Coatings World - July 2010

Editor’s Page
Top Companies faced
challenging 2009

Once again, Coatings World brings the industry The Top Companies Report—the only truly global ranking of the top manufacturers of paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants.

Our editorial staff has spent long hours researching the industry to provide you with the most accurate ranking of paint and coatings manufacturers operating in the global industry.

Rankings are based on annual sales in U.S. dollars. For companies based outside the U.S., sales are translated into U.S. dollars using exchange rates from the company’s fiscal closing date. For privately-held companies, our staff interviews different industry sources to come up with an accurate estimate of annual sales. All told, we profiled 60 companies in this report. All have sales of

$100 million or more annually.

While revenues took a plunge, not much has changed in terms of who the key players in the industry are. AkzoNobel maintains its lead role followed by PPG. Most companies are still here, but have shifted positions. Rohm and Haas is the only company from last year’s report that is gone. It’s powder business is now part of AkzoNobel, the leading powder manufacturer in the world. As we went to press, Valspar announced it was acquiring Australia’s Wattyl, ranked 35th this year with sales of $302 million. The number 34 company, Freeworld Coatings, with sales of $326 million, could soon be taken over as well. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Our Top Companies Report is intended to provide our readers with a snapshot of the industry’s most influential players. We hope you will come away with a clearer insight into the future of this truly global and always evolving industry. Also be sure to check out the report at Coatings World.com for more in depth profiles of the Top Companies. If you are a paint, coatings, adhesives or sealants manufacturer with sales of $100 million for fiscal

2009 and would like to be included in our Top Companies Report, let me know and I will add your company to the online version. I look forward to hearing from you.