Archive for the ‘General’ Category

For Retailers, Education Is the Key

Friday, November 9th, 2012
From left: Bryan Trick, Randy Hill, Tyger Kempton and Chuck Kempton from Dugan’s Paint & Flooring Centers, whose flagship store is in Sedalia, Mo. All four have completed the online PDRA Coatings Specialist Course..

From left: Bryan Trick, Randy Hill, Tyger Kempton and Chuck Kempton from Dugan’s Paint & Flooring Centers. All four have completed the online PDRA Coatings Specialist Course.

Posted by Diane Capuano

In Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine’s latest edition of “Retailer to Retailer,” the importance of industry education is in the spotlight.

Gary Fahndrich, owner of West Side Decorating Center in Saginaw, Mich., confirmed just how important product knowledge is to the store’s success.

“Because we have the reputation for being the place to go for answers, it’s really important that we have ongoing education,” said Fahndrich, noting that he takes advantage of industry programs as much as possible. “It’s hard to participate in 100 percent of what’s offered, but we do a high percentage. We take advantage of maybe 80 percent of the programs that come across our desk.”

Among the education programs that West Side Decorating Center tapped into in the last year was the online PDRA Coatings Specialist Course. (more…)

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PDR Magazine Advertising Dollars Recycled Back into Paint Industry

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

Dan Simon

Dan Simon

A Reprint of “Viewpoint” Editorial from PDR Magazine’s November Issue

As the year winds down, this is a good time to look back on the year, both personally and in the business sense.

In business, the mission of Paint & Decorating Retailers Association is to educate and support the independent paint and decorating retailer. Let’s see what we accomplished this year.

√ Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine went online.

√ Paint & Decorating Retailers Association introduced its own app, which includes helpful tools for paint store owners and PDRA members. Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine is also on the app for retailers and buyers on the go.

√ Paint & Decorating Retailers Association held a series of successful webinars designed to educate dealers.

√ Paint & Decorating Retailers Association started a Linked In Group for paint store owners.

√ Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine introduced the “Retailer to Retailer” section in January 2012, with articles focused on retailers giving suggestions and advice to their peers like only a fellow retailer can. (more…)

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Opportunities in Lead Paint Removal & Abatement

Friday, August 3rd, 2012
epa_leadsafecertfirmPosted by: Diane Capuano

The lead removal and abatement market offers many opportunities for paint and decorating retailers. Those opportunities are enumerated in great detail in an article in the August issue of Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine.

Here are just a few excerpts of that article, enumerating some of the potential opportunities.

“Lead abatement in mature markets that are influenced by historical preservation continues to be a huge opportunity for the paint and decorating retailer,” said John Petroci, president/CEO of Dumond Chemicals Inc. “Architects nationally are taking advantage of unique opportunities to restore a property to its original appearance without the hazardous of lead-based coatings. Furthermore, architects and professional painting contractors are being challenged to remove past painting systems to unveil the substrates beauty and luster, particularly wood and masonry.” (more…)

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Retailer to Retailer: Jim King

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

Jim King

Jim King

Posted by: Diane Capuano

In the May issue of PDR Magazine’s new “Retailer to Retailer” feature, we introduced you to PDRA’s Vice President/Treasurer Jim King, owner of Colormagic in Cookeville, Tenn. Excerpts from that interview are posted below:

Q: Can you provide a bit of background about you and your store?

A: My start in the paint industry was in college. I worked part-time as a stock boy. When I graduated from college with a degree in Wildlife Management, the owner of the store needed a manager. I told him I would serve as manager until he could find someone else to manage the store and if I could look for a job in my major. He became ill, and four years later, I bought the store. Forty years later, I still enjoy the business and hope to have many years to come. (more…)

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Trends in Faux: More Contemporary Looks

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

A contemporary look using Modern Masters' Shizen Series™.

Decorative finish created by Harmonic Surroundings. www.harmonicsurroundings.com

Posted by: Diane Capuano

The Old World finishes that were popular for so long in the decorative painting market are giving way to looks that are more contemporary—simpler, cleaner and more linear.

This change in direction is most likely a direct result of the economic slowdown, which caused many homeowners to forgo painting and decorating projects for the last couple of years. As the economic recovery slowly takes hold, consumers are once again looking for ways to decorate their walls but for the most part are doing so in less inexpensive and less ostentatious ways.

“Contemporary, clean, high gloss and metallic finishes are currently in demand in comparison to five or 10 years ago where heavier, multi-layered Old World finishes were desired,” stated Raymond Sandor, Founder & President, Faux Effects International Inc.

Jerry Russo, president of Roman Architectural Finishes, confirmed that metallics will continue to be a major trend in the faux-finishing market. “If someone is going to spend money on a faux finish, they want it to be (more…)

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Home Décor Colors in 2011 Will Be “a Kaleidoscope”

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Like the Indian Pink City of Jaipur for which it is named, the Pink City palette from PPG vibrates with the very pulse of life and the spirit of adventure.

Like the Indian Pink City of Jaipur for which it is named, the Pink City palette from PPG vibrates with the very pulse of life and the spirit of adventure.

Posted by: Tamela Adamson-McMullen

Next year in home fashion you can expect to see a surprising range of blues, a new family of purples, lots of pinks and color-cast neutrals. According to the experts surveyed for Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine’s 41st annual color forecast, home fashion is showing an early rebound from the recession and by 2011 will exhibit a kaleidoscope of colors.

Whether consumers are feeling more upbeat or simply need relief from all of the bad news, experts said there’s no doubt that interesting colors and color combinations are working their way into home décor. They said to look for vibrant colors and softly blended neutrals, deep and pale hues, burnished furnishings and barely-there textiles.

Experts reported that the single top color in this palette most certainly will come from the blue family and may be appear as a green-blue (turquoise) or a red-blue (orchid).
A blue-green is at the top of the Pantone Color Institute’s list of “hot” colors. The Institute chose turquoise as the No. 1 color for 2010 and said it will remain popular well into 2011.

(more…)

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PDRA Online Training Course Offers Advantages

Friday, January 15th, 2010
coatings specialist logoPosted by: Diane Capuano

More and more paint retailers are discovering the advantages of online education via the PDRA Coatings Specialist Training Course. This course, introduced last spring by the Paint & Decorating Retailers Association, allows retailers and their salespeople to further their paint industry education while sitting in front of a computer.

Convenience is key with this course. The course is divided into 12 modules, allowing the student to stop and start the course in a way that suits his or her schedule. (more…)

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Don’t Expect Next Decade to Be Like the Last

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
Posted by: Diane CapuanoStephens

Retailers in the home improvement sector are anxious for the economy to improve, anticipating the time when consumers will loosen their purse strings and start spending again. However, those who are expecting a return to the robust consumer spending habits that occurred prior to the recession should heed the words of Doug Stephens, president of Retail Prophet Consulting (at right).

“Going forward, I think we will see a new degree of thoughtfulness and responsibility on the part of consumers that will last well into the new decade,” Stephens told Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine. “We will still aspire to buying that new car or home (more…)

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