Having declined both in terms of volume and revenues in 1991 and 1992, this industry segment rebounded to sales of $3.1 billion in volume of 194 million gallons by 1994
Worldwide, the paint and coating industry generated $70.7 billion in 2001, similar to revenues of $70.6 billion in 2000.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. manufacturers shipped 1.34 billion gallons of paint and coatings in 2001, valued at $16.9 billion
The paint and coatings industry employed an estimated 51,084 Americans in 2001.
The paint and coatings business was considered a mature industry, with growth projected at about 1 to 2 percent annually.
DuPont; PPG Industries; Sherwin-Williams; RPM Inc.; Courtaulds Coatings, Inc.; Glidden; Akzo Coatings, Inc.; and Valspar Corp. were all important producers of specialty coatings.
The growth and profits of the paint industry trailed the rest of the economy,
Three basic segments existed within the industry: architectural coatings, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) product coatings, and special purpose coatings.
Architectural coatings, known in the industry as trade sales paint and commonly referred to as house paint, comprised the largest segment, contributing 44 percent of annual gallonage
The National Paint, Varnish, and Lacquer Association was formed in 1933, and was later renamed the National Paint and Coatings Association (NPCA).
Through June 1999, the industry produced 667,776,000 gallons of paints and coatings, up from 671,808,000 through June 1998.
Growth in manufacturing, especially automobiles and construction in the mid-1990s, fueled healthy expansion of the paint industry.
Paint and coatings were vital to the Allied effort during World War II, and spurred the development of specialized paints and coatings.