to 2010. 

Source: 2011 Annual Report, company Web site

Notes: In February 2011, Valspar announced the acquisition of Brazilian company Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda., a manufacturer of powder coatings used in the appliance, building products, transportation and other general industrial markets. 

6. BASF Coatings

Münster, Germany
+0049 25 01 140
www.basf-coatings.com

CEO/President: Raimar Jahn

Coatings Sales: $3.6 billion (€2.800 billion)  

BASF Coatings GmbH is part of the BASF Group’s internationally operating Coatings Division. BASF Coatings develops, produces and markets a range of automotive OEM coatings, automotive refinishes, industrial coatings and decorative paints. BASF’s architectural coatings activities are based in Europe and South America. The company has been the market leader in Brazil for many years under the Suvinil brand. Coating sales increased 8.7 percent compared to 2010. 

Parent Company: BASF SE

Source: Company contact, press releases, company web site

Notes: In September 2011, BASF Coatings was honored with a design award for XFine®, its unique automotive color innovation. The German Design Council selected the paint manufacturer as a winner of the 2011 Automotive Brand Contest, the first international brand and design competition for the automotive industry. In March 2011, BASF received the General Motors’ Supplier of the Year Award. The award has been given to BASF eight times in the last 10 years, recognizing the coatings supplier for excellence in the areas of quality, service, technology and price. In October 2011, BASF Coatings announced its intention to sell the decorative paints business of RELIUS COATINGS GmbH & Co. KG and the respective subsidiaries in France and the Netherlands.

The business encompasses decorative paints and plaster as well as coatings and glazing for construction applications. In 2012, BASF’s Coatings Division invested  €1 million in the construction of a new Application Center in Oldenburg, Germany. The center, which includes a spray booth for large objects, several work rooms, and a training and presentation room, will be used for applications in the wind energy sector, as well as for marine and aircraft coatings and a whole array of applications in diverse industrial segments.

7. Kansai Paint Co., Ltd.

Osaka, Japan
+81.6.6203 5531
www.kansai.co.jp

President:Yuzo Kawamori   

Coatings Sales: $2.85 billion for fiscal year ended March 31, 2011

Kansai Paint Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer of coatings used in Japan, Europe and the Americas, as well as China, India and other Asian countries. Core business areas include Automotive Coatings, Industrial Coatings, Decorative Coatings, and Marine and Protective Coatings. Product sales in the Automotive Coatings business area accounted for 42 percent of sales. The Industrial Coatings business area accounted for 29 percent of sales, the Decorative Coatings business area accounted for 20 percent of sales, and the Marine and Protective Coatings business area accounted for nine percent of sales. 

Source: Annual Report

Notes: In April 2011, the company acquired Freeworld Coatings Limited as a subsidiary. Freeworld Coatings manufactures and markets decorative, industrial and automotive coatings. Markets include South Africa and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

8. RPM International Inc.

Medina, OH
330/273.5090
www.rpminc.com 

Chairman/CEO/President: Frank C. Sullivan

Coatings Sales: $2.5 billion for fiscal year ended May 31, 2011

RPM is a holding company with subsidiaries that are world leaders in specialty coatings, sealants, building materials and related services serving both industrial and consumer markets. Industrial products include corrosion-control coatings, flooring coatings and specialty chemicals. Major industrial brands are Stonhard, Tremco, illbruck, Carboline, Flowcrete, Universal Sealants and Euco. RPM’s consumer products are used by professionals and do-it-yourselfers for home maintenance and improvement and by hobbyists. Consumer brands include Zinsser, Rust-Oleum, DAP, Varathane and Testors.

Subsidiaries::A/D Fire, Alteco Technik, API, Ascoat Contracting, Carboline, Chemtec Chemicals, Dane Color, DAP, DAP Canada, Ecoloc, Euclid Admixture, Euclid Chemical, Eucomex, FEMA, Fibergrate, Fibregrid, Flowcrete, Grupo P&V, Hummervoll, Increte Systems, Legend Brands, Mantrose-Haeuser, Martin Mathys, Modern Masters, New Parks, Paramount Technical, Productos Cave, Productos de DAP, Radiant Color, Republic Powdered Metals, RPM Building Solutions Group Europe, RPM/Belgium, Rust-Oleum, Rust-Oleum Argentina, Rust-Oleum Canada, Rust-Oleum Japan, Rust-Oleum Netherlands, Stonhard, Testor, Tor Coatings, Toxement, Tremco Barrier Solutions, Tremco illbruck, Tremco Inc., Universal Sealants, Vandex, Watco, Weatherproofing Technologies, Wolman and Zinsser.

Parent Company: RPM International Inc.

Source: Company contact, 2011 Annual Report, press releases

Notes: Recent transactions include the Performance Coatings Group’s acquisition of Italian flooring business API in August 2011, the RPM2 Group’s acquisition of U.S.-based restoration business Legend Brands in September 2011, the Performance Coatings Group’s acquisition of Spanish fire protection business Grupo P&V in October 2011, the Building Solution Group’s acquisition of German EIFS company FEMA in December 2011, and Rust-Oleum Group’s acquisition of Australian auto aftermarket coatings business HiChem Paint Technologies in April 2012.  

9. Nippon Paint Co.

Osaka, Japan
+81.6.64581111
www.nipponpaint.com

President: Kenji Sakai

Coatings Sales: $2.4 billion

Nippon Paint produces coatings for the automotive market, the marine coatings market, as well as industrial products. It also makes paints for residential and commercial buildings and for the do-it-yourself market. Nippon Paint’s manufacturing operations are located principally in Asia, but the company also has facilities in North America and Europe. In the United States, it has two subsidiaries that manufacture and sell paints: NB Coatings (liquid automotive coatings for plastic) and NPA Coatings (automotive body coatings and powder coatings). 

Source: Company contact 

9. RPM International Inc.

Medina, OH
330/273.5090
www.rpminc.com 

Chairman/CEO/President: Frank C. Sullivan

Coatings Sales: $2.3 billion for fiscal year ended May 31, 2010

RPM is a holding company with subsidiaries that are leaders in specialty coatings, sealants, building materials and related services serving both industrial and consumer markets. Industrial products include corrosion-control coatings, flooring coatings and specialty chemicals. Major industrial brands are Stonhard, Tremco, illbruck, Carboline, Flowcrete, Universal Sealants and Euco. RPM’s consumer products are used by professionals and do-it-yourselfers for home maintenance and improvement, boat repair and maintenance, and by hobbyists. Consumer brands include Zinsser, Rust-Oleum, DAP, Varathane and Testors.

Subsidiaries: A/D Fire, Alteco Technik, Ascoat Contracting, Carboline, Chemtec Chemicals, Dane Color, DAP, DAP Canada, Ecoloc, Euclid Admixture, Euclid Chemical, Eucomex, Fibergrate, Fibregrid, Flowcrete, Hummervoll, Increte Systems, Mantrose-Haeuser, Martin Mathys, Modern Masters, New Parks, Paramount Technical, Productos Cave, Productos de DAP, Radiant Color, Republic Powdered Metals, RPM Building Solutions Group Europe, RPM/Belgium, Rust-Oleum, Rust-Oleum Argentina, Rust-Oleum Canada, Rust-Oleum Japan, Rust-Oleum Netherlands, Stonhard, Testor, Tor Coatings, Toxement, Tremco Barrier Solutions, Tremco illbruck, Tremco Inc., Universal Sealants, Vandex, Watco, Weatherproofing Technologies, Wolman and Zinsser.

Parent Company: RPM International Inc.

Source: Company contact, 2010 Annual Report, press releases

Notes: Recent transactions include the Performance Coatings Group’s acquisition of Norwegian business Hummervoll Industribelegg AS in June 2010, the Building Solutions Group’s acquisition of Turkish distributor Park Dis Ticaret A.S. in September 2010, the Performance Coatings Group’s acquisition of UK-based Pipeline & Drainage Systems Ltd. in December 2010, and Euclid Chemical Co.’s acquisition of Georgia-based PSI Packaging Inc. in February 2011. 

10. Asian Paints Ltd.

Managing Director/CEO:P.M. Murty

Coatings Sales:$2.1 billion for sales ended March 31, 2012

Founded in 1942, Asian Paints is India’s largest paint company and ranked among the top-10 decorative coatings companies in the world. Asian Paints and its subsidiaries have operations in 17 countries across the world with 24 paint manufacturing facilities, serving consumers in 65 countries. Subsidiaries include Berger International, SCIB Paints – Egypt, Asian Paints, Apco Coatings and Taubmans.

Source: 2011 Annual Report, company Web site

Notes: In November 2010, Jotun Powder Coatings launched its first furniture powder coatings range, Era-Coat MDF, a brand of powder coatings especially created for designers and furniture makers.