Who Owns the Paint Industry

Four Companies Colour the World

The paint and coatings industry is one of the most quietly consolidated manufacturing sectors in the global economy. Walk into any hardware store or paint retailer in North America or Europe and the dozens of brands on the shelves likely trace back to one of four corporate parents: Sherwin-Williams, PPG Industries, AkzoNobel, or BASF Coatings.

The global paint and coatings market is worth approximately $200 billion annually and serves consumers buying interior and exterior house paint, industrial manufacturers applying protective coatings to vehicles and infrastructure, and construction companies finishing commercial buildings. The consumer architectural segment, what most people think of when they think of paint, is only a portion of total industry revenue. Industrial and protective coatings, used in automotive manufacturing, aerospace, marine applications, and infrastructure, represent a similar or larger share depending on the geography.

This guide maps the major brands to their corporate owners in both consumer and industrial coatings.

Sherwin-Williams: The Dominant Global Leader

[Sherwin-Williams](/brands/sherwin-williams) is the world's largest paint company by revenue and the clear leader in the US architectural paint market. The company is publicly traded on NYSE under ticker SHW. It reported consolidated net sales of approximately $23.1 billion in 2024, establishing a new record. Sherwin-Williams operates approximately 4,900 company-owned paint stores in the United States and sells through home improvement retailers including Home Depot and Lowe's.

The Sherwin-Williams brand itself competes in the premium architectural paint segment. The company's core business is selling premium paint to professional contractors, a segment with higher average selling prices, higher volume per transaction, and more predictable demand than retail consumer channels.

Through acquisitions, Sherwin-Williams has built a portfolio of complementary brands spanning different price points and distribution channels:

[Valspar](/brands/valspar) was acquired by Sherwin-Williams in 2017 for approximately $11.3 billion, the largest acquisition in the company's history. Valspar competes in the mid-tier architectural paint segment and is sold through Lowe's under an exclusive partnership. The Valspar portfolio also includes industrial coatings brands used in packaging, coil, and general industrial applications.

[Dutch Boy](/brands/dutch-boy) is a US architectural paint brand with roots dating to 1907, positioned in the value and mid-market segments and sold primarily through home improvement and mass retail channels.

[Krylon](/brands/krylon) is the leading spray paint brand in the United States, used by both consumers for craft and DIY projects and by industrial users for maintenance and marking applications. Sherwin-Williams acquired Krylon as part of its broader portfolio strategy.

[Minwax](/brands/minwax) is the leading US brand for wood stains, varnishes, and wood care products. Minwax is sold through home improvement retailers and hardware stores and is the market leader in its category by a significant margin.

[Cabot](/brands/cabot-stains) is a premium exterior wood stain and finish brand, positioned in the professional and serious DIY segment alongside Minwax.

[Rust-Oleum](/brands/rust-oleum) is technically owned by RPM International, not Sherwin-Williams, but is frequently mentioned alongside these brands. Rust-Oleum was acquired by RPM International in 1994 and is a separate corporate entity. It is the leading rust-preventive coating brand in the United States.

PPG Industries: The Automotive and Industrial Specialist

PPG Industries is the second-largest coatings company in the world by revenue, with net sales of approximately $15.9 billion in 2025. PPG is publicly traded on NYSE under ticker PPG and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While PPG has a significant architectural paint business, its primary competitive differentiation is in industrial and automotive coatings, where it holds leading market positions globally.

[Glidden](/brands/glidden) is PPG's primary architectural paint brand in the United States, sold through Home Depot under an exclusive distribution arrangement. Glidden competes in the value to mid-market price range, below Sherwin-Williams's premium positioning.

[Olympic](/brands/olympic-paint) is PPG's exterior stain and sealant brand, sold through Lowe's.

[Sikkens](/brands/sikkens) is PPG's premium professional refinish brand, used extensively in automotive body shops for vehicle refinishing. Sikkens is one of the most recognised brands in professional automotive refinish globally.

[Nexa Autocolor](/brands/nexa-autocolor) is PPG's automotive refinish brand for European markets.

In automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) coatings, PPG holds a leading global position, supplying coatings for vehicle production to manufacturers including General Motors, Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, and Volkswagen Group.

AkzoNobel: Dulux and the European Leader

AkzoNobel N.V. is a Dutch multinational that is the world's leading paint company in many European, Asian, and emerging markets. The company is listed on Euronext Amsterdam under ticker AKZA and reported revenues of approximately 9.6 billion euros in 2024.

[Dulux](/brands/dulux) is AkzoNobel's global flagship architectural paint brand, the market leader in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and several Asian markets. Dulux is one of the most recognised paint brand names outside North America.

[Glidden](/brands/glidden) (outside the US) operates as an AkzoNobel brand in several international markets, though in the United States the Glidden brand is owned by PPG following historic brand licensing splits.

[Farrow and Ball](/brands/farrow-ball) is a British luxury paint brand acquired by AkzoNobel in 2014 for approximately £275 million. Farrow and Ball is positioned at the ultra-premium end of the architectural paint market, known for its historically inspired colour palette and high-pigment formulations. Retail prices for Farrow and Ball paints are significantly above mainstream competitors, with 2.5-litre tins typically retailing at £55 to £65.

[Hammerite](/brands/hammerite) is AkzoNobel's direct-to-metal paint brand, used on gates, railings, and metal fixtures.

[Sikkens](/brands/sikkens) (outside automotive) operates as an AkzoNobel brand in some decorative paint markets.

BASF Coatings: Industrial at Scale

BASF Coatings is a division of BASF SE, the German chemical conglomerate. BASF Coatings is the world's third-largest automotive OEM coatings supplier, competing with PPG and Sherwin-Williams (Valspar's industrial business) in supplying paint to vehicle assembly lines. BASF Coatings does not have a significant consumer architectural paint business.

R-M and Glasurit are BASF's premium automotive refinish brands used in professional body shop markets. Glasurit is particularly prominent in European professional automotive refinish.

RPM International: Rust-Oleum and Specialty Coatings

While not one of the top three global paint giants, RPM International is worth noting as a major player in the specialty coatings and DIY segments. RPM is publicly traded on NYSE under ticker RPM and reported net revenues of approximately $7.3 billion in fiscal year 2025.

[Rust-Oleum](/brands/rust-oleum) is RPM's most valuable consumer brand, the leading rust-preventive coating in the United States and a strong competitor in the spray paint category where it competes with Sherwin-Williams's Krylon.

Tremco and Tremco Roofing are RPM's commercial building maintenance and roofing solutions brands.

DAP is RPM's caulks, sealants, and spackling brand, the market leader in adhesives and sealants at retail.

The Full Ownership Map

Why the Paint Industry Is So Concentrated

Three structural factors drive consolidation in coatings:

Raw material scale: Paints are formulated from hundreds of chemical inputs. Larger companies have significantly stronger purchasing leverage with chemical suppliers and can invest in proprietary formulation technology unavailable to smaller competitors.

Retail shelf dominance: Home improvement retailers including Home Depot and Lowe's allocate limited space to paint. Exclusive distribution agreements, such as Valspar's arrangement with Lowe's and Glidden's arrangement with Home Depot, lock out competing brands from the largest retail channels.

Professional contractor loyalty: The professional paint contractor segment purchases the majority of architectural paint by volume. Professional painters tend to remain loyal to a brand once they adopt it, creating durable market positions that are difficult to displace through marketing alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Valspar paint? Valspar is owned by Sherwin-Williams Company, which acquired Valspar in 2017 for approximately $11.3 billion. Valspar is sold exclusively through Lowe's home improvement stores in the United States for its architectural paint products and continues to operate as a brand within the Sherwin-Williams portfolio.

Who owns Dulux paint? Dulux is owned by AkzoNobel N.V., the Dutch multinational paint and coatings company listed on Euronext Amsterdam. Dulux is AkzoNobel's global flagship architectural paint brand and is the market leader in the United Kingdom, Australia, and several other markets.

Who owns Farrow and Ball? Farrow and Ball is owned by AkzoNobel, which acquired the British luxury paint brand in 2014 for approximately £275 million. Despite the acquisition, Farrow and Ball continues to operate with significant independence, maintaining its manufacturing in Dorset, England, its distinctive colour palette, and its premium pricing.

Is Rust-Oleum owned by Sherwin-Williams? No. Rust-Oleum is owned by RPM International, a publicly traded specialty coatings company listed on NYSE under ticker RPM. RPM acquired Rust-Oleum in 1994. Rust-Oleum and Sherwin-Williams's Krylon brand are competitors in the spray paint and protective coatings segments.

Explore Related Brands

• Sherwin-Williams - World's largest paint company by revenue, NYSE: SHW
• Valspar - Mid-market architectural paint, owned by Sherwin-Williams
• Dulux - Global architectural paint leader outside North America, AkzoNobel
• Farrow and Ball - British ultra-premium paint, acquired by AkzoNobel 2014
• Rust-Oleum - Leading rust-preventive coating, owned by RPM International

Browse all household consumer goods brands on WhoBrands

Sources

• Sherwin-Williams Annual Report 2024 — https://investors.sherwin-williams.com
• PPG Industries Annual Report 2025 — https://investor.ppg.com
• AkzoNobel Annual Report 2024 — https://www.akzonobel.com/en/investors
• RPM International Annual Report FY2025 — https://www.rpminc.com/investors
• IBISWorld: US Paint and Coating Manufacturing — https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/paint-coating-manufacturing/492/
• Kinapaint: Top Paint Manufacturers 2026 — https://kinapaint.com/top-10-paint-manufacturers-and-companies-2026-guide/

All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com research methodology. Last updated: March 22, 2026.