Global coatings and refinish giant PPG has officially announced the recipients of its 2025 Excellent Supplier Awards. The annual corporate recognition program highlights international supply partners that have driven notable commercial value, generated structural cost savings, and established clear upstream competitive advantages for the manufacturer.
The selection criteria evaluate vendors across PPG’s extensive global supply base—spanning direct raw materials, indirect corporate infrastructure, international logistics, and raw energy procurement. To secure an award, suppliers must consistently surpass baseline corporate requirements across metrics including product quality, commercial value, operational responsiveness, delivery precision, and sustainability metrics.
Technical Program: Global and Regional Honorees
The corporate awards break down vendors into direct material suppliers (such as raw chemical and pigment processors) and indirect operational partners (spanning enterprise software infrastructure and technical services).
| Award Category | Geographic Scope / Operational Area | Assigned Award Winner | Core Industrial Sector |
| Sustainability Focus | Global Impact Initiative | Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp. | Next-generation marine antifouling materials. |
| Global Winner | Direct Materials Network | The Shepherd Color Company Rianlon LB Group | Raw chemicals, industrial pigments, and stabilizer elements. |
| Global Winner | Indirect Services Infrastructure | Belcan SAP EPAM | Advanced enterprise software, data architecture, and consulting. |
| Regional Winner | United States and Canada | Eaton (Indirect) | Electrical engineering, power management, and hardware infrastructure. |
| Regional Winner | Latin America | Complementos Coby SA de CV (Indirect) | Regional operational logistics and facility support services. |
| Regional Winner | Europe, Middle East, and Africa | Mercedes-Benz International Corporate Sales (Indirect) | Fleet management, corporate logistics, and transportation services. |
| Regional Winners | Asia Pacific | Ayva Packaging Pty. Ltd (Indirect) Anhui Shenjian New Material Co., Ltd (Direct) | Industrial chemical packaging containers and advanced raw finish resins. |
At the sustainability level, Mitsubishi Chemical Group secured top global honors for its deep technical collaboration with PPG’s research teams. The partnership successfully yielded innovative material compounds built specifically for next-generation marine antifouling coatings, delivering environmental benefits and fouling protection compared to legacy, biocide-heavy finishes.
“Our suppliers play a vital role in helping us serve our customers today while positioning PPG for future success,” stated Christine Camsuzou, PPG vice president of global procurement and integrated supply chain. “We’re pleased to recognize these exceptional partners for the value they bring to our business. Their dedication, creativity and adaptability have made a meaningful impact.”
Downstream Realities for Collision Repair and MSO Executives
While high-level supplier awards take place at the chemical manufacturing tier, changes in PPG’s upstream supply network impact everyday operations on the shop floor:
- Mitigating Material Bottlenecks via SAP and Data Scaling: By honoring digital infrastructure giants like SAP and EPAM with top global awards, PPG highlights its ongoing push to modernize its logistics networks. For multi-shop operations (MSOs), a more data-driven, tightly integrated supplier IT framework means smoother automated ordering systems and fewer unexpected liquid stockouts in the mix room, keeping cycle-time metrics stable.
- Predictable Base Chemistry and Refinish Consistency: Recognizing top direct chemical suppliers like The Shepherd Color Company and Rianlon indicates that PPG is actively prioritizing chemical purity and stabilizer consistency. For frontline automotive painters, reliable raw material inputs translate directly into predictable clearcoat behavior, constant color-match characteristics, and a significant reduction in expensive, time-consuming paint booth reworks.
- Leveraging Open Innovation for Shop-Floor Efficiency: PPG’s recognition of advanced hardware and engineering partners like Eaton and its concurrent pushes into open innovation—such as its newly awarded laser-curing projects with industrial partners—highlight the sector’s shift toward low-energy curing technologies. Forward-thinking facility operators should watch these energy-efficient infrastructure shifts closely, as adopting low-cure chemical baselines remains one of the fastest ways to slash natural gas utility overhead and boost vehicle throughput.
