Manufacturers Roundtable Regional Player Perspective

By Cynthia Challener

The paint and coatings industry faces several critical issues today. Consolidation, rising raw material and energy prices, and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements impact the daily activities of suppli­ers a:nd manufacturers. Overall the :goal remains to provide high per­formance paints and coatings at an affordable cost-in essence to meet the needs of the end user, whether a consumer or professional painting contractor. Remaining competitive with the large national paint and coatings manufacturers has become a significant challenge for smaller regional producers over the past several years. The growing regula­tory pressures have become the pri­mary concern of these players in the paint and coatings marketplace.

Working closely with regulators on the one hand and customers on the other, as well as investing in innova­tive technologies, will be the keys to success, according to the companies participating in this roundtable dis­cussion. JCT CoatingsTech spoke with Anthony M. Ciepiel, president of The Flood Company; Jim Capitano, vice president of manu­facturing with Duron, Inc.; and Tim Bosveld, vice president of marketing for Dunn Edwards.