Pigments, Paints, Polymer Coatings, Lacquers, and Printing Inks

Introduction

Change is constant in the coatings market. As mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships take shape, consolidation and globalization remain prominent. The 80/20 rule (20% of the firms accounting for 80% of business) takes effect as the need for regulatory and environmental compliance continues to plague the market. In 1975, the United States alone supported about 2,000 coatings companies. Today, there are less than half that many.

The paint and coatings market garnered $70.6 billion in sales (Fig. 28.1) in 2000. The major participants included: Akzo Nobel Coatings BV (Sassenheim, The Netherlands); PPG Industries, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA); The Sherwin Williams Co. (Cleveland, OH); DuPont Performance Coatings (Wilmington, DE); ICI Paints (Berkshire, United Kingdom); BASF Coatings AG (Ludwigshafen, Germany); Sigma Coatings (SigmaKalon Group, BV); The Valspar Corporation (Minneapolis, MN); Nippon Paint Co., Ltd. (Kita-Ku, Osaka, Japan); and Kansai Paint Co. Ltd. (Chuo-Ku, Osaka,...