PPG Industries

PPG Industries, Inc. is a big American company that makes paints, coatings, and special materials. It is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and works in more than 70 countries around the world. PPG is very important in its field and is part of the Fortune 500 list. It is the second largest company for coatings, after Sherwin-Williams.

The company's main office is in a special place called PPG Place in downtown Pittsburgh. This building is famous for its beautiful glass outside design made by the architect Philip Johnson. PPG makes many products that help protect and beautify cars, homes, and many other things we use every day.

History

19th century

Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company was started in 1883 by Captain John Baptiste Ford and John Pitcairn, Jr., in Creighton, Pennsylvania.

PPG quickly became known for making high-quality flat glass using a special process. It was also the first glass plant in the world to use natural gas to power its furnaces, which helped make this cleaner fuel more popular in industry.

By 1900, PPG had grown fast. It owned 10 factories, controlled 65 percent of the U.S. plate glass market, and was the nation’s second biggest paint maker. Today, as PPG Industries, it is a large company with factories all over the world, making coatings, glass, fiberglass, and chemicals.

Pitcairn helped lead PPG from the start. He was president from 1897 to 1905 and chairman of the board from 1894 until he passed away in 1916.

20th century

In 1928, PPG bought Ditzler Color Company, which made colors for cars and was founded in 1902 in Detroit.

On December 19, 1968, the company changed its name to PPG Industries, Inc., to show all the different things it made. In the mid-1980s, PPG bought a Spanish paint company called Cipisa and renamed it PPG Ibérica.

In 1990, PPG started Transitions Optical together with Essilor.

In October 2000, PPG agreed to buy Courtaulds Aerospace for $512.5 million. This business, based in Glendale, California, sold about $240 million worth of products each year. It made sealants in Glendale, California, and Shildon, England; coatings and sealants in Mojave, California; glazing sealants in Gloucester City, New Jersey; and coatings in Gonfreville, France. It also had 14 support centers in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

21st century

2000s

In 2006, PPG introduced a new pay system that caused big strikes at factories where workers were part of a union. This system gave lower pay and fewer benefits to people hired after the change compared to those hired before.

In 2007, PPG got in trouble for not telling people about a big drop in orders from two major auto glass customers.

Also in 2007, PPG bought Barloworld in Australia, which made paints under the Taubmans, Bristol, and White Knight brands.

On January 2, 2008, PPG bought the SigmaKalon Group for $3.2 billion, which greatly expanded its paint and special coatings business.

In 2008, PPG renamed its automotive glass division PGW (Pittsburgh Glass Works) and sold most of it to Kohlberg & Company. PPG kept 40% ownership until March 2016, when they sold the rest to LKQ Corporation.

2010s

In 2012, PPG bought Dyrup A/S, a company from Denmark founded in 1928, known for brands like Dyrup, GORI, and Bondex.

In April 2013, PPG finished buying AkzoNobel's North American architectural coatings business, which included brands like Glidden, Liquid Nails, and Flood. In 2013, PPG made $15.1 billion in sales.

On April 1, 2014, PPG sold Transitions Optical to Essilor, but kept its research center in Monroeville to help with development. On November 5, 2014, PPG bought Consorcio Comex, a Mexican company, for $2.3 billion.

In April 2015, PPG bought REVOCOAT, a company that makes sealants around the world. Chuck Bunch stayed as Executive Chairman, and Michael McGarry became President & CEO.

In July 2016, PPG sold its flat glass business to Vitro, a glass company based in Mexico, for $750 million.

In October 2016, PPG bought the naming rights to Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, and it became PPG Paints Arena.

In September 2017, PPG sold its remaining fiberglass business to Nippon Electric Glass for $541 million. This followed selling its European fiberglass business to the same company in 2016 and leaving two Asian fiberglass joint ventures.

Attempted acquisition of AkzoNobel

Main article: AkzoNobel

In March 2017, PPG tried to buy AkzoNobel for €20.9 billion, but AkzoNobel said no. PPG then offered €24.5 billion, but AkzoNobel still said no. Some shareholders wanted AkzoNobel to talk to PPG. In April, investor Elliott Investors asked AkzoNobel to remove its chairman, Antony Burgmans. Elliott and others had enough support to call a meeting about this.

AkzoNobel made plans to split its chemicals division and give shareholders extra money to try to stop PPG. PPG said their offer was better. In April, PPG increased its offer to $28.8 billion, but AkzoNobel still said no, saying the offer did not value the company right and could have legal problems. In early June, PPG decided to stop trying to buy AkzoNobel.

2020s

In 2020, PPG won an award for a new strong and flexible structural adhesive called PR 2930. In May 2021, PPG bought Wörwag, a German coating company.

On October 17, 2024, PPG said it would sell its architectural coatings business in the U.S. and Canada to American Industrial Partners for $550 million. Brands included in the sale are Glidden, Dulux (in Canada), Liquid Nails, Homax, Pittsburgh Paints and Stains, Flood, Sico, and Manor Hall. The sale also included 750 company-owned stores, 6,600 independent dealer stores, and shelf space in 8,100 retail and home improvement stores.

The sale to American Industrial Partners finished on December 2, 2024.

Financial record

PPG made a profit every year from 2013 to 2022.

Environmental record

In November 2010, PPG agreed to clean up a large amount of harmful materials from a former factory site in Jersey City, New Jersey. The company had used the site to process a special kind of material from 1954 to 1963.

PPG also received recognition for a project in Barberton, Ohio, where they used environmentally friendly methods to help restore a lake. This work was praised by the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to a book about Pittsburgh, PPG once disposed of harmful materials in a bayou near Lake Charles, Louisiana.

In sports

PPG has been involved in sports for many years. It was the main sponsor for the CART Indy car series from 1980 to 1997 and has worked with Team Penske in CART, IndyCar Series, and NASCAR Cup Series since 1984. Since 1994, PPG has sponsored the trophy for the Brickyard 400. PPG also works with Formula 1 racing teams, including a partnership with the Williams F1 Team since 2017. PPG is the main sponsor of John Force Racing and prepares all their cars' paints and decals before each NHRA race.

In 2016, The Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh changed its name to the PPG Paints Arena. Starting in 2024, PPG has been involved in snooker with a sponsorship deal for the Tour Championship. This partnership was extended to include the Triple Crown's Masters event until 2027 using its Johnstone's Paint brand. Another sub-brand, GORI, sponsors the German Masters from 2025 in Scandinavian countries.

Leadership

PPG Industries has had many leaders over the years. Some of the past presidents include Edward Ford, John Pitcairn Jr., and Joseph A. Neubauer.

The company also had several chairs of the board, such as John Pitcairn Jr., Clarence M. Brown, and Vincent A. Sarni. These leaders helped guide the company through different times and changes.