Remember Paintzen? It’s back, and they’ve got big plans.

You may recall there was a fair bit of controversy around PPG’s ownership of Paintzen several years ago.

PPG bought Paintzen for a cool $75 million in 2018. The acquisition was touted as a way to simplify the customer experience and consolidate a fragmented market.

But the plan wasn’t well-received by some painters who felt PPG was acting as a middleman at best or competing with them at worst. In protest, some painting companies started dropping PPG as a supplier.

The paint retailer sold the platform to Arch Painting, a national painting contractor, in 2023.

Last week, Arch Painting formally announced its plans for Paintzen’s future and it’s nothing if not ambitious.

“The paint contracting services category is ripe for innovation that leverages the power of technology,” said Rich Kilgannon, President and CEO of Arch Painting. “Our decision to acquire Paintzen reflects our belief in the power of meeting customers where they function in their busy digital lives.”

Among the biggest announcements were two sectors of potential growth for the company: commercial painting and white labeling Paintzen’s app for major retailers.

Kilgannon clearly views his role as a disruptor bringing big tech efficiency to a line of business still rooted in tradition.

“This industry tends to function on proven principles,” said Kilgannon. “Unfortunately, for our competitors, this has translated to stagnancy and a lack of imagination as to the possibilities of technology.”

Kilgannon sees a future where an Uber of contracting provides customers the kind of smooth purchase experience offered by Amazon or Carvana.

“If people are willing to purchase a Tesla or book an expensive vacation using their phone apps, why won’t they follow the same practice in beautifying and improving the value of their real estate?” Kilgannon said. “We believe they will.”

This year, the company plans to integrate AI, satellite imagery, and potentially even drones into its tech stack.

While painting contractors blanched at Paintzen when it was under PPG ownership, Kilgannon said the platform will be open to them if they want to join.

“Working with Arch gives them the opportunity to benefit from Paintzen’s built in advantage,” Kilgannon said in an email to APC.

What do you think? Let us know what you think in the comments.