meet their demands for performance
and durability.
What are your thoughts on the effect the recession has had and continues to have on the
market?
Spillane: Benjamin Moore has experienced a strong response to our exterior
product lines. As we emerge from the
recession, employment numbers will
improve and with that increased consumer confidence. People will begin to
spend on normal life stage projects and
pent-up demand will drive sales; the
real estate market will gain momentum
and housing prices will begin to stabilize. While it will take some time, we are
confident that the economy is moving in
the right direction, albeit slowly.
What are the current trends and issues in the
market? What challenges does the market
Benjamin Moore’s Aura Exterior
face moving forward in the years to come?
Spillane: Although we are experienc-
ing gradual improvement, coatings
manufacturers are faced with raw
material shortages. With the signifi-
cant cutbacks initiated during the
recession by many home improve-
ment product suppliers in production
and inventories, as business increas-
es, there could be a strain to meet
growing customer demand.
What are the key issues with your customer channels—professional painter and
DIY—and how is your company addressing
those needs?
Spillane: Our independent channel is
strong and getting stronger across
North America. Our existing retailers continue to grow and we add
additional distribution every year.
What is Benjamin Moore’s latest technology being offered for exterior architectural
coatings market?
Spillane: Benjamin Moore is not just a
manufacturer of coatings. We also man-
NeverFade exterior paint receives MVP Award
APV Engineered Coatings’ NeverFade exterior paint was recently recognized for its technological
achievement by Building Products magazine.
NeverFade paint, warranted to last 15 years against fading, has been named a winner of the 2010 Most Valuable Product
(MVP) Awards presented by Building Products magazine. Manufactured by APV Engineered Coatings, NeverFade professional exterior paint is formulated with Kynar Aquatec polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to make it resistant to fading, algae,
fungus, stains and abrasions.
“While the residential construction industry sees hundreds of new product introductions each year, the MVP winners
stand apart for their thoughtful design, smart technologies or even pure wow factor,” said Jean Dimeo, editorial director for
Building Products and ebuild.com. “In a struggling economy, it’s innovations like these that can help contractors woo cus-
tomers, save time and money, and surpass the competition.”
APV Engineered Coatings worked with Arkema, Inc. to create NeverFade paint.
Kynar Aquatec is dispersed into the water-based formula for NeverFade paint, so
VOCs are drastically reduced, making NeverFade. The homopolymer in Kynar
Aquatec is a tough, engineered thermoplastic that offers a balance of properties.
As a result, NeverFade paint withstands harsh thermal, chemical and ultraviolet
environmental conditions. In essence, it resists abrasions, restricts the growth of
mold and mildew, and will not pick up dirt.
“We created this top-of-the-line exterior paint with ultraviolet blockers and
high quality pigments mixed with fluoropolymer resin to prevent against fad-
ing and chalking,” said David Venarge, chairman of APV Engineered Coatings.
“To show our confidence in this product, we provide an unprecedented 15-year
warranty against fading. In the unlikely event that someone is obliged to apply the warranty, we will provide the
replacement of the product and payment for job-related labor costs.”
Available nationwide for use on both residential and commercial projects, NeverFade may be applied to vinyl siding, PVC,
wood, aluminum siding, stucco, masonry and fiber cement surfaces. Since each paint order is custom made, NeverFade is
available in an unlimited number of colors.
