Nothing makes an architectural statement quite like a building’s facade, and with the ever-increasing range of solid, metallic and pearlescent colours, the US-based Valspar is now redefining the future of building facades across the globe, says company spokesman Amaro Gomes.

“Based on a relationship of trust – which the Kynar 500 resin-based architectural metal coatings have commanded globally for over four decades now – Valspar’s top-of-the-range Fluropon coatings have become the preferred choice on a diverse range of projects, from parks to stadiums, schools, airports, convention centres, shopping malls, corporate headquarters, commercial/residential buildings, and hotels among others,” he says.
The company made a foray into the Middle East market in 1996, and the relationship it established with its first customer in the region – Alico – has stood the test of time.
“Good business is akin to a good partnership,” says Gomes. “Joining hands with local leaders such as Alico has helped us to lift industry standards not only in the Middle East but also in the far-flung markets of Egypt, Sudan, Pakistan, and India.
“Valspar is now well positioned to play a leading role in the fast-growing Middle East region, with its high performance PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) coatings,” he adds.
“Some industry luminaries such as the legendary architect Dr IM Pei had realised the potential of PVDF way back in 1965. Over the years, PVDF architectural aluminum coatings have established a niche market and have been used extensively by those who will not settle for anything less than the best. Today, most leading architects around the world make no compromises and routinely specify and use Kynar-500-based coatings on their building projects,” he says.
Elaborating on the composition of the material, he says: “The difference is in the chemistry. The rugged carbon-fluorine bond coupled with ceramic pigmentation gives that exceptional weathering performance to withstand the test of time.
“Except for Kynar 500 resin-based coatings, no other known architectural metal coating claims to meet with or exceed the weathering performance requirements of the globally respected AAMA 2605 specifications. It’s a unique fluropolymer product,” Gomes asserts.
““How can one compare the 10-year South Florida weathering performance of AAMA 2605 specifications, with that of a five-year performance of AAMA 2604 specifications, or for that matter the three-year performance of Qualicoat Class II specifications?” probes Gomes, referring to market perceptions on international specifications and quality.
Raising a note of caution to the construction sector, he says: “We have reached such unreasonable levels of guarantees being given on some architectural aluminum coatings, that it may soon jeopardise the credibility of guarantees and in turn that of the paint industry”
Speaking on the market, he says: “Competition is healthy and is here to stay. With the current construction boom all over the Middle East, there is enough room for everybody. We do lose out on a few projects on the price front, which is fair, but when it comes to quality our PVDF coatings win hands down.”
“The extensive use of aluminum composite panels for cladding on building projects proves a point that Kynar 500 resin-based coatings are here to stay. And having set a benchmark for quality with associated long-term economies, it is but natural for Kynar 500 resin-based coatings to be referred as the ‘Rolls Royce of the metal coating industry’ or better still as ‘the big dog of metal coatings’,” he adds.
Global demand for Valspar’s PVDF spay coatings is catered to by the company’s facility in Dallas, US. Locally, the company supplies from the Jebel Ali Free Zone through a select network of licensed applicators.
“Over a period of time, we have built a relationship of trust with our customers and this has helped us enhance industry standards in the Middle East, which otherwise would have stagnated,” he says.
The company has already provided quality solutions in protecting global landmarks such as  what is currently the world’s tallest tower “Taipei 101” The Taipei Financial Centre at Taiwan; refurbished projects such as the Sears Tower at Chicago and the Pentagon at Washington DC; high-profile projects such as the Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
“I have lost track of local landmarks in Middle East,” says Gomes, but projects such as The Gate at Dubai International Financial City (DIFC), Dubai Autodrome, Adnoc (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) headquarters, BurJuman Centre, Shangri-La Hotel, Zabeel Park, Etisalat, Dubai International Airport expansion and Dubai World Trade and Convention Centre, all in Dubai; Emirates Palace Hotel and UAE Central Bank in Abu Dhabi; KPC (Kuwait Petroleum Corporation) and KNPC (Kuwait National Petroleum Company) headquarters in Kuwait; and Sheikh Khalifa Stadium for Asian Games 2006 in Qatar are some of the few recent ones.
Are Valspar’s sights now set on Burj Dubai? “Of course – we are working it,” Gomes concludes.