Paint & Coating Manufacturing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry make paints, varnishes, lacquers, enamels, and other coatings. Major companies include Axalta Coating Systems, Benjamin Moore, PPG, RPM International, and Sherwin-Williams (all based in the US), as well as Akzo Nobel (the Netherlands), Asian Paints (India), Kansai Paint (Japan), and the coatings operations of BASF (Germany).

The global paint and coating industry generates about $160 billion in annual revenue, according to the World Paint & Coatings Industry Association. The top paint and coating producing countries include the US, Germany, Japan, and India. The US paint and coating manufacturing industry includes about 1,100 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $28 billion.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by industrial production and construction spending. The profitability of individual companies depends on technological expertise and efficient production. Small companies can compete successfully with large ones because of the large number of paints and coatings used for a wide variety of applications, including decoration, water resistance, and corrosion resistance. The US industry is highly concentrated: the largest 50 companies account for about 80% of revenue.

Imports, which come largely from Canada, Germany, Japan, and Mexico, represent about 4% of the US paint and coatings market. Exports, which account for about 10% of US production, go mainly to Canada, Mexico, and China.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

House paints account for about 40% of US industry revenue; product finishes (for cars, furniture, etc.) ...