Mark, My Words!

I keep it short, since you might be sick of me by now but the paint news won't stop and so I can't either. Updated earnings from Big Paint and the merger between Akzo and Axalta, which cleared several milestones recently. Plus the bad news about inflation and as always highlighting Heidi's bullshit.

Bonus episode this week because there was so much paint news. Charges have been dropped against David Hearn, plus what we learned about the peeling from the government's motion to dismiss. Which confirmed my reporting that the pool was already peeling before Hearn ever got there, though the document never mentions me by name, adding plagiarism to the list of charges US Attorney Janine Pirro may now be facing. Plus a new tranche of information for anyone following our national paint shame. If you make it to the end I tell you what it all means, though you may not want to hear it.

I spent last week investigating the situation at the Reflecting Pool, which will continue to peel until they blast it all off, which should be what happens if the contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings knows what's good for them. Which they may not, considering how it's gone so far. Also, I received another tranche of documents from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, in response to a Right to Know request, leaving lots to update.

Benjamin Moore CEO Dan Calkins abruptly ended that company's relationship with Do it Best, after the hardware co-op contracted with Sherwin-Williams to manufacture True Value Paints. YES, they still exist! Catch this episode and I'll tell you why he did it. And why True Value Paint retailers should #BoycottSherwinWilliams and exactly how to do it.

Why guess what went wrong at the Reflecting Pool in Washington, when you can just listen to this episode and know.

Lawsuits filed over the last 60-days portend lengthy court battles for the world's largest paint maker, exposing Sherwin to the risk that a jury might not be as forgiving as Pennsylvania's DEP. And these cases are just the beginning, because more and bigger are coming.

Recorded May 27, 2026, listen in as Jeff and I discuss the rising price of paint, Diamond Vogel's retail divestiture and the role of the American Coatings Association

I cover them all in this quarterly summary

As word of what #sherwinwilliams is doing in Rochester begins to spread, people have lots of questions. In the next two episodes I'll share the most common ones, with answers for them all. Because when you know what #sherwinwilliamspaint is doing in Rochester, you'll be as pissed as I am. #boycottsherwinwilliams Current market cap: $74bil.

As word of what #sherwinwilliams is doing in Rochester begins to spread, people have lots of questions. In the next two episodes I'll share the most common ones, with answers for them all. Because when you know what #sherwinwilliamspaint is doing in Rochester, you'll be as pissed as I am.

LIVE April 29, 2026 by Mark Lipton

Mark and Kim: THE 51st State and Tariffs by Mark Lipton

Mark and Kim: All in the Family by Mark Lipton

Mark and Kim: Wage Disparity and Slogging for Corporate by Mark Lipton

Live updating the news from Sherwin-Williams in Rochester, PA, where the company continues to poison people with no regard for safety or legality.

Mark Lipton's Boycott Sherwin-WIlliams: Episode One $83.14 billion by Mark Lipton

Join me and Gary as we discuss plant-based coatings, including products available from Behr and Sherwin-Williams. And sustainability, as the coatings segment continues to work to reduce its carbon footprint.

Join me as I discuss artificial intelligence in paint, with industry veteran Gary Dandreaux. Already making its way into the labs, field, manufacturing and distribution facilities, paint geeks with natural intelligence should keep track of the artificial ones. You can start to do that here.

There have been more than 3,000 layoffs in paint over the last year with likely more to come. I go through them and detail what I know, including what I think I know about what comes next. Which is more than you think, and less than I do! Plus, who's hiring. Because some paint companies still are.

A retrospective on my history with Benjamin Moore, including how I ended up working for that company's CEO, which nobody was expecting. And if you think I'm the type to hold back my criticism of Benjamin Moore because of that employment, it's only because you don't know the rest of THE story.

A source inside Pittsburgh's stores division gave me the best look behind that curtain since American Industrial Partners acquired the former architectural coatings division from PPG. I report what they shared, adding what I think it means. In case Brian Carson watches the video and wants to know what to do next. After that I hosted a no rules Q & A, which was the best of the three Q & A's I've recorded for this series. I want to know what you think? And what other topics you would join me for if I covered them live. DM, text, email, don't be shy.

LIVE Wage Theft at Sherwin recorded 2/5/2026 by Mark Lipton

In my last podcast of the summer Steve and I finish our conversation about the condition of American cities including a discussion of the book Happy City by Charles Montgomery. American cities continue to suffer from poor planning and decades of maintenance backlogs, so that most offer a degraded lifestyle by the standard of what is possible. Will we fiddle while Rome burns?

Paint is not my only interest, though it's been the only topic I've podcasted about. Until now! Over the last several years due to work and good fortune I've spent time in numerous major cities around the US and world. Noticing THE disparities, it's been on my mind to share that experiences with you. If you're an American you might not want to hear it, though you need to. The problems with US cities and our failing infrastructure are more than 60-years in the making, so if you think that I've gone political you'd be wrong. Spanning federal and state administrations of both parties the United States has failed to invest in needed upkeep and improvements. And we are all responsible!

Because one episode on this topic was not enough! Part two of my survey with independent paint retailers, asking all THE questions Ben Carson and Dan Calkins want to know! Next week, something completely different.

Now we get to THE good part: I've begun my work surveying dealer sentiment towards their manufacturing partners. I've only performed a few interviews so far and have already been impressed by how willing dealers are to share their views. Join us as Steve and I discuss this current and most interesting engagement. I'll be back with a new blog on Thursday!

Finally back behind the mike, join me as I catch you up on what I've been doing the last few months including talking tariffs, applicators, a recent paint store road trip plus an update on one of several consulting gigs I currently have going on in paint.

Mark, My Words and Friends! Episode 1: Tariffs and THE Consultant by Mark Lipton

Join me as the president of Farrell-Calhoun, Anthony Ward, shares THE story of his company's transformation in the moments after Kelly-Moore's closing. Unlike Dunn-Edwards, Farrell-Calhoun had not prepared for the closing of Kelly-Moore. As word spread of Kelly's collapse, Anthony and his team had no plans to hire a team of Kelly-Moore alumni. Until he met them!

As word of Kelly-Moore's closing spread a few companies took fast action to ensure that Kelly's losses would be their gains. Dunn-Edwards was one such company, though their story is less about their response to Kelly-Moore's closing and more about their preparation for the possibility that their once mighty competitor may one day close! Join me as Monte Lewis, the COO oof Dunn-Edwards shares their story.

As word of Kelly-Moore's closing spread a few companies took fast action to ensure that Kelly's losses would be their gains. HIS Coatings was one such company, Join me as the president of HIS Coatings Tony Cox shares how his family's business transformed their business in an instant to capitalize on THE opportunity. And there's only one place to hear their story!

In the wake of the events at Kelly-Moore three companies took bold action to ensure that Kelly's losses would be their gains, each transforming their businesses in THE process. THE Opportunists is their story! Plus an update on paint news, because independents are doing so well I couldn't keep it to myself!

I think I've made my point, so what comes next? For my content, for Gassenheimer, the Flacks Group and for the Kelly-Moore family of now former-employees? This is where you come to find out!

This is it for our time with Charlie and His Lying Factory, at least as far as my coverage is concerned. I'm certain his lying will go on! And it's not just the lies he told which were evident at that time we recorded, like his boasts of his success at Corizon or the experience consumers will have using Kelly-Moore paints now that he's at the company's helm. But time has also made lies of every word he spoke that day, as he clearly never intended to pursue any of the endeavors we discussed. Even at the last moment as the original recording cuts off I'm reminded of other conversations I had with Gassenheimer regarding his plans for Kelly-Moore. All of which were lies!

THE most aptly named podcast on YouTube! Halfway through that original podcast and Gassenheimer is waving THE red flags!

When Charles Gassenheimer told me of his experience at Corizon Health on a podcast recorded with the Kelly-Moore CEO he offered Corizon as evidence of executive skills saying the company was doing "fantastic." Which is a fantastic fucking story, but that's all it is! Days after spinning this tale, Corizon would settle one of the many wrongful death suits against the company. What could he have been thinking while he said that? TEXT ME!

The news was not good for Kelly-Moore chief executive Charles Gassenheimer last week as Kelly-Moore became the least of his problems! Watch THE episode here and catch my blog on Thursday!

News and commentary on the closing of Kelly-Moore, and tracking THE lies of Charles Gassenhemier.

Join me and my co-host Steve Rice as we test a new format created just for you. If you're a paint geek! This episode I'll introduce you to both Steve and our new format, starting you off with some tips for dealers about diversifying their businesses. And the one about my daughter Miranda. Join us for the laugh!

In THE News! With News and analysis for independent paint retailers for August 21, 2023. THE earnings! With coverage of earnings and sales results from Sherwin-Williams, PPG and Masco. And guess what? Dealers are doing better!

As a paint retailer it's hard to distinguish your stores from other retailers in the space, often leaving price and location as the only reason a customer favors you over S-W, HD or even another independent. To ensure I stood above THE crowd while calling on NY's industrial coatings users, I stood on my certification NACE Level III Coatings Inspector. THE strategy paying off to the tune of million's of dollars in additional sales over the course of my career. Almost all of which were at a higher GP than anything I was making selling Regal to NYC painters! Recent, industry veteran Steve Rice reached out to say hello and as we chatted it became clear that Steve had used NACE certification to advance his career in the same way I had and so I asked him to join me on a podcast so we could share the strategy which made us both so successful in the industrial coatings markets. Whether you're a small dealer looking to make your stores stand out in a crowded market or a larger retailer looking to grow industrial to what it should be, 30% of your total coatings sales, this episode is for you!

My analysis of the paint industry's performance so-far this year. Plus the one about the time John Morikis got caught stretching THE truth! Results and analysis on SW, PPG, Ace, Masco & HD, and THE independent channel! THE best 13-minutes in paint!

Mother-daughter painting contractors Billie Machain and Veronica Tucci made time in their busy schedules to record a podcast with me recently. THE women are so busy because in addition to managing their rapidly expanding Philadelphia-based commercial painting business the pair were recently named one of Behr's top "Women in Paint" for 2023! In this entertaining 15-minute episode Billie and Veronica do all the talking, sharing their paint bonafides with stints at Sherwin-Williams, Duron as well as time in THE independent channel while working for Buten's! Now teaming up as painting contractors, THE pair share their secrets for success, including how they take advantage of laws and other policies which give advantage to women, veteran, minority-owned businesses. If you're a female, minority, veteran-owned dealer, you need to listen to this episode!

Now the chain's paint department manager Jon Dazey began his career at White's as an OSR: an all-expenses paid outside sales rep for the chain of lumberyards compliments of Benjmain Moore. (Pssst, they'll give you one too!) And while interesting, we don't spend much time discussing Jon's career path because dealers want will want to hear how White's is using industrial products and a focus on governments to grow his paint sales. And he wants to tell you how to do it!

Join me as I talk insurance with Matt Rogers of Papenhausen Hardware in San Francisco. Matt is an accidental expert on what insurance independent paint and hardware retailers need: Rogers had to rebuild Papenhausen after a fire destroyed the 100+ year-old business. TWICE! When he was done rebuilding his store the second time, Matt started a trade organization for independent home improvement retailers and a LinkedIn group where paint and hardware dealers can connect with other independents. To offer or obtain advice and support, share experiences or just tell a tale from behind THE counter.

Join me as I discuss hiring and retention with Gina Schaefer of the 13-store Washington, DC ACE retailer "A Few Cool Hardware Stores" Despite chronic nationwide labor shortages and high turnover rates for retail employers, Gina continues to hire and retain employees. Gina's strategies, plus her efforts in employee training and development, has driven her turnover rate as low as 25% in some stores! Gina said all THE work, All you have to do is listen! (Sorry btw about the reduced audio quality. I'm not sure what happened there but I'll get right on that.)

In THE News! February 16, 2023. In the news this week are earnings reports from Sherwin-Williams, PPG and RPM. As well as forecasts from all three for a challenging 2023 for paint sellers! Plus, what body part Sherwin chief executive John Morikis most resembles when he bullies his employees!

If you're a Benjamin Moore dealer or employee you're not going to want to miss this episode with recently retired BM executive Budweiser Jim Gorman! Join me as Jimmy and I discuss the modern history of the Montvale paint maker, including the sale to Berkshire Hathaway and Jimmy's perspective on the six Benjamin Moore CEO's he served. Including our very own, #Dan!

Why does the chemical foundation of paint and its dependence on petroleum and heavy-metal mining remain unchanged for more than 150-years despite revolutionary advances in chemistry and technology during that time? And with the increased cost of shipping adding 2% to THE inflation rate, when will paint be made as a concentrate so we can stop paying to ship all this water? Chemist John Minerowicz has the answers, get 'em here!

Join me as as Garrett Florent of Rainguard shares how dealers can tap into the lucrative market for clears and anti-graffiti coatings. Garrett also shares how dealers can attract masons into their stores with just a small mix of products. Coatings which masons generally acquire at lumber yards or another building supplier!