Brian Carson, who has more than 30 years of experience in the building products industry, was just named CEO of the newly christened Pittsburgh Paints Company. This month, the company launched new branding as it seeks to retain the value of former parent company PPG’s good will, while forging a new identity as an independent company. APC interviewed Carson on new beginnings, the shifting tariff landscape, and what he wants to tell painting contractors.
You recently unveiled a new logo and tagline. What’s the hardest part about building a brand?
Our new logo was really a modern take on the ‘drippy p’ that was part of the business for decades and decades. It’s kind of a return back to our roots in a way. But you know, I like to say, we’re not 150 years old, but what we really are is 150 years young, because it’s a brand new business.
PPG is a wonderful business. But they’ve got a lot of different parts of that business. Pittsburgh Paints is now singularly focused on paints and coatings. When we get up every day, that’s what we’re focused on. And there’s a phenomenal opportunity to grow that. So obviously we’re getting the word out there on Pittsburgh Paints and the new logo.
But, you know, most of our customers are in the business of buying paint for a living. They know Pittsburgh Paints. They know Glidden. They know these brands, so we’re going to breathe new energy into it, but I think it’s an easy sell. There’s a lot of familiarity and a warm feeling towards the Pittsburgh Paints Company and the logo.
How do you plan to reach painting contractors?
Are they going to buy paint? They’re in the business of buying paint and either applying it or reselling it. So it’s not, ‘Are they going to?’ Of course they are. That’s their business.
The question is: How do we look at the world from their point of view, so when they’re choosing what paint they’re going to use to run their business, they choose more of us?
Some of that is related to innovation. Innovation can come in two forms: new features and benefits, and new price value. We want to make using Pittsburgh Paints more profitable for everybody in the channel. And you know there are opportunities also internally for us to run our business more efficiently, both in the manufacturing of paint and in the administration of running the business.
So, you know, I think we can be more efficient. I think we can use our brands better and differently, and I think we’re going to be bringing some new innovations to the market, and I think you’re going to be excited about it. And I think we can create more value for the folks that are in the business of buying paint for a living.
We’re in a strange time for economic policy right now. How are you navigating it?
Paint – and let me just say paint in general, versus other building products – is primarily produced in North America, for North America.
Now, Pittsburgh Paints is actually different in a number of ways. We’ve got a large plant in Canada. We’ve got a large plant just outside of Toronto. In fact, I was there earlier this week. So we produce most of what we sell in Canada in Canada, and most of what we sell in the United States, we make in the United States.
Right now we’re trying to see where the ball lands, but in paint, I think it’s going to be less than most other building products categories.
We’re coming up on the lucrative summer season for contractors, what should they expect?
I think the tariff uncertainty is just not helpful to anything anywhere. We’re expecting the second half of the year to be better than the first half of the year. And I don’t mean we’re going to get into an improvement just because we’re into the paint season. I believe, as we go forward, there’s going to be more clarity on tariffs.
You look at the demographics of North America, the populations of America and Canada. They are growing and as populations grow, you need more buildings. The ones that are there have to be maintained. Commercial and residential places aren’t getting any younger and the population is getting bigger.
Lower financing costs are going to go a long way to getting new homes. New single family construction, new multi-family, and actually new commercial is getting stronger. You know, I would say that’s going to improve as we go into next year.
But I think the backdrop is pent-up demand right now. Interest rates started to go down.
Now they’re kind of moving sideways. They’re still going to move down, so I think the backdrop is very constructive for the next two to three years. It’s an improving environment.
What would you like to say to painting contractors reading this?
You will see us be very nimble. We make 100 million gallons of paint a year. We’re not a small company here, but yet we are a small company. We’re nimble, we’re new. And we’ve got all the energy in the world to grow this business and take advantage of the opportunities that we see in the market.
