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The Coatings Alliance introduces European tinting system to North America Independent retailers were hearing mounting complaints. Their business was suffering from declining product quality as well as outright losing suppliers. Sources for the kind of unique, high quality products were scarce. When Greg Stebbe, owner of Walls Alive in Calgary, Alberta, lost yet another supplier to consolidation, he contacted Tom Hill, industry expert and former chief chemist for Pratt & Lambert. "I called Tom to see if he knew of another good supplier. When he asked if I had ever thought of making my own paint, I first thought he was crazy. But then it got me thinking that it might be possible," said Stebbe. Over the next months, Stebbe and Hill met with other retailers* to consider the launch of a new line of premium paints. In October 1998, they established The Coatings Alliance. The Coatings Alliance comprised a winning combination, Hill's wealth of coatings industry experience-from formulations to distribution to manufacturing, and the retailers frontline contact with designers, contractors and other customers. Based on market research, an understanding of the industry and the capabilities of the retailers, they created a unique business model and plan that made every retailer-member a part owner of the company with a significant role in determining the direction for the new paint, C2 Collections of Color. The top priority was to create a better paint formulation. Hill and the retailers decided on a sophisticated European tinting system, which contained more colorants and pigments than any other tinting system used in North America. With colorants high in strength, saturation and opacity, C2 would deliver the best hiding power in the industry. This meant less painting to achieve deep tones. The many colorants made C2 exceptionally light fast and fade-resistant, so the paint would look better longer. Resins and other highly refined compounds provided for a harder finish and added to C2's washability and scrub resistance. Certain C2 shades were formulated using 7 or 8 different pigments. The result-complex hues that change under different lighting conditions, colors imbued with subtle undertones that would change in daylight, shadow and evening lighting. The Coatings Alliance hired Jill Torrance of the Color Marketing Group** (see Color Palette enclosure), to develop the color palette. In December 2000, the C2 collection was launched with an original color palette of 496 distinct colors, available in interior and exterior paints, as well as oils and latex. C2 plans to update its color palette on a two-year basis, as compared to the 10 to 15 year schedule common among most major brands. Since its founding, The Coatings Alliance has grown to represent 40 members with a total of 61 storefronts in the US and Canada. In 2002, C2 sales were three times its 2001 numbers. In 2003, The Coatings Alliance doubled its membership, established dealers in new major urban markets, worked on expanding its C2 product line and began developing new colors for the C2 palette (due out in summer 2004). * Walls Alive/Calgary, AB; Randall's Paint/Ottawa, Ont.; Adler's Hardware/Providence, RI; Ellicott Paint/ Western NY and Northern PA; Waters and Brown/Salem, MA ** Founded in 1962, CMG is a not-for-profit, international Association of 1,700 Color Designers. The group provides a forum for the exchange of non-competitive information on all phases of color marketing: color trends and combinations, design influences, merchandising and sales, and education and industry contacts. << Return to the Press Room index | | ||
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