PITTSBURGH – In an effort to maximize its position to serve the professional customer, PPG Industries’ architectural coatings business announced a comprehensive pro brand strategy in the United States that will leverage its brand assets in three key channels of paint distribution. The strategy includes the rebranding of its U.S. company-owned paint stores, an expanded brand and product offering through independent paint dealers, and the expansion of a pro customer program at The Home Depot. The initiatives underscore PPG’s unique position as a company with a major presence in all three distribution channels capable of supplying to the professional contractor.

 “The professional customer represents approximately 60 percent of the paint purchased and applied in the United States and is an extremely important part of our business,” said Scott Sinetar, PPG Vice President, Architectural Coatings, North America. “We pride ourselves on being the best in the industry at meeting the needs of the pro, and this clarified brand alignment helps us demonstrate that position.”

Sinetar continued, “We want to effectively reach all types of professional customers regardless of where they live and where they want to buy their paint.” With more than 600 PPG company-owned paint stores, 5,000 independent dealer locations and 2,000 home center outlets, PPG offers more distribution options for the professional across the United States than any other paint manufacturer.

PPG Company-Owned Stores – Leveraging the Power of the PPG Brand

All 600+ U.S. PPG company-owned stores currently operating under the PPG PITTSBURGH PAINTS^®, PPG PORTER PAINTS^® and GLIDDEN PROFESSIONAL^® brands will be rebranded under a newly developed PPG^® Paints brand by the fall of 2014. “The new PPG Paints brand will enable us to leverage the equity of the PPG brand to establish one, unified store footprint from the Atlantic to the Pacific,” said Tom Dougherty, PPG Director of Pro Marketing, Architectural Coatings. “This will enable us to focus our marketing investment in one brand that is recognized by all pro audiences anywhere in the country. This is important, as many professional painters and project specifiers cross state and regional lines. We want them to know that regardless of where their next project may be, they can count on PPG Paints to be there to help them get it done.” Dougherty added that the PPG Paints brand will also be available for independent dealers that want to leverage the power of PPG to reach professional customers.

Independent Dealers – More Brands, More Products and More Opportunities than Ever Before

The 2013 acquisition of AkzoNobel’s North American decorative coatings business significantly enhanced PPG’s stable of brands available to serve the pro through the independent dealer network, and it made possible the creation of a new, dealer-exclusive brand that will combine the heritage of the PPG Pittsburgh Paints and DEVOE^® brands. The completely new PPG Pittsburgh Paints brand, which will launch in late 2014, will incorporate some of the best-known Devoe paint sub-brands under the PPG Pittsburgh Paints parent brand and be available to professional customers only through independent dealers. “The uniting of the strong equities of the PPG Pittsburgh Paints and Devoe Paints brands into this completely redesigned brand offers a powerful option to dealers who want to support a brand that will not be in company stores and home centers,” said Dougherty. “We’re really excited to be able to offer this option to our dealers as one of many in our portfolio.”

In addition to the soon to be re-launched PPG Paints and PPG Pittsburgh Paints brands, the other strong brand options from PPG for independent dealers include the PPG Porter Paints and GLIDDEN^® brands. Finally, a recent PPG acquisition of a minority equity stake in The Coatings Alliance enables the company to add the super-premium C2^® Paint brand to its industry-leading dealer portfolio.

“Simply put, the independent dealer is a critical component of our strategy to reach the professional customer, and we are really proud to be able to work with our dealers to offer many options,” said Dougherty.

Home Center – Expanding Options for the Pro

PPG and The Home Depot will work more closely together to grow pro paint sales through the world’s largest home center by leveraging the Glidden Professional brand. An expanded Glidden Professional product presence in stores will be supported with joint marketing and sales efforts to build the pro business with this key customer beginning in May.

“It’s truly an exciting time to be a part of PPG, a company that has a strong heritage in quality, durability, performance and serving the professional customer,” said Sinetar. “We are confident these strategic moves and brand enhancements put us in a position to serve the pro better than ever. Our well-respected brands and products, knowledgeable workforce and unmatched distribution opportunities are a good formula for success for us and our customers.”