Bodyshops should expect further consolidation in the paint supply chain following PPG’s recent acquisition of the Brown Brothers network.

However, it’s unlikely that any other paint maker will follow PPG’s example, according to Neville Dickson, Marketing Manager, Standox UK.

“The supply chain, linked to the number of bodyshops, has been reducing for quite some time,” he says. “Overall I'd expect there to be fewer distributors in coming years than there are now, but my guess is there will not be another major buy out in the near future.”

Standox and rival paint maker R-M pulled their business from the Brown Brothers network as a result of its purchase by PPG and both now intend to focus on independent distributors.

Their moves sent reverberations throughout the £500m paint market, but an even biggest impact will be made by insurer and manufacturer paint mandates.

Find out more about what this means for your bodyshop in our paints feature in the March 21 issue of AM.