Karen Parker

It is July and along with barbeques and fireworks, it’s time for PCI’s annual listing of the top 10 global and the top 25 North American coating companies.

Following is a ranking of the top global coatings manufacturers in 2011.

It has been a bumpy four years since I began following the top global and North American coatings companies.

Along with the challenges facing the coatings industry during the global economic downturn, coatings manufacturers have seen increased volatility in raw material prices, due in part to the rise in crude oil prices and geopolitical issues in some oil-producing countries.

This issue of PCI features the 19th annual ranking of the top coatings manufacturers in the world. Listed in the article are the Top 10 global leaders and the Top 25 North American companies. Sales numbers listed for each company reflect worldwide 2010 global coatings sales figures.

In some respects, the last half of 2008 and almost all of 2009 was a time when the world collectively held its breath, as we watched the global economy come to a sudden halt and teeter on the brink of serious disaster. The money supply literally froze as banks stopped lending. The U.S. housing market dropped precipitously. The American automotive industry, a mainstay of U.S. manufacturing, also wavered on the edge, with two of the Big Three automakers going into bankruptcy proceedings.

This issue of PCI features the 18th annual listing of the top coatings manufacturers in the world. Following is a ranking of the Top 10 global leaders and a listing of the Top 25 North American companies. Coatings sales listed for each company include worldwide 2009 global coatings sales figures.