Changes in our lifestyles, and improvements in coatings innovation have led us to expect more from paint than just aesthetics. PPG Paints, a leading paint supplier to professional painters, facility managers, and contractors, has seen customers’ needs shift from products solely for color and decorative purposes to products that provide added functionality, as well as the need for a partner that can service their account with the right product, in the right place, at the right time.

PCI recently interviewed John Salvadore, PPG Architectural Coatings product expert. He answered our questions on emerging product and service trends in the coatings space, such as pros’ desire for multifunctional paint, their interest in products that help meet sustainable standards, and more.

PCI: How have customers’ paint needs and expectations changed in recent years, and why?

Salvadore: The COVID-19 pandemic increased people’s expectations for all businesses they patron. From grocery stores to healthcare providers, digital capabilities and delivery options quickly went from value-added services to necessities. The pandemic, coupled with economic inflationary pressures, has caused people to demand more from their living spaces too, as the recent rise in cost of living has reinforced the need for multifunctional spaces.

Specific to the coatings industry, we’ve seen PPG customers’ needs shift from paint products that solely provide color and decorative properties to products that provide added functionality. In other words, customers now expect paint that does more than look good.

PCI: Can you discuss some examples of what multifunctional paints can do?

Salvadore: In the future, PPG expects more than a third of sales to be related to products with multifunctional capabilities. To meet this increasing demand, we offer a continuously growing portfolio of coatings products ranging from antimicrobial paint to surface cooling coatings, and more.

One such product offering is PPG COPPER ARMOR^TM, an innovative antimicrobial interior paint proven to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses within two hours of exposure with the painted surface for up to five years. The premium paint, powered by Corning® Guardiant® technology, leverages copper, a naturally occurring element, to help keep interior surfaces clean by providing a barrier against disease-causing agents including bacteria and viruses such as staphyloccus, MRSA, E. coli and SARS CoV-2, which causes coronavirus. Designed for high-traffic areas of commercial spaces and homes alike, Copper Armor’s mold- and mildew-resistant technology makes it ideally suited for any surface, even those prone to moisture, and its low-odor and zero-VOC formula helps to maintain air quality. 

The best part is that Copper Armor adds these benefits while still looking good aesthetically, as the paint provides the same excellent hide, durability, and premium application properties that customers have come to expect from PPG’s more than 140 years of experience, and can be tinted to more than 600 colors from the PPG paint palette.

PCI: How is the push for sustainability driving product development in the coatings industry?

Salvadore: On the whole, manufacturers are more in tune to the impact of their products across the value chain. Now more than ever, companies are placing emphasis on circularity, decarbonization, and renewable materials.

Product sustainability is an integral part of PPG’s sustainability strategy and has been for decades. We invest in sustainable solutions to solve our customers’ greatest challenges through new and existing innovations. We also work to support our customers’ sustainability aspirations through sustainable solutions, and minimize the environmental impacts associated with the application and use of our products. We’ve prioritized sustainability as part of new and existing product development, and we continually seek opportunities to support decarbonization, support circularity, and seek out renewable raw material sources.

PPG has a comprehensive assessment methodology that we use to evaluate our sustainably advantaged products. The process is informed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGS) and industry best practices, to designate which of our product lines are considered sustainably advantaged. In 2022, 39% of our total sales were from sustainably advantaged products. We have also worked throughout the year to incorporate sustainability into our research and development (R&D) innovation pipeline. Evaluating the benefits of our products at earlier stages in the R&D process helps us invest resources in those products that we feel will have the greatest impact for our sustainability goals and our customers’ goals.

PCI: What do professional painters prioritize when choosing paint and paint suppliers?

Salvadore: When it comes to selecting paint products and paint suppliers, the quality of products is just as important as the experience and reliability of the supplier. Pros want a supply partner that is cost- and time-efficient, and focused on helping them service their end customers and grow their business through offerings beyond just selling product.

To further demonstrate our commitment to being a trusted partner of the pro painter, we’ve developed the PPG Paints App to ensure that we are delivering the right product, to the right place, at the time.

Through the PPG Paints App, pros can place orders anytime, anywhere, 24/7. Among its key features, the app saves customers’ time by providing capabilities for quick re-orders from previous purchases and eliminating the need for an order history paper trail. Its search-enabled holistic view of PPG’s lineup of pro products, coupled with job-specific pricing structures, puts pros’ pricing and product preferences at their fingertips. And of course, the app offers the option to choose from delivery to jobsite or in-store pickup, to meet the pros where they are.