Founding Member ColorVision Celebrates 30 Years of PPG Platinum Distributor Network
Editor's Note: The following is edited from ColorVision's Painter's Pulse blog.
Thirty years ago, Gary and Kathy Allen made their PPG distributorship, now named ColorVision, a founding member of the PPG Platinum Distributor network. The Allens said they saw the vision that PPG had to be the leading experts in the coatings industry. At the time the business made the transition to sell exclusively PPG Refinish products, paint was entering the stage of increased complexities. The need to focus on expertise and streamlining inventory became clear to the family business.
In its founding stage, “The PPG leadership team valued the input that the network provides, with increased opportunities to share and act upon the needs of distributors and their customer base," Gary Allen said. “The PPG leadership team really communicated with distribution, asked for, valued, and acted upon our opinion and needs. PPG had a vision of a sustained partnership so they could use our entrepreneurship spirit to drive growth.”
Cofounder Kathy Allen said their customer base needs an approach that is not “one size fits all.”
“From collision to commercial to industrial and now with the addition of traffic solutions, we strive to be true partners with our customers.”
In her role overseeing the Platinum Program for the past three years, Platinum Director Natalie Scott said she views the primary advantage of working with a Platinum Distributor as “the ability to tap into a robust network of expertise and collaboration, which not only enhances the distributor's capabilities but also significantly improves the customer experience in the refinish industry.”
Scott believes there are five key benefits of partnering with a Platinum Distributor:
- Expertise and knowledge-sharing
- Collaborative problem-solving
- Enhanced customer service
- Trust and reliability
- Advancement of PPG’s mission
Customer service has always been a top priority for the network's dedicated participants, Scott said. "This commitment results in better customer support, faster response times, and a more personalized approach to meeting their needs."
The exclusive focus on PPG Refinish products, Scott said, enables ColorVision and its partner distributors to become true experts in the field. The program offers specialized training and certification for its team members, with technical representatives earning PPG Certified Distributor Tech Representative status. To reach this milestone, representatives must pass both written and in-person certifications. Gary Allen agrees that the PPG Certified Distributor Tech Representative program, with its ability to recertify painters in the field, remains a key competitive advantage.
Kathy Allen agrees that collaborative problem solving is an advantage of the program.
“We lean on the PPG Platinum and Refinish Teams, as well as our PPG Platinum Distributor Network across the country, to enable our ColorVision team to help our customers grow and reach their full potential. We owe our successes as a company to the partnerships we have been fortunate to maintain with both our customers and the PPG Platinum Network.”
Today, this robust network is composed of 170 distributors with over 680 locations across the United States and Canada.
“Thirty years later, I’m proud of our Platinum Network," Gary Allen said. "Our forum groups have been invaluable to all who have been involved. Being able to bounce successes and failures off your peers has been such an advantage. Advantages of singlemindedness is still there. We have grown into the largest independent distribution business in our industry. We are still strategically using our entrepreneurial spirit to expand and drive growth.”
