PPG has marked the completion of a $7.8 million investment at its Coatings Innovation Center
in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, 20 minutes from its global headquarters in
Pittsburgh.
The upgrades to the facility include
increased laboratory and testing space
and upgraded equipment that improves
the technical capabilities of the company’s primary research and development
facility for paint and coatings. The upgrades enhance PPG’s resources for creating and testing sealants, adhesives and
pretreatment solutions; for simulating
the environments where customers use
its automotive and industrial paints and
coatings; and for training distributors,
painters and collision-repair professionals to successfully use the company’s automotive refinish coatings.
“The PPG Coatings Innovation
Center continues to provide an elite re-
search and development environment
where PPG scientists can ensure our cus-
tomers have access to the most inventive
coatings solutions,” said David Bem, PPG
vice president, science and technology,
and chief technology officer-elect. “Many
times, the breakthroughs that help us to
deliver color, durability and functional-
ity in coatings for everything from cars
and trucks to consumer electronics and
heavy machinery begin at our Coatings
Innovation Center.”
Michael McGarry, PPG president and
CEO, said, “As PPG continues to expand
its paint and coatings portfolio, the com-
pany’s science and technology activities
become increasingly important for on-
going advancement to address our cus-
tomers’ changing needs. Because it is the
hub of our global research and develop-
ment activities, enhancing the Coatings
Innovation Center strengthens PPG’s
overall capabilities as well as its presence
in the Pittsburgh area – home to our glob-
al headquarters for more than 130 years.”
• The facility’s renovated coatings ap-
plication center provides two robot-
ic spray booths with environmental
controls for variable temperature,
humidity and airflow. The booths
enable PPG to replicate the manu-
facturing environments of customers
around the world to test the appli-
cation of automotive, industrial and
performance coatings products un-
der a wide range of conditions, such
as relative humidity ranging from 15
percent to 95 percent.
• Space has been converted to laboratories for synthesis, adhesives and
sealants, and pretreatment solutions
to accommodate increased staffing
and upgraded equipment that support PPG’s growing development
needs in these areas.
• A completely renovated, 9,000 sq. ft.
automotive refinish training center
now provides state-of-the art facilities, including two new spray booths,
a prep station, upgraded equipment
and two large classrooms where
body-shop and collision-repair professionals can learn about PPG products and application techniques.
BASF Opens New
Automotive Competence
Center in Houston
BASF recently opened a new Refinish
Competence Center in Houston, Texas.
The center includes the latest in virtual
and in-person training facilities, spray
booths and market-leading application
equipment to enable next generation
training for all job functions in the collision repair industry.
“We’re not only teaching the latest
painting techniques here in Houston,” said
Paul Whittleston, BASF vice president,
Automotive Refinish, North America.
“We now offer VisionPlus University and
Advanced Business Solutions classes to
help our customers drive more business
through their shops.”
“BASF continues to place a high prior-
ity on our presence in Houston and the
Gulf Coast market,” said Whittleston.
“At BASF we’ve harnessed the power
of a world-class talent pool and become
one of the region’s major employers. The
Refinish Competence Center is another
sign of our commitment to the area.”
“Our new training center brings us
closer to our customers in the Southwest,”
said Nick Maloof, BASF Automotive
Refinish Zone Manager. “The new facility can also support industry and networking events, for up to 50 people, to
enhance customer interactions. We also
look forward to hosting a variety of business groups and industry organizations in
our new facility.”
PPG Launches COLORFUL
COMMUNITIES Charitable
Giving Project in
Valenciennes, France
PPG Industries launched a COLORFUL
COMMUNITIES project in Valenciennes,
France, which will help to revitalize the
local university and its surroundings and
to create a “Plastic Landscape” exhibition
with the Department of Fine Arts. The
Colorful Communities initiative, which
started last year, provides PPG employee
volunteers and products along with fi-
nancial contributions to bring color and
vitality to communities where the compa-
ny operates around the world. It increases
PPG’s commitment to invest in communi-
ties by adding $10 million to support ef-
forts made during a 10-year period.
PPG Completes $7.8 Million Investment
at Global Paint and Coatings Research
and Development Hub
