Coatings World - February 2014

Kerry Pianoforte, Editor

Recovery in the housing market has had a positive ef- fect for both the professional and Do It Yourself (DIY) segments of the wood coatings market. Wood coatings manufacturers interviewed by Coatings World reported strong sales for 2013 and are optimistic for the future.

“Traditionally, many more deck care projects come from re-
modeling jobs or adding decks to existing homes versus new
home construction,” said Mike Kozlowski, director of market-
ing, Thompson’s Water Seal. “This helped keep our business
relatively stable during the worst of the economic downturn.
But there’s no doubt that an improved economy both makes
retailers and consumers more willing to expand, and we’ve def-
initely seen evidence of that in 2013. Barring any unforeseen
events, 2014 should be a growth year.”
“The recovery in the housing market has had a favorable im-
pact on our business,” agreed Bill Fiorillo, global market director
– kitchen cabinets and furniture at Sherwin-Williams. “Orders for
residential furniture, wood building products and kitchen cabinets
also increased for us in 2013, with some areas in the double digits.
Key markets include kitchen cabinets, contract furniture, residen-
tial furniture, architectural millwork and retain store ;xtures.”
Rust-Oleum continues to see strong sales in the wood coatings
market. “Consumer spending is growing as the economy contin-
ues to recover,” said Mark Wilgen, Rust-Oleum director. “The
Professional market has also stabilized and started to grow.”

“At the current time, homeowners are staying in their homes longer, and are investing more in the upkeep of their ;oors, decks, fences and siding,” Wilgen added. “Well maintained wood surfaces add to the value of the home and saves money in the long term. Homeowners will spend more to ensure the products they used to ;nish their wood surfaces not only look good, but will also last. They don’t want to invest time and money on a product that will only hold up for one season. They want a product that will beati;es while also protecting the surface for years to come.”