PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) today announced the grand opening of PPG PAINTS™ stores in its global headquarters community of Pittsburgh.

PPG is renovating the 16 stores, which were acquired from two independent paint retailers in 2014, to dramatically enhance the customer experience with expanded store footprints, customer-friendly service counters, industry-leading color selection tools and colorful, well-lit interiors. Interior walls are branded with PPG’s signature blue and large colorful stripes that reflect the PPG Paints logo, which also appears on a fleet of 24 delivery vehicles that serve the Pittsburgh area. In-store representatives are available to provide painting professionals and do-it-yourself consumers with expert project and product guidance and personalized service. In addition to more than 30 lines of paint and stain products, the stores provide a selection of supplies and equipment such as brushes, paint applicators, spray equipment, caulk and patching materials.

“We are proud to serve PPG’s hometown with our newly renovated PPG Paints stores,” said Scott Sinetar, PPG vice president, architectural coatings, North America. “The rebranding of the stores raises PPG’s visibility in its communities.”

Each store includes a PPG Color Work Station, which offers tools to help customers choose the right colors for home painting projects. The work station’s 42-inch digital touchscreen enables users to virtually paint room images and share “painted” images via email with friends and family. The display showcases a palette of more than 2,000 available colors through large, designer-sized take-home color strips, coordinated palettes and magazine-like color cards to make color selection easier and more inspiring. In addition, the stores offer color consultation services with PPG designers.

The introduction of the new PPG Paints store brand in the Pittsburgh market is part of a national rollout of PPG Paints stores. PPG’s 635 company-owned stores across the U.S. will now operate under the PPG Paints brand name. PPG Paints stores is the second-largest paint store network in the U.S.

“The launch of the PPG Paints brand will enable us to focus our marketing investment in one brand that is recognized by professional audiences across the country,” said Tom Dougherty, PPG Architectural Coatings director of marketing. “We want all customers to know that, regardless of where or what their next project may be, they can count on a local PPG Paints store to help them get it done right.”

A marketing campaign running through the coming months positions PPG Paints stores as Pittsburgh’s new “Hometown Paint Stores.” The campaign utilizes radio, newspaper, digital ads, billboards and community sponsorships to get the word out. Also, the 16 Pittsburgh-area stores are offering a buy-one-get-one-free promotion through Aug. 1 for up to 10 free gallons of premium paint.

“The launch of PPG Paints stores provides us with the opportunity to strengthen the awareness and visibility of PPG as the leading paints supplier in our headquarters community,” said Bryan Iams, PPG vice president, corporate and government affairs.

Visit www.ppgpaints.com/store-locator to find PPG Paints stores in the Pittsburgh region.

About PPG Architectural Coatings
PPG Architectural Coatings, U.S. and Canada, is an industry leader in residential and commercial coatings, delivering the latest technologies and operational advancements through its strong portfolio of brands. It is a business of PPG Industries, the world’s leading coatings company, and manufactures and sells interior and exterior paints, stains, caulks, repair products, adhesives and sealants for homeowners and professionals. Its distribution network includes more than 15,000 touchpoints through company-owned stores, independent dealer locations and all major home improvement centers across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit PPGAC.com.

PPG: BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE.®
PPG Industries' vision is to be the world’s leading coatings company by consistently delivering high-quality, innovative and sustainable solutions that customers trust to protect and beautify their products and surroundings. Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG provides added value to customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in more than 70 countries around the world. Reported net sales in 2014 were $15.4 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPGIndustries on Twitter.

Bringing innovation to the surface is a registered trademark and PPG Paints is a trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

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