Company Description
PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE: PPG) is a global producer of paints, coatings and specialty products. According to company disclosures, PPG works to "protect and beautify the world" by developing and delivering paints, coatings and specialty products that customers have trusted for more than 140 years. The company is focused on coatings and specialty products and has expanded its coatings business over time, including through acquisitions such as Comex and selected Akzo Nobel assets.
PPG is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operates and innovates in more than 70 countries. The company’s products are sold to a wide variety of end users in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. Polygon data notes that PPG’s coatings reach automotive, aerospace, construction and industrial markets, and that less than half of its sales have come from North America in recent years, underscoring its international footprint.
Business focus and segments
PPG states that it is focused on coatings and specialty products. Its coatings are used across multiple applications, including architectural coatings, performance coatings and industrial coatings. In its financial reporting, PPG discusses a Global Architectural Coatings segment, a Performance Coatings segment and an Industrial Coatings segment, reflecting the breadth of its coatings portfolio across different end markets.
The company reports that it serves construction markets through architectural coatings and related products, consumer products markets through branded paints and coatings, and industrial and transportation markets through coatings for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), automotive refinish coatings, aerospace coatings, protective and marine coatings, packaging coatings, traffic solutions and other industrial coatings. PPG’s specialty products include filtration membranes and other specialty materials referenced in its news and product announcements.
Global reach and customer base
PPG emphasizes that it operates and innovates in more than 70 countries. Polygon data describes PPG as a global producer of coatings with a footprint in many regions around the globe and notes that less than half of sales have come from North America in recent years. The company’s own news releases state that it serves customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets, and that it collaborates closely with customers to solve their challenges.
In Europe, PPG’s Architectural Coatings business manufactures paints and stains for brands such as SIGMA COATINGS, HISTOR, DYRUP, GORI and BONDEX. These brands are produced at key manufacturing sites in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Søborg, Denmark, which have received REDCert² certification for the use of sustainable raw materials through a certified chain of custody. In Latin America, PPG operates PPG Comex and architectural coatings activities in Mexico, Central America and Brazil, going to market through the Comex concessionaires’ network and other distribution channels such as home centers, supermarkets and hardware stores.
Products, technologies and specialty offerings
PPG’s core offerings are paints and coatings, but the company also highlights specialty products and technologies. In its news releases, PPG describes technology-advantaged products in aerospace coatings, protective and marine coatings, packaging coatings, automotive OEM coatings and traffic solutions. The company also reports on automotive refinish coatings and architectural coatings across multiple regions.
Beyond coatings, PPG’s Specialty Products business includes high-performance microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for industrial water purification and treatment. The company has introduced an ultrafiltration antifouling membrane for difficult industrial wastewater applications, including oily waste and other contaminants. PPG states that these MF and UF membranes separate oil, grease and emulsified contaminants from industrial process water at higher throughputs than conventional membranes, with the goal of reducing the number of filters and floor space needed to recover water for reuse while improving cleanability and durability.
PPG also develops systems and equipment that support its coatings businesses. For example, in automotive refinish, the company has introduced the SEM MIX’N’SHAKE automated stirring system, marketed under the SEM brand in some regions and as PPG Mix’n’Shake in others. This system is part of the PPG LINQ digital ecosystem and complements the PPG MOONWALK automated mixing system, reflecting PPG’s efforts to use automation and digital integration in body shops.
Market presence and financial reporting
PPG’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PPG. The company also has various notes listed on the New York Stock Exchange, including 0.875% Notes due 2025, 1.400% Notes due 2027, 2.750% Notes due 2029 and 3.250% Notes due 2032, as indicated in its SEC filings. In an 8-K filing, PPG reported completing an offering of 4.375% Notes due 2031, issued under an existing indenture.
PPG regularly reports its financial results through quarterly earnings releases and associated 8-K filings. In its third quarter 2025 results, the company discussed net sales, segment income and segment EBITDA for its Global Architectural Coatings, Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings segments. It also commented on organic sales trends, sales volumes, selling prices and foreign currency impacts, as well as restructuring savings and capital allocation through share repurchases and dividends.
The company notes that it has delivered organic sales growth in areas such as aerospace coatings, protective and marine coatings, packaging coatings and automotive OEM coatings. It also reports on demand patterns in architectural coatings across regions, automotive refinish coatings, and industrial coatings, including packaging coatings and traffic solutions.
Sustainability and certifications
PPG highlights sustainability as part of its operations and product development. The company’s Architectural Coatings manufacturing sites in Amsterdam and Søborg have received REDCert² certification, which verifies the use of sustainable raw materials through a certified chain of custody using a mass balance approach. PPG states that this supports its broader goal of integrating sustainability and productivity into operations and its commitment to transparent manufacturing.
PPG’s Sigma EcoCollect initiative in the Netherlands enables professional painters to return plastic and metal packaging from Sigma Coatings and competitor products for recycling. Returned packaging is collected at Sigma Coatings points of sale and repurposed into new Sigma Coatings packaging, supporting a closed-loop recycling system. The initiative is linked to PPG’s TOMORROW INCLUDED concept, which aims to highlight sustainability advantages of many of its architectural products and support customers’ sustainability ambitions.
In its Sustainability Report, PPG reports progress against near-term 2030 sustainability targets, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and value chain and increased sales of sustainably advantaged products driven by customer demand.
Recognition and corporate governance
PPG has been included in the Wall Street Journal’s 250 Best-Managed Companies list, with the company noting that it earned a place on the list for two consecutive years. The ranking, developed by the Drucker Institute, evaluates companies on customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development, innovation, social responsibility and financial strength.
From a governance perspective, PPG’s board of directors oversees the company’s long-term strategy. SEC filings and news releases describe changes in board composition and senior leadership, including the election of a new director and planned retirements of senior executives. PPG’s 8-K filings under Item 5.02 provide details on departures and appointments of directors and certain officers, as well as compensatory arrangements.
Capital structure and debt instruments
PPG’s SEC filings describe various debt instruments issued under an indenture with The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., including multiple series of notes with different maturities and interest rates. The company’s 8-K filing dated November 3, 2025, details the issuance of 4.375% Notes due 2031, the related supplemental indenture and an underwriting agreement with several underwriters. The filing notes that the company may use net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which may include repayment of existing indebtedness, working capital, capital expenditures, investments in or loans to subsidiaries or joint ventures, or funding possible acquisitions.
Historical growth and acquisitions
Polygon data notes that PPG became the world’s largest producer of coatings after the purchase of selected Akzo Nobel assets. It also highlights the Comex acquisition as an example of PPG’s expansion into emerging regions. In its news releases, PPG references PPG Comex and its role in architectural coatings in Mexico, Central America and Brazil, indicating that this acquisition has been integrated into PPG’s broader coatings portfolio and regional strategy.
Use cases and end markets
PPG’s coatings and specialty products are used in multiple end markets. Polygon data and company communications indicate that automotive, aerospace, construction and industrial markets are key areas for PPG’s coatings. The company’s news releases further specify applications such as automotive OEM coatings, automotive refinish coatings, aerospace coatings, protective and marine coatings, packaging coatings, traffic solutions, architectural coatings, and industrial coatings for various substrates and environments.
PPG’s specialty filtration membranes are used in applications such as offshore and onshore oil-water separation, dry dock and in-water marine ship treatment, industrial process water and wastewater, automotive and industrial paint lines, and graywater treatment. These applications are described in PPG’s announcement of its ultrafiltration antifouling membrane and its broader MF and UF membrane portfolio.
Stock information and listings
PPG Industries, Inc. is incorporated in Pennsylvania and its common stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. SEC filings list the company’s common stock and several series of notes as registered securities on the New York Stock Exchange. A Form 25 filing dated November 3, 2025, relates to the removal from listing and registration of the company’s 0.875% Notes due 2025 on the New York Stock Exchange. This filing pertains to that specific class of notes and does not relate to the company’s common stock.