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Hey guys can anyone tell me why paint prices don’t seem to be in line with other suppliers around town. I’ve been trying to get my business up and running for a while now but I’ve seemed to get a few paint suppliers into a bidding war. So far PPG/Pittsburgh Paints has given me the better prices but they don’t have a very big dealer network as Sherwin Williams. The prices of PPG/Pittsburgh are considerably lower than SW and it doesn’t seem that they (SW) are willing to come down to match or at least meet PPG. My only problem with PPG is that they don’t carry a lot of striping paint so I would have to order it in advance which in my eyes would kind of put a crunch on my scheduling process if I had to set around and wait for paint to arrive. Both stores are of equal distance from home so that would rule out travel expenses as well. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hey Shoal Creek 249…how are you?
Yeah…you hit it right on the head.
Either…
1)…pay an inexpensive bill and maybe wait for the paint to arrive…or…
2)…pay an inflated price…(that’s not a fair assumption)…and have no commitments and the paint is almost everywhere.
You know what?…don’t quit…here’s what I hear; you’re wanting to deal with PPG.
Here’s my idea…
Is there more than (1) PPG dealer nearby? Sometimes the store location dictates what the Manager Chooses to carry. Case in point?…the store I deal with is almost dominated by contractors. The store…same franchise…down the street is dominated by “Retail” people. So…the latter store Manager carries no striping paint. My point? Maybe you’re in the “wrong” store…whether owned by the Corporation or a Franchisee. So…is there more than (1) PPG store nearby? And…are all the customers wearing white painter pants?
Now…here’s my next thing…some PPG stores are owned by Franchisees = owned by the person behind the counter…like a fast food chain = “Individuals” = anyone wanting to own a PPG store.
And…some are still owned by “Corporate” = the Franchisor.
Now for my disclaimer…I think…and here’s why…I receive calls from a PPG store, paint sales guy. He wants to sell paint. I ask where his stores are located. He says…(2) places…just (2)?…AND…the (1) store I pass on the way to my shop isn’t one of them. Maybe he’s a Franchisee…owning (2).
Now…the store location I pass?…it’s loaded with contractors and gobs of (5) gallon buckets of paint. (No Retail person buys a (5) gallon supply of paint.) My conclusion?…this is either a Franchisee in a Contractor’s market…or…a “Corporate” owned store selling to mostly Contractors.
Either way…it’s a Contractor store.
So…maybe you’re in a Franchisee = “Person Owned” store that cannot commit to buying a truckload of paint…to secure the low price…to pass on to you…because they’re in a “Retail” dominated area.
Again…try another location…maybe find out where the “Corporate Owned” store is…or at least where the Contractor Dominated store location is. (If I were a Franchisee located in a Contractor Dominated area…I wouldn’t be too afraid of ordering a truckload of striping paint…give everyone the same low price to make sure I sold it all.)
Maybe I’m on to something. At least it’s a try.
Then you decide the rest = to buy or not to buy…at that location…intermittently…or (80) gallons at a time = (1) skid. I’m hoping you’re very fortunate and find a “Corporate” owned “Contractor Dominated” store.
There has to be a store that sells striping paint to a few stripers…somewhere.
Let me know. If I’m wrong…so be it…I apologize. But…don’t quit.
I won’t either. I just cannot imagine PPG cannot compete.
Keep in touch.
Dan
Thanks for the input. Sherwin Williams isn’t wanting to compete with PPG/Pittsburgh. I can get paint from PPG for nearly $5.00 per gallon less but I will have to order it in advance. For that kind of discount I guess a little bit of forward planning wouldn’t be all that bad. By the way that is latex white and yellow. Specialty colors are of course higher but compared to Sherwin Williams there is an even greater discount. Up to $12.00 per gallon cheaper than Sherwin Williams on these. Alkyd is in the neighborhood of $2.00 to $5.00 per gallon cheaper than Sherwin Williams. After all of this……. Waiting an extra day or so for my paint to come in might just be the way to go. One more question for you if you don’t mind. What is the difference between ” non-bleeder” guns and “bleeder” guns. I’ve got an uneducated guess as to the difference but I don’t talk unless I know what I’m saying. So I will wait for an educated guess from someone far more knowledgeable than I. Thanks again for your time and a wonderful book. Still working on getting going. Won’t be long now. Thanks again.
Hey Shoal Creek 249
I know just what it is…I use one.
Matter of fact…go to my web site… http://www.americanstriping.com
Click onto the Videos page.
There is a (3) part video on a “Conventional” Line Striping Machine.
In part (3)…I fire it up and allow you to hear it…and…
…I have a “bleeder” gun attached.
Here’s what it is.
A compressor compresses air and sends it to (4) places.
One place is to the actual striping gun.
When I open a valve…the air is allowed to get all the way to the gun and actually flow right through it.
Let’s call this a stream of flowing air…ok…ok…
…let’s all act like the striping gun is actually “bleeding” air…or air is “bleeding” through the gun.
All I have to do now is pull the trigger.
When I do…the paint is then allowed to pass through the gun…and into that flowing stream of air…it’s audible…and feel-able too…if you stick your hand under there.
Anyhow…the paint stream obviously mixes with the air stream and out comes a spray.
When you shut the trigger off…the paint stops flowing…but the air does not…until you then close the valve that allows the air to flow.
Now…if you have time…watch the video…and I love this machine…especially if you work in a (4) climate zone = cool and cold temps.
Last…I’ll sell these machines from my site soon. You’ll get the same prices from me but…I’ll throw in a stencil for free. Check out my “Buy Supplies” page and pick a stencil…$105.00 or less.
Call me for machine prices…let me know if I can help.
Dan
Hey Dan, Great videos on the conventional machine. I paint cars for a living and am used to that type of set up. Although we don’t use the “bleeder guns” I think that I am going to have to agree with you on the machine. How do I contact you in order to get prices on new machines and to ask you some more questions about the used one I’ve found. Also…. How and/or where do I go to find out if my state regulations will allow me to use oil or acetone based paint. That will ultimately be the deciding factor as to which machine I buy. By the way I’ve found a brand new Speeflo 8900 for $3700.00. Quite a rig with a decent price I’d say. Thanks again for all your help. It’s been greatly appreciated.
Hey Shoal Creek 249
Hit me up on my site.
My shop number is there.
On the paint…Sherwin Williams or PPG should easily be able to answer = if they won’t sell it or don’t sell it…it’s not legal anymore.
In OH it’s the Waterborne and Acetone.
I can’t even buy Alkyd. So…that makes it easy.
The 8900 is a great steal. I paid $3500.00 for a 3900…and a few readers couldn’t get close to that…especially if it’s in the store = no shipping charges to add on! I love my Titan.
Here’s a weird question…how used is it? It may be one of those situations where someone ordered it…tried it…can’t make it…blah…blah.
Make sure it isn’t too good to be true…take a look at it…decide.
Call me…we’ll talk…and let me know how it works out.
Congrats.
DanShoal Creek
Hey…try Maintenance Inc., for some paint too.
They’re in Wooster OH.
The person’s name is Mark.
800.892.6701
I purchased from them years ago and it always worked out.
Let me know.
Dan
Hey Dan,
I tried to contact you via the e-mail address on your site. No luck! Something about my e-mail address wouldn’t let it work. You had mentioned calling you. What would be a good time to do so? I live in the Central time zone by the way. I have some more questions concerning alternative uses for the conventional striping machine to ask you as well as possibly ordering one through you. Thanks for your time and patience.
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