by Charles W. Thurston
Latin America Correspondent
thurstoncw@rodmanmedia.com
Since PPG purchased Comex last fall, the Mexican company has taken on a large role in the Latin American operations of
the parent. Michael McGarry, the president
and chief operating officer of PPG responds to
Coatings World questions about how integration of the company will play out:
Coatings World: How will the blend of PPG/
Comex products available in Mexico change
over the next year or two?
Michael McGarry: First and foremost, we’re
focused on continuing to deliver to customers
what they’ve come to expect from the Comex
business. Comex also has a stores network in
Central America. We look forward to growing
that segment of the overall stores network,
bringing the successful products from Mexico
into Central America and augmenting that with
our Glidden brand, which is the top brand in
Panama. The Glidden brand will be handled by
PPG-Comex in Central America.
Over time, we hope to continue growth in
Mexico and Latin America, across all our coatings segments. We currently supply automotive
coatings in the market and maintain a manufacturing facility in San Juan del Rio, Querétaro.
As we continue the integration of Comex, we
will look for opportunities to introduce products from other coatings segments, such as
protective and marine coatings, to ensure our
customers in Mexico have access to the best
possible product array.
CW: What plans do you have for changing
the store network in Mexico or the CentAm/
Carib region?
Since PPG’s
purchase of
Comex, the
Mexican company
has taken on a
large role in the
Latin American
operations of the
parent company.
PPG Consolidation of Comex:
Rife with Opportunity
