PPG Meets EU Coatings Market Challenges
For companies
with worldwide
operations, the
final stage of
market launches
can be more
difficult in Europe
than in North
America and Asia
Pacific.
by Sean Milmo
European Correspondent
milmocw@rodmanmedia.com
Pressure on the leading global coatings companies to keep up a stream of inno- vations has been increasing as the competition between them intensifies at a time of
growing consolidation at the top.
There is an even greater reliance on good
sources of ideas for new products and an effective system for filtering out the ones with the
most potential for commercial success.
For companies with worldwide opera-
tions, the final stage of market launches can
be more difficult in Europe than in North
America and Asia Pacific. Despite the exis-
tence of the European Union’s single market,
Europe remains a relatively fragmented market.
Variations between local market conditions
have to be taken into account when commer-
cializing new products and technologies.
For PPG, which claims to hold number one
global position in coatings with AkzoNobel,
Sherwin Williams, Valspar, Axalta and BASF
being the other worldwide leaders, the introduction of innovative products can be particularly challenging in Europe, especially in the
architectural sector.
The company pursues a marketing policy
in Europe based on its numerous local brands
now totalling around 30, the majority of
which are in architectural coatings. They
have been accumulated from a series of acquisitions, including those of SigmaKalon
and Johnstone’s.
The introduction of new products have to
match the strategies of local brands, although
some have an international presence, such as
Sigma, Johnstone’s and Seigneurie, which have
spread outside Europe, particularly into Africa.
