Paint & Decorating Retailer November 2017

Success in Sun and Storms

PAINT DECORATING&

A Reason to Celebrate

For 70 years, the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association has provided the tools and resources independent paint retailers need. In this issue, celebrate with us as we look at how far the PDRA has come and the additional success it has yet to help you attain.

Sharing in Sherman Park

Members of a neighborhood in Milwaukee worked together to create an inspirational mural to help the community reflect on its challenges and rise above them. The collective art project was completed over the course of several days and now stands as a reminder of what cooperation and community can create.

Having a Ball at Paint Fair

While some might consider living and working in the Bahamas a retirement plan, for Lesley Davies-Baptista, it’s just continuing what her parents started. As a second-generation owner of Paint Fair, she and her team have developed the business into a strong competitor on the island through community involvement and training.

Payroll Portrait

As part of its alliance with the North American Retail Hardware Association, the PDRA recently participated in NRHA’s 2017 Employee Compensation Report This report can help you evaluate how your business compares to others in the industry and how you can ensure your compensation is fair and competitive.

Contents

Departments

6 Viewpoint

LeAnn Day discusses the power of education and training and looks ahead to the resources the PDRA will make available in 2018. Dan Tratensek sends his congratulations to the PDRA.

10 Industry News

Tower Sealants makes a mark with its new headquarters in Gainesville, Georgia.

16 Product News

Paint inside, outside and upside down with the latest from T-Rex® Tape.

20 Column: Association

Flanagan Paint & Supply vice president Jay Donnelly explores the value that the PDRA offers independent retailers.

58 Coverage

AkzoNobel opens a solar-powered facility; paint with AI; and more.

62 Industry Profile

Golden Paints makes an impression.

64 Calendar

Plan ahead to network in 2018.

66 Finish

Beige brings neutrality to Washington.

On the Cover

Lesley Davies-Baptista, owner of Paint Fair in Freeport, Grand Bahama, believes in empowering her employees so they can empower customers.

PAINT & DECORATING RETAILER (ISSN 1096-6927): Published monthly except December by the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association, 1401 Triad Center Drive, St. Peters, Missouri, 63376-7353. Phone: 800-737-0107. Subscription price, January through November issues, $33.00 in U.S., payable in advance. Canada add $10.00, and foreign countries add $16.00 to above charges. Single copy $5.50, except July issue $15.00. Periodicals postage paid at St. Peters, Missouri, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Paint & Decorating Retailer, 1401 Triad Center Drive, St. Peters, Missouri, 63376-7353. Returns (Canada): Return undeliverable magazines to P.O. Box 2600, Mississauga, Ontario L4T 0A8. PM# 41450540. Copyright © Paint & Decorating Retailers Association, 2017.

CHOOSING IS HARD, THE REST IS EASY.

Glass Bead Texture (Available in Regular and XL) Metallic Colors (Available in Gold, Pearl, Copper and Bronze)

Lifestyle Finishes 3 Foot Display includes product, dried product samples with holder, application tools, brochures, signage and shelf tags.

Classic to contemporary, Lifestyle Finishes™ from GOLDEN Paintworks offers the expression, individuality AND EASE your customers are looking for. These 16 new and exciting decorative finishes are:

•100% Acrylic with low odor. Soap and water clean-up.

•Tintable, for a full range of color options.

•Easy to apply. Each product offers many different looks.

•Supported with extras, including dried and wet samples, collateral, digital assets and one-on-one phone support.

One of the most important things we do is provide the tools you need to grow and differentiate your business.

Celebrating Education

Throughout the last year, I have asked members, suppliers, representatives and industry groups to tell me why they value the PDRA. The feedback I received was very clear: education. The primary initiative this year for the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association has been to launch new education tools. We have accomplished that in many ways, and we look forward to continuing on this path in 2018.

As part of our alliance with the North American Retail Hardware Association, we are launching a variety of training programs. Now available are the Train the Trainer Guide and Trainer’s Toolbox, two invaluable resources to help independent retailers develop internal training programs. Coming soon are the Project Pro Training Course and Basic Training Course in Selling Skills to further enhance your team’s skills in project knowledge and selling best practices.

In addition to training, the PDRA looks to diversify how you engage with your peers. One way is through research. This year, NRHA published the Employee Compensation Report, overviewed on Page 54. This was the first opportunity for independent paint and decorating retailers to participate in the data collection for this report. It provides a summary of your peers’ payroll costs to help you gauge your payroll spending or find new benefits to offer your employees.

Stay connected to the PDRA throughout 2018 at pdra.org , on Facebook (@PaintDecoratingRetailerMagazine) and in the pages of Paint & Decorating Retailer to be the first to know about new training and networking opportunities that will be available to you. We look forward to seeing you in your stores and at industry events, and we are already making plans for the 2018 PDRA Paint and Decorating Show at next year’s National Hardware Show ® in Las Vegas, May 8-10.

One of the most important things we do is provide the tools you need to grow and differentiate your business. We are very excited to bring you new resources that you need to compete in today’s ever-changing economy.

LeAnn Day leann@pdra.org

Back to the Future

Iam sure this happens to all of us, but every once in awhile, I’ll have a stark reminder of exactly how old I am. Recently, a friend of mine sent me a picture of his daughters dressed up for an ‘80s-themed dance. For these dances, girls dress up in neon colors and empty an entire can of hairspray on their bangs. What really struck me was that, when I was in high school, we went to ‘50s-themed dances.

We’d slick our hair back (yes, I had hair in high school), wear white T-shirts and rolled up blue jeans. To us, the 1950s was just a bygone era that was fun to imitate. Then, it dawned on me: For today’s high school kids, the 1980s are like the 1950s were to us—a bygone era.

Boom. I was struck with just how many years I have spent on this earth.

And what’s even more impressive is that after 70 years of serving the industry’s paint and decorating retailers, the PDRA is just as relevant today as it was when it first began.

But reaching a “more advanced” age shows that you have managed to not just survive X number of years, but you have learned from your journey. That’s why it is so impressive to see an organization like the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association hit a milestone anniversary like 70 years.

It almost seems unimaginable in today’s fast-paced corporate environment that an organization would have this kind of longevity. And what’s even more impressive is that after 70 years of serving the industry’s paint and decorating retailers, the PDRA is just as relevant today as it was when it first began.

What may be the most exciting thing about the PDRA hitting 70 years is that it’s a “young 70.” Today, possibly more than ever, the PDRA is focused on innovative programs and services to help its members without losing sight of what the next 70 years might bring.

And, with 70 years under its belt, the PDRA has seen everything from sock hops to Valley girls to whatever the kids are doing today.

Which makes you wonder, what kind of dances will kids be attending when the PDRA turns 100?

Dan Tratensek DanT@nrha.org

Publisher/Director of Sales

Dan Simon dan@pdra.org

Phone: 800-737-0107, Fax: 636-229-4750

Editor-in-Chief

Dan Tratensek dant@nrha.org

Contributing

EDITORIAL, DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Features Editor

Daulton Graeme Haase

Chad Husted Liz Lichtenberger Todd Taber Kelsey Truex Nancy Vondersaar

Production Director Jo Ann Ray jo@pdra.org

Circulation Manager/Directories Editor Lori Goad lori@prda.org

Director of Finance/Human Resources Renée Nolte renee@pdra.org

Association Coordinator Tina Sullivan tina@pdra.org

ADVERTISING

Account Executives

Richard Bright rbright@brightconcepts.net

Phone: 410-869-3253, Fax: 530-452-2266

Brandi Hemmer brandi@pdra.org

Phone: 636-680-2785, Fax: 636-229-4750

PDRA EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Executive Director LeAnn Day

OFFICERS

Craig Bond

President and Western Region Director

Tommy’s Paint Pot, Eugene, Oregon

Mike Fleck

Vice President/Treasurer and Eastern Region Director Fleck’s Paint Spot, Toms River, New Jersey

DIRECTORS

Robert Mueller Director at Large

Benjamin Moore Kelowna, Kelowna, B.C., Canada Jay Donnelly

Midwestern Region Director Flanagan Paint & Supply, St. Louis, Missouri

Lesley Davies-Baptista

Southern Region Director Paint Fair Ltd., Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas

PDRA ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Dori Marks, PPG Industries

Thomas Hill, The Coatings Alliance

Eugene Andreassi, Benjamin Moore

Joe Jankoski, Hunter Douglas

Bob Clemence, Hyde Tools

John Shingledecker, Allpro Corp.

Richard Russo, Reed Exhibitions

Mike Dube, Lancaster

Less time climbing

Over the past 25+ years, the Sherlock brand has earned its place on the top rung. Wooster achieved what is possibly the most respected name in extension poles because of engineering and features that are like no others: true secure lock, overall strength, and amazing resistance to corrosion, bending, and impact. Sherlock poles are so reliable, your ladders might feel a bit lonely.

Sherlock poles are available in paint stores, hardware stores, and home centers everywhere.

Extension Poles

On the Growth Path

Tower Sealants Expands Headquarters in Georgia

Gainesville, Georgia-based Tower Sealants, which manufactures caulking and sealing products, recently expanded its headquarters. The company had previously announced plans to grow its operations, modernize its current facility and further expand its product offerings.

“We are thrilled with our expansion in Gainesville and believe it further solidifies Tower Sealants’ robust contribution to our local and state economy, while securing our future in the region,” Tower Sealants executive vice president and general manager Dale Tomazin says. “Our new state-of-the-art production wing will inject more job opportunities into the community and allow us to deliver additional high-quality products to our customers.”

Some of Tower Sealants’ biggest customers include independent paint and decorating retailers.

“Our product offering and our people set us apart,” Tomazin says. “We’ve been able to expand within our market while adhering to the highest quality products and customer service that is a cornerstone of our business. With this expansion, we are now able to double our caulking and sealant output as well as continue to research the next generation of products to maintain our role as a market innovator.”

In addition to traditional caulking and sealants, Tower Sealants produces specialized sealants for mortar, stucco and concrete repair.

For more information about Tower Sealants and the expansion, visit mdteam.com

Premier Opens Facility in Mexico City

Premier Paint Roller Co. LLC recently opened a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Mexico City, the company’s first facility outside the U.S. Premier is one of the oldest family-owned paint applicator manufacturers in North America and will celebrate 50 years in 2018.

This new facility will expand Premier’s reach to continue offering its Latin American customers a full-service applicator source. Premier’s experience in manufacturing paint rollers and paintbrushes, combined with its knowledge of importing, will create advantages for the company’s customers throughout the Americas.

“The quality and experience of Premier will enable us to satisfy the needs of Mexico, as well as all of the Latin American markets,” says Abud Levy of Premier Paint Roller Mexico. “We are proud to be a part of this company, and we are confident that the experience will be a win-win for the customers as well.”

“The Leichter family is excited to have Abud Levy and his family join our management team leading the Mexico City operations,” says Kevin Leichter, CEO of Premier Paint Roller. “The two families complement each other in many ways. They are focused on quality, service and offer a ‘family touch’ to the way we go to market and treat our customers. We are very committed to growing our business on a global level.”

The facility is now open and the warehouse has already started shipping product throughout Mexico. In addition to Mexico City, Premier has offices in Portland, Oregon, Shanghai and New York City.

Premier Paint Roller Co.’s Global Presence

TRENDS

Pratt & Lambert, Dunn-Edwards, Sherwin-Williams Announce 2018 Colors of the Year

With the new year quickly approaching, paint manufacturers are busy identifying the upcoming color trends. Most recently, Pratt & Lambert, Dunn-Edwards and Sherwin-Williams announced their 2018 picks, and a rich, green-blue, jewel-inspired trend is emerging.

Pratt & Lambert’s shade for 2018 is called Heron, “a sophisticated, rich blue hue that offers luxurious serenity.”

The color choice is part of the company’s full 2018 color forecast, called “Beyond.”

“In our search for serenity in today’s dynamic and often hectic world, we found Heron, our 2018 Color of the Year,” says Ashley Banbury, senior designer at Pratt & Lambert Paints. “It offers calmness, tranquility and adaptability allowing it to transform an ordinary space into a sanctuary that truly showcases the power of color.”

According to the company, Heron complements “crisp whites, soft grays and metallics and can be paired with materials such as whitewashed wood, burlap, concrete, terracotta and glazed pottery.”

Dunn-Edwards’ pick for Color of the Year is The Green Hour, a dusky green hue that the company’s color expert and stylist Sara McLean says “has dual personalities of being moody, dramatic and intense, while still grounding and tranquil, acting as a neutral.”

McLean says she selected the color based on trends in green shades appearing in pop culture, fashion and world events over the past two years.

According to Dunn-Edwards, the name refers to the 19th- and 20th-century Parisian pastime of drinking absinthe, an anise-flavored green liquor, at the same time every day, which was called “l’heure verte,” or the green hour.

Not to be left out of the trend, Sherwin-Williams’ color selection for 2018 is a rich green-blue shade called Oceanside, which is part of the company’s “Unity” palette released earlier this year.

According to Sherwin-Williams, “Oceanside offers a sense of the familiar with a hint of the unknown, bridging between old and new, light and dark.”

Sue Wadden, director of color marketing for the company, says the color creates dimension in different light and “is a tremendously versatile color and harmonizes with other diverse color groups.”

Paint & Decorating Retailer will outline all 2018 Colors of the Year and the inspirations behind them in its annual color issue in January.

www.byk.com/instruments

This Tape Is Tough

Mounting Tape Ready for All Projects, Weather

Tape is as integral a part of the decorating industry as a hammer is to lumber. Yet adhesives are becoming more useful for designers and decorators than ever before. Tapes and adhesives can now stand in for more traditional mounting products and hardware, increasing the uses of tape in this category and allowing more options for professionals.

T-Rex® Tape is one of these options for adhesive application. Designed for small and large projects where adhesives are preferable to nails and other hardware, T-Rex Tape is formulated with durable, extra-thick, UV-resistant materials for maximum strength and hold time in all kinds of weather.

T-Rex Tape has three layers. Layer one is a polyethylene skin to repel harsh weather elements. The second layer is

made of heavy thread with a reinforced inner cloth. The third layer is a double adhesive made using co-extrusion technology. The adhesive is melted through the threads, bonding with the tape skin using heat and pressure.

T-Rex Tape is offered in a normal variety and also in clear repair tape, packaging tape and mounting tape. The permanent mounting tape works as a replacement for nails, screws, staples and glue. It adheres to metal, plastic, wood, glass, concrete, brick, tile and ceramic.

The mounting tape is offered in two weight classes. T-Rex Strong and Clear holds up to 30 pounds, while T-Rex Extreme Hold can handle up to 50 pounds.

For more information on T-Rex Tape, call 800-321-0253 or visit trextape.com

Mission-Style Windows

These mission-style windows are available in a 2-foot-by-2-foot size, allowing them to be grouped. Each window is constructed with a multichambered, heavy-duty vinyl frame in either white, tan, driftwood or bronze. The windows come in two installation options: nail fin or nail fin and J-Channel.

Hy-Lite

888-256-2599 or hy-lite.com

Paint Matcher

The MetaVue Benchtop Spectrophotometer is a noncontact imaging system for paint-matching formulation. It works with multiple textures and appearance effects on samples such as carpet, vinyl or fabric. It has an adjustable aperture, ranging from 2 to 12 millimeters. It also integrates with X-Rite ColorDesigner PLUS for formulation of accurate paint recipes and storage of custom paint recipes for repeat customers.

X-Rite

888-800-9580 or xrite.com/metavue

Nylon Paint Brush

Wooster Brush Company is reintroducing the 3-inch Miami paint brush with a new, sealed hardwood handle. The brushes are made of black nylon and work with all paints. Designed for indoor and outdoor use, the brush is constructed to work best with fast drying and low viscosity coatings.

Wooster Brush Company 800-392-7246 or woosterbrush.com

Stainless Steel Trowels

The Lightflex line of venetian stainless steel trowels is made with lighter wooden handles and a flexible 3/10-inch-thick blade. The trowels are designed to work with smooth lime putties, hybrid putties or gels. They come in several shapes to adapt to requirements, including standard trapezoidal, a smaller version for small frames or windows, an oval design for domes and curved surfaces and a pointed design.

CO.ME

info@come.it or come.it/en/home

Do you sell a product that your customers can’t get enough of? Let Paint & Decorating Retailer know about it! To submit a product that you would like to see featured in Product News, contact Chad Husted at chusted@nrha.org or 317-275-9402.

Roller Cover Cleaner

The Rocket uses pressurized water to clean painting roller covers within a chamber. The Rocket can be fed water from a utility sink or garden hose, and both a male and female aerator are included to give the user access to most sink faucets. It works with latex-based paints and products only. Green Leos 503-481-0673 or greenleos.com

NEWMODELS

Closet Storage System

Modular Closets allows users to customize their storage. Designs include ¾-inch plywood closet organizers and dovetail solid preassembled birchbox drawers. Items come with stainless steel drawer slides and aluminum hanging rods and brackets. Options include hanging, drawer and shelf units and multiple combinations. Modular Closets 844-969-4247 or modularclosets.com

Leading Technology at the Best Value

Multi-Use Paint Brush

The VersaBrush combines five painting tools into one. It serves as a can opener, hammer and brush holder and also features an interchangeable head design and extendable pole threads. The brush holder keeps the wet brush over the can of paint, while interchangeable brush heads allow users to swap out used brush heads. The VersaBrush by 1310 Ventures 254-716-0608 or versabrush.com

Sprayer Attachment

The Preval Sprayer is an aerosol-based system that allows users to use paint as sprayable material. The sprayer attaches to the included reservoir, which users can fill with the desired paint. It works with most water-, solvent- and oil-based paints as well as latex paints.

Preval 877-753-0021 or preval.com

Guest Column Association

The Starting Point

Retailers Gain Through the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association

Ihad to learn about independent paint retailing pretty quickly when I joined my dad’s business, Flanagan Paint & Supply, about six years ago.

My dad asked me to work for him on the retail side of the business shortly after I graduated college, and as an outside sales representative, he didn’t know the ins and outs of running a retail store, so I had to teach myself while on the job.

A resource I wish I had known about at the time was the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association. As the only trade organization representing independent paint and decorating retailers, the educational services and networking opportunities they offer are tuned in to what we as retailers need to thrive in today’s competitive environment.

The PDRA offers thorough online training programs, and their offerings will expand in 2018 as part of the association’s alliance with the North American Retail Hardware Association. These industry-specific programs, which include selling skills, customer service and coatings best practices, help new employees understand the basics of what it takes to sell paint. The programs also serve as a great refresher for employees who have been in the industry for a while, but could use a boost in selling and service.

At Flanagan, all of our new employees go through these programs so everyone is on the same page when they make it to the salesfloor.

In addition to educational offerings, the PDRA provides opportunities to connect with independent retailers throughout the industry. I make it a point to talk to about six members per week who are all doing something different with their businesses than I am.

In my opinion, the only stupid question is one that isn’t asked. I still find myself asking the simplest questions. I may have one answer to that question, but I’m always looking to find another one. I like finding out what may be working for someone else and what I can do differently. I’m constantly looking for different ideas, procedures and policies, and it’s a revolving door because I keep seeing ideas that are better than what I have.

Within the next year, my wish for the PDRA is for members and retailers to become louder about the challenges they see in the day to day and the questions they have. Our voice is a lot louder with an association behind it than as individuals.

If you’re interested in learning more about how the PDRA supports independent retailers, I encourage you to reach out to a PDRA board member to find out why they got involved and how the association has helped them.

Reach out to the association, too, to tell them about your challenges so they can be better equipped to help you succeed. Whether your challenges are with succession planning, cash flow management or even challenges with vendors, please give the PDRA a ring and let them know how they can help you.

I appreciate what the PDRA does for the independent paint and decorating retailing industry, and the opportunities it presents are just the beginning of what could be.

Jay Donnelly

is the vice president of sales at Flanagan Paint & Supply, which has two locations in the St. Louis area. To learn more about his business and how the PDRA has helped him, you can contact Jay at jay@flanaganpaint.com

The Big Picture

A Neighborhood Tells Its Story

Residents in the Sherman Park area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have a painting they can call their own.

Local artist Tia Richardson led the design, but the process started with two creative workshops where community members met to discuss how they are working to transform their neighborhood in light of the many issues facing it.

Richardson represented those ideas in her design of the mural, titled “Sherman Park Rising.” Several community painting days throughout the summer gave everyone a chance to contribute to the piece of artwork.

In a community that has seen violence and unrest, the mural was a way for residents to represent regeneration and transformation, while celebrating their hopes for the future.

A Lifelong Commitment

The PDRA Shines Through 70 Years of Education and Opportunity

The Drawdown

26 30 38 42

The History of the PDRA

Read about the association’s roots and see how it has grown over the past 70 years .

The PDRA Member Benefits

From training resources to signage solutions, the PDRA offers opportunities to everyone.

Making Industry Connections

The value the PDRA provides to the paint retailing industry is through its relationships.

The PDRA Through the Years

Start at the beginning, in 1947, and follow the PDRA on a timeline of its achievements.

When a couple reaches various milestones throughout their marriage, there are traditional gifts to give. In the first year, it’s paper, and five years earns the couple a gift made of wood.

After reaching a quarter-century of marriage, which earns a silver gift, achievements are no longer counted by the single year, but by every five years. As each half-decade is counted, the gifts become more representative of the commitment and attention a lifelong relationship requires.

This year, the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association has reached a pinnacle milestone: its 70th anniversary, which earns a gift of platinum.

As a metal, platinum is highly resistant to corrosion and is stable under high temperatures, but it is also malleable. These qualities are present in the PDRA as well, which has remained the preeminent trade association representing independent paint and decorating retailers across North America since 1947. The association has withstood the test of time, serving retailers through 13 U.S. presidential administrations (and counting), about 10 economic recessions and advancements in technology that were once only imagined in science fiction novels.

In this Special Section of Paint & Decorating Retailer, we look back at how the PDRA got its start, the value the association brings to its members today through education and networking opportunities and how it is planning ahead to draw from its past to meet the challenges and celebrate the successes independent retailers will see in the future.

PDRA Looks Back on 70 Years of Service

Mission to Connect and Educate Retailers Remains

On May 18, 1947, independent paint and decorating retailers gained a dependable advocate. On that day, retailers from Chicago and New York City joined together to form a national organization to serve its members’ interests.

Originally formed under the banner of Retail Paint and Wallpaper Distributors of America, the association’s mission has remained the same across seven decades, even as trends changed and paint technology advanced.

“Our mission is to educate and support independent paint and decorating retailers,” Dan Simon, executive vice president for what is today called the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association, says. “When it started, the association focused on teaching members how to market their stores. Today, the education aspect focuses on how to run a business by offering best practices advice and insight into technology.”

In November 1947, the association was officially formed, and Ed Koretz was elected as its first president.

Special Section: 70 Years of the PDRA

The first leaders of the association believed that retailers were the only segment of the paint industry that did not have a unified national presence. If united, retailers could learn from one another to best serve their customers and communicate directly with manufacturers.

“Our branch of the industry will not make the progress which is its due unless we are in full accord with each other We must achieve that unity of purpose if we are to take our rightful place in the industry in which we play so vital a part. This can only be done through a strong, national group such as this one,” Lee Schroeder, the organization’s first treasurer, wrote.

“Robert Petit was a huge influence on the association then and his legacy still is to this day.”

—Dan Simon, executive vice president, Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine

The association soon recognized the importance of trade shows as a chance to gather separate sections of the paint and decorating industry to network and share best practices for finances and customer service that worked in their operations.

“In the beginning, the main challenge was working closely with manufacturers. The relationship we have now that is so valuable didn’t exist then,” Simon says. “The group was able to bring different industry players together through trade shows, roundtables and discussions. Today, manufacturers do so much for retailers and that’s great to see.”

As the years passed and the association expanded to include more members, it changed its name to the Paint and Wallpaper Association of America in 1962. That same year, Robert Petit was hired as the association’s executive vice president. Petit increased trade show attendance, secured health insurance for retailers, and in 1964, Petit launched Decorating Retailer, the magazine that would eventually become Paint & Decorating Retailer

“Robert Petit was a great guy,” Simon says. “We kept in touch throughout the years, and he was a huge influence on the association then and his legacy still is to this day.”

The magazine continued the association’s focus on educating its members, according to Simon. In the 1970s, educational seminars happened more frequently, and educational films and booklets were produced to give members the latest insights into running a successful operation.

The 1990s were a time of transition for the organization as it changed its name to the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association and the magazine became Paint & Decorating Retailer , the resource business owners across North America know today.

In 2014, the magazine celebrated 50 years of publication, and in 2016, the consumer paint and decorating special interest publication QUARTERS was launched. In 2017, the PDRA announced its alliance with the North American Retail Hardware Association to increase support to its independent retailers.

(Read more about the alliance and its impact on independent paint and decorating retailers in the April issue of Paint & Decorating Retailer .)

As the association’s staff and members reflect on its 70th anniversary, Simon says the PDRA will continue to focus on educating and supporting the retailers it represents.

“This is a well-established industry, but it’s a personal industry at its heart. Manufacturers work with retailers, and through the years, clients have become good friends,” Simon says. “I’d love to come to a trade show 15 to 20 years from now and see the industry thriving.”

Congratulations to the Paint & Decorating Retailers Association For 70 years of service to the independent paint & decorating dealer From your friends at

Benefits of Belonging

The PDRA Offers Retailers a Wealth of Resources

As part of its mission to support paint and decorating retailers, the PDRA offers a wide range of tools and resources independents can use to run their businesses. Whether it’s an easy-to-use training course for employees, marketing materials or coupons to help them get discounts on everyday items in their stores, retailers find it all in one place at the PDRA.

“Retailers should know they can come to us for tools that can help them be successful,” says Tina Sullivan, association coordinator at the PDRA. “Our mission is to support and educate independent paint and decorating retailers worldwide. We also have a strong network of manufacturers, which helps our members save money.”

While there are a variety of resources available to all PDRA members, the PDRA also offers two tiers of membership that give members access to a variety of training programs. Here are some of the benefits retailers receive from the PDRA.

Training Programs

One of the most valuable parts of a PDRA membership is the opportunity to access thorough and industry-specific training. Employees who are well-trained on the products they sell will be more confident on the salesfloor and will provide better customer service. The PDRA offers online educational opportunities that are not only ideal for new employees as part of the onboarding process, but are also appropriate as refreshers for long-time employees or to make sure their product knowledge is up to date. Training also improves employee retention and promotes loyalty to the company, as it shows them their employer is investing in them for the long term.

The PDRA’s online courses are easy for retailers to use. Students can take these course anywhere and at any time. Tests allow retailers to track each employee’s progress. Courses cover the basics that every employee needs to know, including product knowledge specific to the paint and decorating industry, selling skills, merchandising and more.

In early 2017, the PDRA formed an alliance with the North American Retail Hardware Association. As part of that alliance, the PDRA will be expanding its online training portfolio to include even more industry-specific training opportunities to benefit retailers.

Special Section: 70 Years of the PDRA

Available now are two resources to help independent retailers develop internal training programs: the Train the Trainer guide and Trainer’s Toolbox.

The Train the Trainer guide explores the benefits of training, how to set up a training program, best practices for on-the-job training and how to train veteran employees.

Trainer’s Toolbox is a series of resources trainers can use in a group setting of employees that includes videos, slide presentations and worksheets. Each lesson can be completed in less than 5 minutes or can be expanded on depending on the needs of the operation or employee. These lessons cover retailing best practices including merchandising, selling skills and operations, and there are also industry-specific options regarding paint and decorating product knowledge. A variety of these lessons will be made available through March 2018. Look for announcements on pdra.org and in Paint & Decorating Retailer so you are always ready to present your team with the next training opportunity.

Getting to Know QUARTERS

Most retailers know they should be marketing to consumers through a variety of outlets, but not all have the time to devote to marketing. The PDRA’s Annual Marketing Program provides an easy solution. The cornerstone of the program, QUARTERS magazine, is a decorating and design magazine full of trends and ideas to inspire consumers to take on their next paint project.

What sets QUARTERS apart from other consumerfocused content retailers may offer their customers is the opportunity for them to customize the content to their business so customers know exactly where to find the trends they see in the magazine.

Program participants receive a minimum of 500 customized issues to distribute as desired. The retailer’s business name and logo is on the cover, store locations are on the back cover and the store name is used throughout the magazine. Retailers also receive a marketing best practices package,

Special Section: 70 Years of the PDRA

which accompanies each issue of QUARTERS This resource offers tips about magazine distribution, customer retention, e-marketing and more.

QUARTERS is published twice a year in print and digital formats, in a fall/winter issue and a spring/summer issue. Retailers who participate in the PDRA Annual Marketing Program will receive both versions to distribute to customers.

What You Get With the Program

QUARTERS magazine is a valuable part of the PDRA Annual Marketing Program and can help paint and decorating retailers enhance their reputations as on-trend retail destinations for customers. But the magazine is just one part of the retailer benefits. More is available for those who sign up for the PDRA Annual Marketing program.

The QUARTERS digital newsletter is an e-newsletter template that provides retailers with monthly consumer project content, including short blog posts about trends, products and advice. A digital media professional is also available to assist retailers in these marketing efforts.

QUARTERS magazine is also available as a digital edition, offering retailers another way to distribute this resource. For more information about QUARTERS and to see examples of past issues, visit pdra.org/quarters-program-overview

Digital Signage Program

In-store signage can be an effective way to increase transaction size. When customers are reminded of the items they need to complete a project, they are more likely to put those items in their carts. The digital signage program available from the PDRA includes a series of high-resolution, colorful slides that plays on a video player, which can be positioned on an endcap or any prominent place in the store. This is an easy way for retailers to encourage add-on sales and remind customers of those paint sundries items they may otherwise forget.

Value Pak Coupon Program

Retailers who invest in a PDRA education membership will quickly see a return on their investment through the Value Pak coupon program. The Value Pak is a collection of coupons for discounted and free products from key manufacturers in the paint and decorating industry. This book is updated annually and includes coupons valued at more than $4,500. With the book, retailers will more than recover the cost of their membership.

Drawdown Bar

Retailers who have a large professional customer base know the value of using a paint drawdown bar to illustrate paint quality.

Special Section: 70 Years of the PDRA

Through its online store, the PDRA offers its own paint drawdown kit, which includes 40 drawdown cards, a clipboard and an 8-inch machined metal drawdown bar, designed to deliver 3 mils of paint.

These kits are less expensive than similar kits retailers may find elsewhere. Using a drawdown kit is the best way to prove to a customer the quality of the paint they are considering buying.

The Registry

Every year, the PDRA publishes The Registry, its own directory of paint and decorating manufacturers. This resource is published every year in the July issue of Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine.

PDRA members also receive a digital version of The Registry, so the next industry contact is only a few clicks away. The Registry is an independent paint and decorating retailer’s best reference source for finding information on industry vendors and products.

Trade Show

Each year, the PDRA hosts its Paint and Decorating Show in conjunction with the National Hardware Show® to offer retailers the opportunity to see the newest products to hit the market and talk face to face with key vendors in the industry. The 2018 PDRA Paint and Decorating Show will be held May 8-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Retailers who register through the PDRA receive free admission to the show, along with VIP access and special amenities. This annual event is a good place for retailers to discover new brands, new products and merchandising ideas. There are also opportunities to attend educational seminars and to learn more about trends and relevant topics in the industry.

Registration is now open at pdra.org/trade-show

Scholarship Program

To encourage college students who are furthering their education to pursue careers in the paint and decorating retailing industry, the PDRA has teamed up with the National Hardware Show® to offer a $5,000 scholarship. Potential scholarship recipients must be nominated by a paint and decorating retailer and submit a scholarship application along with a 500-word essay. The winner receives complimentary airfare and accommodations for two nights at the National Hardware Show and is announced on stage at the show. This experience provides industry newcomers a great opportunity to meet paint and decorating vendors at one of the largest industry trade shows in the world.

The 2018 Scholarship Program is now accepting applications. For more information about the scholarship and to access the nomination form, visit pdra.org/education.

More Benefits

There are even more benefits to being a PDRA member. Members can stay current on industry news, trends and retail operations best practices in Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine and the PDRA newsletter. The PDRA also teams up with outside vendors to offer retailers discounts on tools to help them run their operations. Other popular tools include the paint calculator, profit wheel, a store locator and free webinars.

For more information about a PDRA membership, contact member services at info@pdra.org or 800-737-0107.

Meeting in the Middle

Education, Friendships Drive Paint’s Future

When examining a room or wall and mulling design options, it’s a rare consumer who doesn’t turn to a trusted paint and design professional and ask, “What do you think?”

Whether it’s a homeowner doing a full remodel or an industry professional decorating a wall for a corporate client, the choices painters make in the paint and decorating industry require plenty of knowledge and inspiration. Often, independent paint and decorating retailers are the primary sources for consumers for the technical questions about paint as well as those looking for help with design decisions.

The Paint and Decorating Retailers Association knows that this knowledge base is just as important as any product lineup, and it’s with that focus in mind that the organization is putting its efforts behind enhancing its training and education initiatives going into 2018. Securing employees who are passionate about the industry is front and center for retailers, PDRA executive vice president Dan Simon says, and the organization is ensuring they have the tools to do so.

“There’s a certain lingo and questions employees have to know in this industry. When a contractor or a consumer comes into a store, they’re looking to employees, managers and owners to have that knowledge they might not have,” Simon says.

Employee training and retention are key concerns for retailers in 2018, Simon says, and that goes double for an industry that relies so heavily on passing that knowledge to the next generation. To help boost its educational portfolio, the PDRA is expanding its offering of educational programs while also partnering with some of the industry’s top manufacturers to help provide some of the assets for retailers.

While manufacturers have helped fund programs through sponsorships, Simon is steadfast in keeping one of the main tenets of the PDRA at the forefront. Simon believes the association is the gathering place for the industry, uniting retailers, manufacturers, buying groups and distributors.

PDRA

Board of Directors

Special Section: 70 Years of the PDRA

“You get to know people over the years, and they become friends. Friendships help drive this industry, and we want to help form more and more in the coming years.”

—Dan Simon, executive vice president, Paint and Decorating Retailers Association

“We are in a unique situation. Everyone wants a stronger industry, and at the association, we are bringing everyone together through informing the industry and through Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine,” Simon says.

Transferring knowledge of the industry and its priorities isn’t just an issue for retailers training employees. The issue of succession planning for businesses across the country is going to be a huge issue in 2018, Simon says, and that doesn’t leave out the PDRA. Family-owned manufacturing businesses, retailers and the association are all looking to the next step in leadership.

Simon, who has been the executive vice president of the PDRA since 2005, has been working with LeAnn Day, who joined as executive director in 2016, in an effort to help her replace him within the association.

“I’m not going to be 45 years old forever,” Simon jokes. “We’re in an industry that is seeing a lot of the owners, both on the retail side and manufacturing, looking into their retirement stages,” Simon says. “We’re going to put together programs and resources to assist these owners with succession planning.”

Members can expect these initiatives to be presented through the pages of Paint & Decorating Retailer, Simon says.

“The magazine right now is the cornerstone of the association. Whether it’s introducing programs or researched articles on these subjects, members are going to have this knowledge at their fingertips,” Simon says.

While educational programs will be a focus in 2018, the PDRA’s ability to bring individuals from each corner of the paint industry under one roof will continue to be one of the association’s top priorities, Simon says. Whether through industry events, buying markets or distributor shows, interacting with everyone involved in paint and decorating is what the PDRA was built to do.

“We’re at almost every event representing the PDRA and getting the word out about how paint is growing. And while that growth is great, this is still a very personal business,” Simon says. “You get to know people over the years, and they become friends. Friendships help drive this industry, and we want to help form more and more in the coming years.”

The Countdown Is On!

One of the greatest networking opportunities that the PDRA offers retailers, manufacturers, buying groups and other industry members is at the annual PDRA Paint and Decorating Show at the National Hardware Show® This annual celebration of industry connections is where independent paint and decorating retailers can meet face to face with their association, spend time researching new products and talk to manufacturers, vendors and buying group representatives about the products and programs independent retailers need to succeed.

“The PDRA Paint and Decorating Show at the National Hardware Show is such a great experience for independent retailers,” PDRA executive vice president Dan Simon says. “There is something for everyone at the event, from networking and educational sessions and thousands of new products to consider.”

Next year’s event will be held May 8-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Pre-registration for the show is now open at pdra.org/trade-show

Watch for more information on pdra.org and in Paint & Decorating Retailer as you start making your preparations for the show. Check out the calendar on Page 64 and plan to attend an upcoming industry event in early 2018.

A Lasting Legacy

A Look Back on the PDRA Through the Years

The Retail Paint & Wallpaper Distributors of America launches after raising $15,000.

The first trade show sponsored by the RPWDA takes place in Chicago.

Paint & Wallpaper Logic, a magazine published by the Paint & Wallpaper Association of Greater New York, merges with Decorating Retailer

19481957

Irwin Douglas is hired as the first executive vice president.

A correspondence training program is launched. The program is a 15-manual correspondence course endorsed by Indiana University.

The Associate Member Program is introduced to allow manufacturers, distributors and representatives to participate in industry programs.

Robert E. Petit retires, ending a 30-year career with the association. Ernest W. Stewart is elected executive vice president.

The PDRA’s trade show, the PDRA Paint & Decorating Show, combines with the National Hardware Show®

Throughout this Special Section, we have talked about the many ways the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association has grown and adapted to change. While the industry continues to evolve, the PDRA evolves along with it to best serve you, the independent paint and decorating retailer.

Looking ahead, the association’s focus remains on education and ensuring your business remains ready to fight big-box paint retailers and online competitors. Some of the greatest lessons can be learned by simply taking a look back. Follow this timeline to see the milestones that have molded the association you know today. 19611962

Jack

Decorating Retailer magazine is officially launched to lend a voice to retailers in the industry and keep them aware of trends.

Dan

The PDRA forms an alliance with the North American Retail Hardware Association.

By Melanie Moul

All Is Fair in Paint and Retail

Training and Service Help Sustain Paint Fair’s Legacy

Hurricane Frances ripped through the Bahamas in September 2004, causing about $100 million in damage across the islands. For the residents of Freeport, Grand Bahama, including Lesley Davies-Baptista and her family, the storm served as a turning point.

“In May 2004, we opened a new store location, which my mum had built from the ground up,” Davies-Baptista says. “It was a huge accomplishment, considering what the previous 10 years had been like in the economy here. And then in September, we had Frances.”

Davies-Baptista and her family knew that the area where they lived was a flood zone, so they had left their personal and business vehicles at their store, Paint Fair, while they weathered the storm. After the storm passed, they returned to find four feet of water in their brand new showroom.

“Water finds the lowest level, and apparently, here at this store, we’re it,” she says. “It was as close as it gets to total devastation. We were all at a loss.”

In addition to the damage at the business, the family was also grappling with the loss of the vehicles and damage to their homes.

“Where do you even start? With the help of staff and friends, we just started cleaning,” Davies-Baptista says. “Everyone mobilized in such a wonderful way. Within weeks, with a generator, with doors open and with so many extension cords, we were operational.”

While everyone was busy cleaning the store, Davies-Baptista’s mother worked with the vendors to reorder all of the inventory and equipment to replace what had been destroyed.

Following the hurricane, Davies-Baptista and her family made modifications to the building and developed a process so they are prepared when the next storm warning comes through.

“Every time we have a hurricane warning, we put everything up two feet,” she says. “We’ve gotten it down pat, and it’s just tremendous to me the way the staff works together. They basically pack up a whole store as a hurricane comes.”

Making a Comeback

When Hurricane Frances hit, Davies-Baptista was working in marketing outside the paint business her parents had started nearly 25 years prior.

“My father worked as a general contractor, and he had a hard time finding tinted paint on the island,” she says. “My parents opened Paint Fair in April 1980 because they recognized the need in the Bahamas.”

As many children whose parents run businesses do, Davies-Baptista helped out in the store as a child.

“I would help my mum tally up invoices—it was all done by hand,” she says. “I can still remember some of the numbers of Antique White because that color was the majority of our sales.”

Davies-Baptista says it wasn’t until later, when she was working in the business, that she truly appreciated the legacy her parents, Colin and Joan Davies, created with Paint Fair.

“Business was tough for them in the 1980s and 1990s. It was a tough economy,” she says. “It took the Paint Fair team working really hard to make it through, and it’s extraordinary to me looking back that they stuck with it. We are so grateful for where Paint Fair is today, and it is thanks to such a group effort.”

Davies-Baptista says one of the reasons the company survived and is flourishing today is because of her parents’ commitment to customers. Some of the original customers from when the store opened in 1980 still frequent the business today.

“My parents conducted business with tremendous integrity, and they made the customers feel like they were family,” Davies-Baptista says.

“The business weathered and adapted, and it ultimately grew, despite the fact that the economy in Grand Bahama has continued to see challenges.”

Colin returned to contracting in the 1990s, and Joan took over running the business. She can still be found in the store today, monitoring inventory and finances.

Davies-Baptista’s husband Eric joined the family business full time in 2005 to help Joan with the day-to-day operations. A year later, Davies-Baptista came on board.

“My mum wanted to retire, and she looked to Eric and me to continue the family business,” she says.

“She helped my husband become NACE-certified, and the timing felt right for me to get involved.”

Around that time, Joan helped diversify the business by adding industrial paints and coatings, which the community needed.

“We knew getting into that business that it’s a lot more specialized,” Davies-Baptista says.

“My mother appreciated that these products weren’t just something you put on your shelf and expect to sell. She just took a leap of faith and it has really ushered in a new era for us. Industrial now represents about 30 percent of our sales.”

Helping to Rebuild

With its broadened portfolio, Paint Fair now touches each sector of the paints and coatings market on the island, selling products to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

The recent spate of hurricanes in the Atlantic missed the island of Grand Bahama this season, but the island is still recovering from Hurricane Matthew that hit in early October 2016, during which 95 percent of the island’s structures endured significant damage.

“Over the last 12 months, most of our business has come from professionals and homeowners who are repairing the damage from Hurricane Matthew,” Davies-Baptista says. “A lot of the focus has been on repainting exteriors.”

Through the recovery process, Davies-Baptista says bold exterior color choices have been trending. Over the past decade or so, residents have been influenced by design television, like HGTV and the DIY Network, which has encouraged people to choose brighter colors.

“We are grateful to have the support of a tremendous community here in Grand Bahama, which has trusted us with paint in the good times and hard times.”

“Years ago, most of our invoices were for Antique White,” she says. “People are now recognizing that a little color can make a big difference. If you try an accent wall and you don’t love it, it’s just a coat of paint. Painting is really the easiest and most affordable way to change your space.”

To help ensure customers love their color choices the first time, the staff at Paint Fair does color consultations for consumer and professional customers in-store and on-site. The store also uses the PPG Voice of Color touchscreen display to help customers see their color options come to life on the digital screen.

The floor staff, led by Eric Baptista, also educates customers on the right kinds of products and finishes for their projects, which becomes a different conversation when considering future storms that will affect the island.

“With the hurricane damage and the impact from the elements, we’re seeing a better appreciation for 100 percent acrylics for the exterior,”

—Lesley Davies-Baptista, owner, Paint Fair

Davies-Baptista says. “The paint holds up, and we’re getting traction on those products. It allows us to deliver a workhorse that people can get more life out of.”

Reaching Out

Davies-Baptista and the rest of the Paint Fair team understand how valuable customer relationships are to the business.

“We are grateful to have the support of a tremendous community here in Grand Bahama, which has trusted us with paint in the good times and hard times,” Davies-Baptista says. “That’s why we are in business. We thank God for their support—without it, we certainly wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Because of the team’s dedication to service and building relationships, Paint Fair has been able to grow its customer base in a challenging and competitive environment.

Showcasing Trends Is an Annual Affair at Paint Fair

To help inspire members of the Freeport, Grand Bahama, community, Paint Fair recently hosted consumer and professional events to debut the PPG 2018 Color of the Year, Black Flame, and provide best practices solutions.

At the Paint Fair 2018 Paint & Design Trends show, which was sponsored by PPG, national color and design consultant Fawn Chang took 130 consumer attendees through the latest trends.

“Attendees had a chance to ask the design experts questions,” says Paint Fair owner Lesley Davies-Baptista.

“In addition, we hosted other local businesses at the event to give customers ideas about how they can apply the design and color trends throughout different rooms in their homes.”

After the presentation, expert panelists offered painting tips and solutions. Paint Fair served light appetizers and drinks and offered giveaways during the free evening event. Consumers were invited back to the store the Saturday following the event to meet with members of the PPG design team and local interior designers for complimentary color consultations.

Paint Fair couldn’t leave out professionals, as they represent such a large part of the Paint Fair customer base. The business hosted professionals for a two-day series. The first introduced them to color trends and provided solutions to common challenges with painting tools, featuring PPG and GRACO experts. The next morning, GRACO representatives provided in-store demonstrations and training for their sprayers.

Paint Fair doesn’t charge professionals for attendance at its events, but it does request RSVPs from attendees because space is limited in the store.

“We are committed to helping our professional painters, contractors, property managers and maintenance teams any way we can,” Davies-Baptista says. “Pro-focused events offer education that helps them do their jobs better, which helps us serve them better.”

“On an island of 50,000 people, there are six paint retailers,” Davies-Baptista says. “That’s a lot of competition.”

Training—both for employees and customers— is a high priority for Davies-Baptista and the staff, and it helps the business remain competitive. The store hosts regular training events for consumers and professional customers, bringing in their vendor partners and members of the PPG team to lead the sessions.

“We have the support of progressive and responsive vendors like PPG Paint, International Paint, Lancaster, Infiniti and Coastal that work with us like partners and help us serve our customers in unique ways,” Davies-Baptista says.

About 65 percent of Paint Fair’s customer base is professional, but most of those professionals work in both residential and commercial sectors because the community is small, Davies-Baptista says.

To retain this large portion of their customer base, Paint Fair has kept one motto since its inception.

“Service, service and service,” Davies-Baptista says. “We are a tool for these professionals conducting their business. We also have the most extraordinary team members who really care about our customers.”

Another way Paint Fair serves professionals is by offering in-store training programs geared to pro painters, including a four-week Painting 101 series for contractors and painters.

“Earlier this year, every Wednesday night for a month, we hosted two-hour sessions on prep, application, quoting and budgeting,” she says.

Contractors sent newer members of their team to the series, and the store had 30 to 40 attendees each week. Davies-Baptista says educating her customers is a fundamental part of doing business.

“If they do their jobs better, we’ll do better.”

The store also hosts consumer-facing events that attract about 130 people. The events highlight trends in design and color. A two-night series this year unveiled PPG’s 2018 Color of the Year, Black Flame.

“We had an event in October to help usher in the holiday season,” Davies-Baptista says. “At these events, we have drinks and appetizers. It keeps customers inspired and keeps us connected. After the storms, people need that dose of inspiration.”

Paint Fair hosts contractor-focused events featuring demonstrations, but Davies-Baptista

hopes to have more regular monthly events in the future. Her recommendation for other independent paint and decorating retailers who are interested in hosting events is to keep them simple and focused.

“It could even be a Saturday morning talking about a new roof coating,” she says. “Everybody wants information and everybody wants to find better, fresher ways of doing things.”

Advertising for the store and the events goes hand-in-hand, and Davies-Baptista says for Paint Fair, it’s about covering all your bases.

“We use email marketing and we post videos on Facebook. We also use traditional print, radio and TV ads,” she says. “We also go on the radio for ‘chitchats’ where we talk about trends, like what’s new in color, for five minutes. The impact of that is tangible.”

The office team at Paint Fair knows how to plan events, Davies-Baptista says. They coordinate all the details, including gathering resources from vendors with ideas that are tailored for each audience.

“People walk away from these events with good ideas that are actionable,” she says. “They receive the information really well.”

Building a Team

Developing knowledgeable staff members is a commitment that Davies-Baptista takes to heart.

“Balancing experience with passion and the energy to learn is important,” she says. “Some of our staff members have come to us with paint experience, but most of them have learned on the job.”

Learning on the job doesn’t mean just putting people on the salesfloor and hoping they know what they’re talking about, however. Paint Fair’s salesfloor staff had to successfully complete the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association’s Coatings Specialist training program in order to be prepared to serve customers.

“I was amazed at how thorough the course is,” she says. “When we hire someone, we give them two weeks to complete the course at home, and when they come into the store after that time, they know what paint is.”

In addition to industry-specific training, Davies-Baptista says it’s important that the dynamics of the team work with the operation’s culture.

“We’re a small family business, so it’s important that people are flexible,” she says. “Right now, we’ve got a team that works hard, that goes above and beyond, not because they have to, but because they want to. It really is an extended family. We’re so grateful for them.”

Having a stable team and ensuring everyone has the knowledge and information to be successful helps the company differentiate itself in such a competitive market. That market only gets larger and more competitive considering that Grand Bahama is a mere 55 miles from the Florida coast.

“We have to consider the big boxes in Florida our competition as well,” Davies-Baptista says. “We have to remain very vigilant because we are experiencing the same thing that is facing independent dealers everywhere. How do you differentiate? As our borders get more open and the competition isn’t going away, that determines how we navigate it.”

“When we hire someone, we give them two weeks to complete the course at home, and when they come into the store after that time, they know what paint is.”

—Lesley Davies-Baptista, owner, Paint Fair

“There is strength in numbers and benefit in sharing. I would love to connect with as many people as I can to share our experiences to move the industry forward.”

—Lesley Davies-Baptista, owner, Paint Fair

For Paint Fair, the differentiation comes from remaining a local business and continuing to build and enhance the relationships it has with community members.

“Your core has to remain, but you also have to adapt to the changing dynamics, and you need to re-evaluate your focus on a regular basis,” she says. “We’re not trying to be all things to all people. It’s easy to get caught up in watching what the competition does, but it doesn’t change your reality.”

Stronger by Association

Staying tuned in to what other independent paint and decorating retailers are doing throughout North America is something Davies-Baptista says retailers shouldn’t ignore. Through the PDRA, retailers have hundreds of opportunities to network and connect with others who are in the same business, which only strengthens your operation, she says.

“The PDRA has been a tremendous benefit for us. The training is an extraordinary value,” she says. “As an industry, we need to do a better job of networking. By engaging with other retailers, I’m inspired and I’m able to do things better for my staff and my customers. We all become better managers when we have that interaction with others in our industry.”

Davies-Baptista’s most recent opportunity to engage with the association and network with other retailers came in the form of being named Southern Region Director on the PDRA’s board of directors. She says in order to grow as an independent industry and effectively compete with big-box retailers, joining together and being available to each other is the best solution.

“We need to be deliberate in seeking each other out,” she says. “There is strength in numbers and benefit in sharing. I would love to connect with as many people as I can to share our experiences to move the industry forward. We are all in this constantly evolving era of retail, and I think it is critical for independent retailers to seek ways to be relevant, offer heightened levels of service and be dynamic while also being personal at the same time. If the industry in general is lifted up, we’re all going to succeed.”

STEP

SHOW LOCATION & HOST HOTEL

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center 6000 W Osceola Pkwy • Kissimmee, FL 34746

DON’T MISS OUT...

Cash Spiffs

Deep Discounts

Delayed Shipping & Extended Payment Terms

Travel & Stay Reimbursements

Prize Giveaways

Networking

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH

Seminar 1 • 2:00pm - 2:45pm

Lancaster Flooring - Expand Profits Without Expanding Inventory

Seminar 2 • 3:00pm - 3:45pm

Impact Marketing - Digital Communication & Advertising

Seminar 3 • 4:00pm - 5:00pm

PDRA - Roundtable Best Practices Discussion

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH

Lancaster Buying Show • 9:00am - 5:00pm

Cirque de Lancaster Dinner & Entertainment • 6:30pm - 9:30pm

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH

Lancaster Buying Show • 9:00am - 12:00pm

Employee Compensation Report

Insights Into Employee Compensation

Evaluating Your Business on Compensation and Benefits

As a small business owner, you are most likely familiar with the challenges that come with managing employees. Aside from basic human resources challenges, financial elements of business ownership, like compensation and benefits, are another large facet of your operation. In order to compete with larger retailers, independent paint and decorating retailers across the U.S. need to offer competitive wages and benefits like health insurance and vacation days. But often those perks are costly.

As part of its alliance with the North American Retail Hardware Association, members of the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association participated in data collection for the NRHA’s 2017 Employee Compensation Report , which is outlined in the following pages as it pertains to independent paint and decorating retailers.

According to the respondents in the survey, the growing cost of payroll is a challenge seen by many independent retailers. This challenge is compounded by the fact that payroll is already the largest operating cost of most independent home improvement businesses in the independent home improvement sector. On average, payroll currently accounts for 20 percent of total sales for hardware stores, home centers, lumberyards and paint and decorating businesses, and a majority of respondents expect those costs to increase in 2018.

Because payroll by itself is such a great expense, independent retailers often cannot afford to offer additional benefits as part of employee compensation packages, including perks such as vacation days or salary bonuses.

The chart on Page 57 outlines payroll data specific to paint and decorating retail stores. It shows the average number of people employed in every position at each paint and decorating retail store in the study. The reason less than one person is listed for most positions is because not every store that responded to the survey had an employee in each role, and some operations with multiple stores share staff.

As you evaluate this data and consider it in regard to the wages you pay your staff members, keep in mind your local market conditions, minimum wage laws and cost of living, as they may vary.

More information will be made available about the entire 2017 Employee Compensation Report when it is published by NRHA at a later date.

97 percent of survey respondents provide an employee discount at their stores.

Leading the Way in Manufacturing

AkzoNobel Plant Takes Sustainability to New Levels

Apaint manufacturer in the U.K. has laid out an example of how other manufacturers in the global industry can be as sustainable as possible.

AkzoNobel, a leading global paints and coating company and major producer of specialty chemicals, recently announced it “opened the world’s most advanced and sustainable paint plant.”

According to a press release by the company, the hightech facility—which cost more than €100 million or nearly $120 million—will become the new center of production for Dulux, the company’s decorative paint brand in the U.K.

The plant, located in Ashington, U.K., utilizes a variety of renewable energy sources, including photovoltaic cells and a biomass boiler, alongside a highly automated manufacturing process, saving water, waste and energy.

The company estimates the carbon footprint per liter of paint produced at the site will be reduced by 50 percent compared to production facilities it is replacing.

The new facility will be able to double AkzoNobel’s current U.K. production levels to 200 million liters a year—making enough paint to redecorate every living room, bathroom and kitchen in the U.K., the company says.

“We have taken the best technology available globally, improved it and put it all under one roof, ensuring that this new facility represents a significant step forward for the whole industry,” says Ruud Joosten, chief operating officer of paints and coatings at AkzoNobel.

All technology in the plant is managed by a single integrated computer system, so every activity is initiated without operator intervention, according to the company.

There Is Nothing Artificial About This Art

The creative artists of the 19th and 20th centuries may have found new life if a new artificial intelligence system can accurately recreate and produce their work.

According to Live Science, an online source for sciencerelated news, an artificial intelligence system, called Vincent, has “learned to paint by ‘studying’ 8,000 works of art from the Renaissance up to the 20th century.”

According to its creators, engineers from the U.K.-based research and innovation company Cambridge Consultants, the system is unique because it can make art, but also responds to human input.

“Vincent allows you to draw edges with a pen, edges of a picture you can imagine in your mind, and from those pictures, it produces a possible painting based on its training,” says Monty Barlow in the article. Barlow is director of machine learning at Cambridge Consultants and led the project.

Vincent uses a sophisticated technique that allows the machine to teach itself automatically without constant human input.

TECHNOLOGY

No Tools, Just Paint Lights Up the Room

Consumers may soon be able to get their hands on the latest in paint technology if electrically conductive paint makes it on the market.

The Electric Paint Lamp Kit was shared on crowdfunding website Kickstarter and met its funding goal in less than 24 hours. The kit promises to give anyone the ability to turn a piece of paper into an electric lamp using just paint and LEDs. Tools aren’t required, according to the Bare Conductive website.

The company created the first consumer-facing electrically conductive paint and now is giving consumers of all abilities the chance to create their own lamp.

The DIYer uses the electrically conductive paint, which allows them to paint buttons or circuits on materials like paper, plastic and textiles.

After the paint dries, the Light Up Board, which is powered by USB and comes with six LED lights, is twisted into the template to connect it. The last step is to cover it with paper, allowing for creativity in design choices.

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685)

RESEARCH

Instead of Numbers, Paint by Bacteria

Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are trying their hand at creative outlets in a new, unique way.

According to Science Magazine, a team of scientists have been able to paint surfaces with bacteria (Escherichia coli) that produce colored pigments in responses to light.

The research team designed the bacteria by adding 18 new genes to their genetic circuitry, including thousands of DNA bases that code for light sensor proteins that respond to red, green or blue light. Exposure to the light makes the bacteria turn on a gene that kicks off a chemical reaction.

According to the article, mixing the bacteria into a gel on a petri dish and placing them in an incubator exposed to projector or laser light produced these paint-by-light images.

A few pictures the scientists have created include the MIT logo, Super Mario, a tiled pattern of lizards and a pile of fruit.

1. Publication Title - Paint & Decorating Retailer; 2. Publication No. - 0118-9100; 3. Filing Date - 9/26/2017; 4. Issue Frequency - Monthly except December; 5. No. of Issues Published Annually - 11 x a Year; 6. Annual Subscription Price - $33.00; 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication - 1401 Triad Center Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376; Contact Person - Jo Ann Ray, Telephone - 636-236-2636; 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Offices of the Publisher - 1401 Triad Center Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376; 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor - Dan Simon, Publisher, Paint & Decorating Retailer, 1401 Triad Center Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376; Dan Tratensek, Editor, Paint & Decorating Retailer, 1401 Triad Center Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376; Dan Tratensek, Managing Editor, Paint & Decorating Retailer, 1401 Triad Center Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376; 10. Owner - Paint & Decorating Retailer Association, 1401 Triad Center Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376; 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities - None; 12. Tax Status - N/A; 13. Publication Name - Paint & Decorating Retailer; Issue Date for Circulation Data Below - August 2017; 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation; Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 15a. Total No. Copies - 20,092; 15b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By mail and outside the mail); (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 - 19,143; (2) In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 - 0; (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS - 366; (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS - 5; 15c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation - 19,514; 15d. Non requested Distribution (By mail and outside the mail) - (1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies stated on PS Form 3541 - 0; (2) In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 - 0; (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail - 0; (4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail - 0; 15e. Total Nonrequested Distribution - 0; 15f. - Total Distribution - 19,514; 15g. Copies Not Distributed - 578; 15h. Total - 20,092; 15i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation - 100; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date; 15a. 21,300; 15b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By mail and outside the mail); (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 - 20,955; (2) In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 - 0; (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS - 286; (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS - 0; 15c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation - 21,241; 15d. Non requested Distribution (By mail and outside the mail) - (1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies stated on PS Form 3541 - 0; (2) In County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 - 0; (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail - 0; (4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail - 0; 15e. Total Nonrequested Distribution - 0; 15f. - Total Distribution - 21,241; 15g. Copies Not Distributed - 59; 15h. Total - 21,300; 15i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation - 100; 16. Electronic Copy Circulation - N/A; 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the November 2017 issue of this publication. 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner - Lori Goad, Circulation Manager; Date - 9/26/2017; I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). PS Form 3526-R.

By Diane Franklin

A Golden Opportunity

Golden Artist Colors Inc. Revitalizes the Decorative Painting Market

Golden Artist Colors Inc. has pulled off the perfect transformation to meet the needs of today’s professional decorative painters and finishers.

Founded in 1980, GOLDEN was originally known for fine artist paints. About a quartercentury later, the company saw an opportunity to serve the growing decorative finishing market and launched the Proceed® Professional Decorative Painting System of high-performance products.

Shortly after the launch, however, the decorative painting industry experienced the one-two punch of a housing bust in 2007 and a collapsing economy in 2008. While the products themselves received rave reviews,

the market to support them was no longer sufficient to sustain the line.

GOLDEN faced a choice: Discontinue the Proceed line entirely or make improvements and relaunch the products to appeal to a wider market. Believing in the products and the people who were using them, the company chose option No. 2, introducing two new lines— Lifestyle Finishes™ and GOLDEN® Pro Finishes—with an eye toward providing the professional decorative painting market with unique products at attractive margins.

“Both of these lines are available to independent paint and decorating retail stores,” says Dana Rice, market development specialist for Golden Paintworks,

the company’s commercial coatings division.

“We’re concentrating on Lifestyle Finishes with a 3-foot planogram, making it a complete package for the paint and decorating store environment.”

Earlier this year, ALLPRO recognized the value that the Lifestyle Finishes line offers the decorative finishing market and accepted Golden Paintworks as a vendor member.

Golden Paintworks launched Lifestyle Finishes earlier this year to align with today’s freshest trends. The line includes 18 decorative finishing products featuring tintable metallic paints and natural-looking textures. The target audiences for Lifestyle Finishes are professional decorative painters and finishers, professional painting contractors, architects, designers and specifiers.

“What we’re trying to accomplish with the line is to dial in on the idea of home as sanctuary,” says Rice.

“We’re offering a full range of finishes—everything from natural and earthy to sophisticated and even a bit of ‘bling’ in the form of a glass bead texture that beautifully catches the light.”

GOLDEN Pro Finishes is likewise targeting this market with such products as glazing mediums, slow-dry fluid acrylics, tinting dispersions, cracking size and clear topcoats in both gloss and matte finishes.

Lifestyle Finishes features a glazing medium and improved formulas for all of its metallic colors, which include bronze, copper, gold and pearl. The line also encompasses a variety of acrylic textures, emulating such looks as weathered granite, fresco, adobe and Venetian plaster.

The Lifestyle Finishes 3-foot planogram includes attractive signage, inspirational images, printed brochures with a holder, handpainted decorative samples of all the products and an accompanying line of professional tools.

“Handpainted samples are one of the big things we do as a company,” Rice says. “We feel it’s important to provide the handpainted materials so people can see and touch the real thing.”

GOLDEN is supporting the relaunch with online content that is accessible on the Golden Paintworks website (goldenpaints.com), through social media on Facebook and Pinterest and with application videos and downloadable content, such as step-by-step application guides.

Throughout its history, GOLDEN has developed a reputation for working with artists to make product improvements to better serve their needs. The GOLDEN Custom Lab is the only facility of its kind dedicated to creating products to the unique specifications of individual artists, conservators, designers, architects, manufacturing companies and other creative clients.

GOLDEN also has a dedicated staff of material and application specialists who can answer questions about any GOLDEN products and how they are used. These knowledgeable people are available by phone or email

five days a week during regular business hours to serve retailers, artists and other creative individuals.

What makes the 200 employees of Golden Artist Colors particularly attentive to customers’ needs is that they are also owners of the company. GOLDEN implemented an employee stock ownership plan about 15 years ago, and the company is now majority-owned by its employees.

“One of the things that makes GOLDEN strong is that we have a company culture of working together,” Rice says. “We’re like a family. We take pride in what we do. Our product has quality and consistency when it goes out the door, and our fulfillment rates are high. It’s a win for the customer, and it’s a win for us.”

FEBRUARY 16-18

Cirque de Lancaster— The 2018 Florida Buying Show

Experience the twists and turns of the Lancaster 2018 Florida Buying Show, Cirque de Lancaster.

The event takes place at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando and will offer independent paint and decorating retailers the opportunity to connect with the biggest vendors in the industry.

“At the Florida Buying Show, retailers can expect great opportunities to receive the deepest discounts of the year, extended payment terms, delayed shipping options and much more,” Mike Dube, director of marketing for Lancaster, says. “In addition to seeing more than 150 vendors, retailers will also have the opportunity to network with other members of the industry and enjoy excellent food and entertainment at a top-notch resort.”

For more information about the event, visit lancasterco.com/events

DECEMBER

7

NRHA’s State of Independents Conference Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago soic.eventbrite.com

JANUARY 9-11, 2018

NAHB International Builders’ Show Orange County Convention Center Orlando, Florida buildersshow.com

FEBRUARY 21-23, 2018

2018 Painting and Decorating Expo San Luis Resort & Convention Center Galveston, Texas pdca.org

FEBRUARY 22-24, 2018

Orgill Spring Dealer Market Orange County Convention Center Orlando, Florida orgill.com

MARCH 10-13, 2018

International Home + Housewares Show

McCormick Place Expo Center Chicago housewares.org

APRIL 9-12, 2018

American Coatings Show and Conference

Indianapolis Convention Center

Indianapolis american-coatings-show.com

MAY 8-10, 2018

PDRA Paint and Decorating Show at the National Hardware Show ® Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas pdra.org/trade-show

Allpro Corporation

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American Paint Paddle www .americanpaintpaddle .com

Armstrong-Clark www .armclark .com

BYK-Gardner USA www .paintpos .com/one

Benjamin Moore Co . www .benjaminmoore .com/newdealers

Benjamin Moore Co .

California Paints

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Corona Brushes www .coronabrushes .com

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Dripless

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Gemini Coatings www .gemini-coatings .com

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Lancaster www .lancasterco .com

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Tower Sealants

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“People in Washington have stressful jobs. They want their homes to be an oasis.”

—Tiffany Zappulla, set decorator

The Beige Party

In Washington, D.C., a city known for its citizens’ passionate allegiance to politics, neutral beige wallcoverings are a calming home decorating choice that draw support from all sides of the aisle, according to The Washington Post

“There’s a familiarity to beige and muted tones that’s enjoyable. It’s timeless. It’s safe. People in Washington have stressful jobs. They want their homes to be an oasis,” says Baltimore-based set decorator Tiffany Zappulla in the article. Zapulla has recreated popular capital decorating choices on Netflix’s “House of Cards,” a program set in Washington, D.C.

The article states that all types of dwellings—from the rowhouses steeped in American history to the modern loft

condos springing up in the city center—draw inspiration from neutral colors like beige. Area homeowners tend to keep neutral palettes with their walls and allow artwork, fabric choices and antiques to do the heavy lifting to define their personal aesthetic.

Alexandria, Virginia, designer Victoria Sanchez says in the article that many people’s time in Washington is temporary, which also solidifies the popularity of beige wallcoverings.

“I still think of Washington as a monochromatic city,” she says. “People don’t want too much going on or too much richness or pattern.”

No matter their political affiliations, beige is a politically correct choice for many Washington, D.C.-area homeowners.

TWO GREAT COMPANIES COMING TOGETHER!

Gemini Industries, Inc (an employee owned company) is proud to announce the acquisition of Amteco, Inc.

The acquisition of Amteco provides Gemini with best-in-class technology and a highly competitive product portfolio for both the exterior wood and metal coatings markets in North America.

For years now TWP (an EPA registered preservative) has been the brand of choice when it comes to the professionals. The Zero Rust product line has quickly become the go to product of choice when it comes to protecting your metal investments. Just ask your local Hot Rod enthusiast.

Gemini’s shareholders (our employees) couldn’t be more excited with this recent acquisition. Two GREAT companies coming together and combining resources to service the North America market like no one else can in today’s market.

Just remember when you give us a call, no matter who picks up the phone, you will be talking to an owner!

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