Perspectives on Paint and Coatings Research from Independent Laboratories

By Leo J. Procopio

In the paint and coatings industry,
a variety of external resources
are available to assist an organi-
zation when it finds itself missing
the necessary equipment, exper-
tise, or time to address needs and
opportunities.
Whether it is developing a new
technology, validating performance
of a new product, or investigating
how to participate in a new market
segment, even the largest of organi-
zations have the occasional need
for outside support. The external
resources available include busi-
ness and technical consultants,
toll and private label manufac-
turers, academic and government
institutions, and independent
laboratories.
Third-party, independent
commercial laboratories are like
other vendors in that they provide
a service or goods for payment but
are unique because their service
is supplementing the client’s own
research and development activi-
ties and capabilities through exper-
imental work.