This episode introduces readers to Lisa Sciortino, the new Managing Editor of CoatingsPro Magazine. Topics include her career background and what makes her a good fit for the role; opportunities for industry leaders to become more involved with the magazine; and how CoatingsPro aims to help contractors and other industry professionals do their jobs better, both now and into the future.

Dennis Karnstein and Brian Carson are top executives at Pittsburgh Paints Co., a leading North American producer of interior and exterior paints, stains, caulks, repair products, adhesives, and sealants. In this conversation with CoatingsPro Magazine, Karnstein and Carson address marketplace trends in late 2025 and entering 2026; making coatings more user-friendly for applicators; the group’s unique service model and its new opportunities as a privately owned company; and more.

A new set calculator on the Enverge.App is designed to provide contractors with a quick, mobile tool displaying instant estimates for how many spray foam sets a project will need, as well as built-in calculators for circles, triangles, and corrugated metal. Ryan Decker, spray foam brand manager for Enverge, chats with CoatingsPro Magazine regarding the importance of digital integration for contractors and applicators; feedback from early adopters of these technologies; marketplace trends in the industry; and more.

Pamela Novak, vice president of finance and HR at JetRock, joins this sponsored episode of the CoatingsPro Interview Series. Discussion topics include what makes JetRock stand out among flooring options in the commercial business sector; the company’s unique value proposition; installation challenges, opportunities, and training resources; and much more.

In this sponsored episode, experts from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) explore how new and emerging technologies are transforming the industrial coating marketplace. Featuring insights from Don McClain, Andrew Croll, and Ken Seal, topics include the impact of new technologies and tools; optimal strategies for training, workforce development, and quality control; future trends to watch for; and the role of organizations such as IUPAT and AMPP in supporting the industry and advocating for its workforce.

Davies Hood, President and Owner of Induron Protective Coatings, shares his insight on marketplace trends; innovations within the industry; and feedback from clients and end users. Those innovations include Induron’s new Perma-Clean 100 SL, which was designed to offer the benefits of thick-film barrier protection without requiring complex plural-component spray equipment.

In “Exhibitor Spotlight” interviews at the flagship AMPP 2025 show in Nashville, we spoke with several industry experts regarding new products and services to address modern challenges for protective coatings professionals. This mini-episode features experts from from Best-Tec and Sauereisen.

In “Exhibitor Spotlight” interviews from the flagship AMPP 2025 show in Nashville, we spoke with experts from across the industry regarding new products and services that could help address many modern needs and challenges. This mini-episode features experts from Belzona and Corrosion Innovations.

AMPP Advocacy Day 2025 is on the horizon, and this year’s event is focused on protecting America’s maritime future through corrosion mitigation and coatings solutions. As the United States modernizes its maritime industrial base and expands naval and commercial shipbuilding capacity, AMPP is leading conversations with policymakers to ensure materials protection remains a national priority. In this roundtable discussion, member leaders Kristin Leonard (Sherwin-Williams) and D. Terry Greenfield (CONSULEX) join AMPP’s Kern Williams and Ben DuBose to explore the most important legislative storylines in 2025 and beyond.

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) represents 140,000 workers across the United States and Canada. In this summer 2025 interview with CoatingsPro Magazine, IUPAT’s Andrew Croll and Ken Seal share insights and the latest trends pertaining to safety, training, workforce development, industry influence and advocacy, and more.

Brian Carson, CEO of Pittsburgh Paints Co. since February 2025, shares insights regarding his new role and the future of the industry. Topics include opportunities for the company under private ownership; how Carson’s flooring experience helps him understand the paints and coatings market; common challenges and pain points for contractor customers; and more.

Atlantic Design, Inc. (ADI) is a family owned and operated business in Baltimore, Maryland. The company brings more than 30 years of experience in the blasting and coatings industry while aiming to provide innovative and efficient solutions for the needs of its customers.  Russell Roden, president of ADI, joins this sponsored episode with perspective gained over his three-plus decades in the business. Topics include key technologies that ADI has contributed to the market; modern industry trends, such as using a pneumatic transfer system in grit recycling; recent upgrades and innovations within blast controls; and expectations for the future.

Kirk Lipes, Global Transportation Segment Director at paints and coatings manufacturer Sherwin-Williams, shares his insight on unique needs and opportunities within the market. Topics include challenges and historical limitations; newer technologies and processes to improve performance; feedback from customers and applicators; collaboration opportunities; and more.

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) represents 140,000 workers in the finishing trades across the United States and Canada. In this episode, IUPAT’s Andrew Croll and Ken Seal share insights on the organization’s mission to support and train professionals in the coatings industry; its strategies pertaining to recruiting and retaining workers; emerging technologies and jobsite trends in the industry; and much more.

Gary Gray, a longtime coatings contractor and an executive with Tenor ESOP Partners and ESOP Consulting Group, LLC, says he is seeing considerable momentum toward broad-based employee ownership as a growth tool. With the strategy (learn more) also representing a tax advantaged exit alternative, Gray explains why he believes the momentum is especially strong in the construction sector. 

While at the 2025 World of Concrete show in Las Vegas, CoatingsPro Magazine caught up with leaders from several industry companies for brief interviews on the Exhibit Hall floor. Companies profiled in this series, in alphabetical order, include BrandSafway; Crown Polymers; Graco; Key Resin Company; Polymer Nation; PPG; and Quikspray Inc.

Greg Mulholland, founder and CEO of Citrine Informatics, shares his perspective on how artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly affecting the coatings industry and others linked to materials protection and performance. Discussion topics include development processes influenced by AI; feedback from industrial users; strategies for using AI to adapt to industry trends and new regulations; what the future evolution of AI may look like; and available resources to learn more.

Russell Raad, president of “one-stop shop” Abrasives Inc., joins a sponsored episode of the CoatingsPro Interview Series with insight on his company’s unique specialties and market position. Discussion topics include marketplace trends, changes, and regulatory impacts; unique challenges to the surface preparation of industrial coatings jobs; strategies to incorporate feedback from contractors and end users; an outlook for the future; and available resources from Abrasives Inc. to assist in these processes.

Kaveh Meghdadpour, Director of National Accounts and Business Development and the East Region Manager at Crown Polymers, joins this sponsored episode. Discussion topics include industry trends and pain points within floor coatings; successful case studies using Crown solutions; the importance of manufacturers and contractors working together; and strategies to address potential industry concerns in the years ahead, such as workforce development.

Kyle McDonald, Project Manager at Western Specialty Contractors in Delray Beach, Florida, joins the CoatingsPro Interview Series with insight on his job and beyond. Discussion topics include standout projects from his time at Western; unique coating factors to consider with concrete substrates and his regional market; industry trends related to technologies, materials, equipment, and workforce development; and much more.