Seminars & publications
May 2022
Overcoming steps in accessing new coatings technologies in South America
Francisco Rácz and Washington Yamaga – RY & Associates for Paint & Pintura May 2022
In 2000s the main coatings developments in South America, in different perspectives of quality and performance, indicated progress for new emulsions and resins, color systems, functionality additives and application systems. The years ahead, and particularly the years to 2026 and beyond, will be bringing new digital instrumentation for coatings and resin formulations through smart processes, using experimental accelerators for formulation and quality testing. The introduction in South America of combined performance additives, nano products for architectural and other industrial coatings, is already a fact.
December 2021
The Brazilian Coatings Market Post Pandemic Projections
Francisco Rácz and Washington Yamaga – R Y & Associates for Paint & Pintura December 2021
The productivity gains achieved by the industry in the last decade, along with the cost transfer to prices, maintained a strategic liquidity. Projections are now indicating new challenging level at 2 billion liters volume that will be reached within a new consumer “share of wallet” for coatings consumption.
August 2021
Coatings Re-Formulations: Urgent, Reliable and Digital!
Antonio Intini, Francisco Rácz e Washington Yamaga
R Y Associates for Paint & Pintura August 2021
The coatings market is strongly demanding manufacturers to develop multifunctional products, increasing efficiency, reducing costs and complexity, observing environmental regulations within a competitive time-to-market. The pandemic has accelerated these demands, as well as the need for new and different features, increasing the urgency of digital tools in paint formulations. This will change decisions about business innovation and content as well as risk management. Digital transformation changes the competitive landscape of coatings businesses and brands.
March 2021
COATINGS - THE GLOBAL AND REGIONAL SCENARIOS 2021-2025
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga - RY Associates for Paint & Pintura March 2021
We are already in 2021 being pressured to prioritize and implement programs that previously seemed to be a short-term resumption, as a long marathon. Coatings in South America as in all businesses, the new waves make us revisit the actions and the risks attached to it. The drivers of the new era are irreversible and globally impact people on housing, the workplace, health, mobility and concerns about the environment. The degree of immunization of people in this pandemic and other factors will ultimately determine the risk assessment of our decisions over time.
October 2020
RECOVERY SCENARIOS: TIME TO ACT MORE THAN REACT
Francisco Z. Rácz & Washington T. Yamaga - R Y Associates for Paint & Pintura October 2020
We left an apparent short-term survival scenario, with time set aside for a long-term survival scenario with many undefined variables. The first wave of recovery for paints, in several segments, was above expectations for several regions of Brazil, but the year will still close below the plan.
Macro economic variables such as the exchange rate, financial costs and others indicate different times. Future growth still depends structurally on investments in the economy and the effective reduction of unemployment. However, new facts such as a new wave of "hiccups" may continue impacting progression.

June 2020
IN DIFFICULT TIMES, INNOVATION HAS A SET TIME
Francisco Z. Rácz & Washington T. Yamaga - R Y & Associates for Paint & Pintura June 2020
All crises bring scars before defining themselves as drivers. The 2008 crisis taught the concept of risk in the real estate businesses to a group of people and enterprises. The 2020 crisis affects all of us individually in the capacity to react, defend and work. Mobility as previously conceptualized will change the housing industry, the transport industry, health and social life. New parameters will certainly be reflected in coatings and their brands in order to be socially sustainable.
The coatings businesses will be challenged on its knowledge and creativity, pressured exponentially for new solutions. The drastic reduction in “time to market” will clearly be a survival condition.
April 2022
Coatings South America resilience in the uncertainty and volatility scenarios
Francisco Rácz and Washington Yamaga – RY & Associates for Paint & Pintura April 2022
The challenge for the years to come is to understand the new dynamics of the market in terms of value strategy accessibility and continuity. This new scenario of volumes established in a higher level, slower growth in large segments, high cost trend to continue, configure the new challenge. The maintenance of financial health achieved by companies must be maintained at this new level and at the risk of their own survival.
October 2021
Coatings Innovation in South America. The last 20 years and the next 5 years
Francisco Racz and Washington Yamaga - RY & Associates for Paint & Pintura October 2021
Coatings is accelerating its technology and productivity programs through the nanometric digital transformation of formulations and manufacturing processes.
For years the basic components of paints have stood out as polymer-resins, solvents, pigments and additives. New generation of materials appear as performance boosters and as bio-materials from oil chemistry or ethanol chemistry. The new materials are leveraging a new dynamics for coatings innovations.
June2021
A NEW COATINGS COMPETITIVE SCENARIO
IN SOUTH AMERICA?
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga – RY Associates for Paint & Pintura June 2021
The new growth projections for the coatings business in South America are the result of new global and regional scenarios. The projections are dramatically impacted by the effect of post-pandemic crisis rebound. Companies that are more prepared in terms of technology and productivity access accelerated actions to protect their market positions becoming stronger.
March 2021
MARKET INTELLIGENCE ONLINE BULLETIN
STRATEGIC ASSESMENT OF COATINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA
GROWTH SCENARIOS AND PROJECTIONS 2021 – 2025
RY & Associates for Paint & Pintura
A quarterly dynamic online overview on coatings market in South America, its projections, growth factors in several countries and end user segments,
components.
An overview of possible growth scenarios for coatings in South America.
An updated analysis of the impact of recent global economic macro drivers influencing regional markets. A projection of the market size segmented by end-user volumes.
September 2020
HOW WILL COATINGS IN BRAZIL RECAPTURE VALUE?
Francisco Z. Rácz & Washington T. Yamaga - R Y & Associates for Paint & Pintura September 2020
Months after the beginning of our coexistence with pandemic, the paint industry is already experiencing a resumption of business, especially in the areas of architectural coatings and segments such as packaging, automotive refinishing, industrial maintenance, justified by demand and other leverages in economy. However, business definitions for 2021 and beyond are also intensified. Diversified productivity priorities and business consolidations are the most discussed topics.
April 2020
THE ROADMAP OF VALUE STRATEGIES IN COATINGS
Francisco Z. Rácz & Washington T. Yamaga (R Y & Associates) for Paint & Pintura April 2020
In the recent Forums of Paint & Pintura Coatings Magazine, in particular the one held in last March in Fortaleza, we presented the paths of added value in coatings. A discussion on the need to manage contribution margins through the product offering appreciation and an appropriate pricing policy.
The repercussion of this discussion in the new pandemic times reinforces the urgency to implement sustainable practices to protect business values and also to reduce business risks.
March 2022
2025 South America Coatings show countries with different projections
Francisco Racz and Washington Yamaga – R Y & Associates
for Paint & Pintura March 2022
In the medium and short term, the expectation for high costs still persists, as well as the fluctuation of global raw materials availability. The countries mentioned as the emerging ones in South America, have shown the return of consistent growth to pre-pandemic levels. Argentina and Brazil on the other hand has shown worrying developments until 2025. The pandemic and the new geopolitical incidents have not catalyzed significant acquisitions or mergers in South America. The search for competitive productivity at the paint manufacturer and supply chain level can result attractive alliances.
September 2021
Planning within the Pandemic Bubble or a Pandemic Bubble in the Planning?
Francisco Rácz e Washington Yamaga
Rácz, Yamaga & Associates for Paint & Pintura September 2021
The strategic planning cycle began with several analyzes of external scenario to the paint market in South America and especially in Brazil, once again marked by fluidity, a euphemism for instability.
Would the growth observed in 2021 in the paint markets in South America in general be sustainable? The paint market in the various countries in the continent reacted in 2021 over a previous weak year. We still run the risk of ignoring the structural aspects that have made us needy and uncompetitive.
May 2021
THE COATINGS INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION IN SOUTH AMERICA
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga - RY Associates for Paint & Painting May 2021
The coatings industry is in line with the sense of urgency imposed by the pandemic. The strategy is to achieve competitiveness to reach other markets, whether domestic or not, through technology, productivity gains and risk reduction. In the past 5 years, the paint industry and its supply chain have modified their formulation platforms, becoming more and more a formulas assembler, capable to offer solutions anywhere in the world.
December 2020
SOUTH AMERICA: $ 10 BL in 2024
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga – RY Associates for Paint & Pintura December 2020
Despite of uncertainty scenario and strong recovery in several segments, the 1st. Latin American Leadership Forum for coatings, organized by Agnelo Editora, brought to the discussion precisely a reading of this dichotomy. RY sought to reflect the major trends in volumes by country and segment, as well as main concentration efforts in the coatings sector.
Agosto 2020
WHAT CHANGES COME TO STAY?
Francisco Z. Rácz & Washington T. Yamaga - R Y & Associates for Paint & Painting July 2020
The 100-day resumption plan has certainly been revisited in terms of concepts and expectations numerous times. We quickly concluded that the crisis is going to be long, different and unprecedented.
The article brings reflections that before increasing sales, it is necessary to gain consumer confidence. All companies have established their crisis committees and are now looking for other smart and resilient decisions, reconfiguring their resources to survive.
Francisco Z. Rácz & Washington T. Yamaga (R Y & Associates) - Paint & Pintura March 2020
On one hand there is a mismatch of chemical industry in emerging countries, in relation to other more advanced markets in the world. On the other, there is the opportunity to modify the use and manufacture of paints through advanced digital resources. Today we are focused on manufacturing excellence, customer experience and obsession to sell paint to new markets. The digital transformation in emerging countries can happen before many industries are expecting. The high-productivity digital integrated modules for clears, catalysts and colors are already being designed and produced in Brazil and exported to developed countries.
Francisco Z. Rácz, Washington T. Yamaga (R Y & Associates) for Paint & Pintura December 2019
The combination of Interest Rate, Inflation, Exchange Rate and GDP for the coming years, may impact the coatings industry very differently from the historical evolution.
Planning 2020 already points to opportunities for technological transformation and new business models unprecedented in Brazil coatings industry.
The Brazilian market in 2025 is expected to be over $ 6 Billion. The 80% of new paint and coating opportunities will be in the building elements, transportation, automotive and anti-corrosion segments.
Francisco Z. Rácz, Washington T. Yamaga - (R Y & Associates) for Paint & Pintura November 2019
Rácz, Yamaga & Associates will be at the next China Coat 2019 (November 18-19-20) and invited by its organization to develop the theme BRAZILIAN COATINGS MARKET - TRENDS & OPPORTUNITIES. The presentation discusses the impact of recent changes in political economic environment and its impact in the paint industry. It analyzes the competitive relationship between global, regional and local multinational companies, technology opportunities and supply chain modifications in South America, particularly in Brazil with market projections over $ 10 Billion by 2030.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga - Rácz, Yamaga & Associates para Paint & Pintura October 2019
The stage for South American coatings market is occupied by thousands of suppliers. This may sound daunting, but it is natural for a mature, sub-segmented market such as coatings: low risk and reasonable return on investment. Given the complexity of technology, distribution and segmentation, it is also natural that less than a hundred suppliers occupy almost 90% of the market, which in 2018 consumed $ 8.1 billion inks for a volume of 3.1 billion liters.

Francisco Z. Rácz & Washington T. Yamaga (R Y & ASSOCIATES) – Paint & Pintura September 2019
The prospects for South America Coatings are promising. The market will growth from $ 8.1 BL in 2018 to above $ 20 BL in 2030 in all countries.
The global coatings industry is impacted by mega drivers such as mobility, health and environmental protection, digital productivity changes and other trends. South America is not excluded from this process and from access to global opportunities, mainly due to the scale of value added in this market.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) for China Coat Journal – September 2019
Coatings market in South America was estimated to be at US$ 8.1 billions in 2018. It should reach a level close to US$ 12 billions in 2023 and over US$ 20 billions in 2030, with good and continuous growth rates in all countries. The South American region over the next 3 to 5 years is certainly not going to be at the forefront of disruptive paint technologies but certainly will be rapidly capturing opportunities to put them into new action. Most countries will see a continuity of higher growth rates in view of their overall stability, strong emerging middle class and infrastructure investments.
THE ART OF INNOVATION IN EMERGING COATINGS MARKETS
Paint and coatings are defined as mature market and depend on the evolution of substrates that will be painted. In emerging markets, innovation did not focus on disruptive events generation that could create new markets. The companies considered to be successful in these regions have been distinguished by the ability to understand Innovation much more as the art of putting the new in action with agility and high productivity impact.
EUROPEAN COATINGS April 2019
The article based on information provided by Franzisco Z. Rácz and Washington T. Yamaga of Rácz, Yamaga & Associates (www.ry-associates.com)
The paint market in Brazil has gone through a few difficult years, but seems to have bottomed out and has recently been developing slightly positively again. Sales are being driven above all by the growing middle class. Experts are forecasting annual growth of around 3.4% for the coming years. A market volume of over 2 billion litres is to be achieved by 2023.
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Planning for structural growth in the Brazilian coatings market
By Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga, Rácz, Yamaga & Associates
EUROPEAN COATINGS SHOW DAILY 3/ 21 MARCH 2019
Coatings are known for its wide spectrum of applications and as such, their consumption is driven by several factors related to the markets where they are utilized. Brazil is moving out of a deep recession and the years of 2017/2018 marked a halt in the depression. The 2019 is the beginning of a new cycle.
Francisco Racz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) – Paint & Pintura July 2019
An accelerated process to convert the concepts of paints by their performance and function, is already a strategic focus for the leading brands in Brazil.
The architectural coatings in the past ten years had their average price decreasing 10% in dollars. There was a loss of margins for not recomposing costs and an involution of product mix. The lower value coatings grew while more functional defined coatings lost their share. The premium wall paints fell by 31% in volume between 2009 and 2018 while the other paints grew 33% in a market that practically did not grow during the same period. The end user consumed more paints with lower durability and inferior application yield, despite numerous new products launching in the period.
FRANCISCO RÁCZ & WASHINGTON YAMAGA (RÁCZ, YAMAGA & ASSOCIATES) – Paint & Pintura May 2019
There is a certain degree of uncomfortable optimism within coatings industry and its supply chain, indicating that market recovery would be slow and incompatible with the need to recover the lost 10 years in 5 years. This was the attention focus for industry's CEO panels during recent Paint & Pintura Forums in Recife and Joinville.
It is time to accelerate a technological agenda and regulatory agenda to protect value creation. We must begin now if we do not want lose competitiveness and become an outdated industry.
Francisco Racz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) - Paint & Pintura June 2019
The 2019 first semester closing brings to the paint market a small volume of recovery over the first half of 2018, but far from expectations for 2019.
Coatings drivers continue anchored in the middle-class consumption and infrastructure initiatives. The expected reaction for the year 2019 has not yet occurred, basically due to the volume of architectural coatings, which are directly linked to the middle-class consumption and investments. Performance coatings performed better mainly due to industrial and automotive coatings.
Francisco Racz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) – Paint & Pintura April 2019
The coatings industry has enjoyed a remarkable period of innovation in recent decades. Some of the major drivers were the conversion of solvent based paint to water based, VOC reduction, the improved film functionalities, popularization of tinting systems among many. The digital processing and measurements as well as nanometric formulations and the use of materials from renewable sources dictate the new trend. The understanding of customer journey and the impact on purchase decision are now the focus of value generation.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) for Paint & Pintura March 2019..
Axalta CEO Charles Shaver's recent statement during the Coatings Summit in Paris in February 2019 can be interpreted as reinforcing many of the industry's reflections in regions such as South America:
"Coatings industry has a strong financial position and is well positioned to continue the activities of mergers and acquisitions."
Our articles and lectures have addressed these issues within the context of South America, anticipating regional responses to global statements.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) - Paint & Pintura January 2019
A good number of companies will carry out some type of investment in 2019. Two concentrations of initiatives are noteworthy. The first is the concern of companies to regain the workforce capacitation, accelerating training and qualification programs. The second focus is productivity demand and innovation-focused technologies. 60% of the industry will launch new product and services.
Coatings companies Brazil shared the same concern, and those who have prepared in difficult times will step forward in domestic market positioning as well global export markets as they achieved quality and competitiveness becoming globally competent.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) – Paint & Pintura December 2018
Considering the moment of urgency and importance, the perceptions and reactions with the short-term repositions are optimistic. The coatings market in Brazil finishes another year with growth but expects a short term a full recovery with the return of structural investments.
For all segments, the new volume levels for the resumption will require not only the response to the demand with capacity utilization, but also a review in the productivity patterns.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) - Paint & Pintura September 2018
Considering the evolution of the middle class in a conservative growth of the economy, the market of architectural coatings in Brazil should reach a volume close to 1.9 billion liters in 2030, with an average growth rate of 3% aa. from 2017 to 2030. Sales in this market will exceed US $ 5.0 BL in 2030, with average growth of around 6% aa in the same period (Diagnosis of Architectural Coatings market in Brazil August 2018 – Paint & Pintura).
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) for Paint & Pintura 2018
The volume projections for Brazil coatings industry planning cycle have always referred to macroeconomic factors projections such as the GDP. However, 2018 volatility and the decreasing volume expectation, take the industry into urgency. The projections for 2019 already clearly indicate the need for business above the projected population growth and certainly with significant productivity gains.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) – Paint & Pintura May 2018
The Automotive Refinish Coatings market in Brazil has been increasing in the last decades and should continue for the coming years. It follows the growth of the Brazilian vehicle fleet from 34 million units (motorcycles not included) in 2009 surpassing 52 MM in 2017 is expected to approach 65 MM in 2022/23 despite the economy oscillations.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) - Paint & Pintura June 2018
Decorative Coatings, a market of US $ 2.8 Billion, almost 60% of the Brazilian paint market, has projected an average growth in sales volumes of 3.5% per year for the next five years.
Exhausting the repertoire of organic cost reduction, productivity gains have proved insufficient to prioritize growth strategies and sustain margin margins. The industry has reacted to the needs with clear repositioning in response to the new business demand.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) – Paint & Pintura July 2018
There are three areas within coatings innovation and digitization which are already highlighted with investments and structural changes: Sales, Marketing and Research & Development. The changes in priorities are on customers' values and purpose interaction and time to market reduction.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) American Coatings Show Daily3 – April 2018
The year of 2017 represented a turning point for the Brazil coatings market development. After several years of recession, the reduction of unemployment and the reaction of consumer reflected as an interruption of continuous fall of the decorative coatings market and other materials related to the home improvement, maintenance and even some new constructions.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (R & Y & Associates) - Paint & Painting April 2018
The annual volume growth in the period will show rates of 3.4% to 12% in the period 2017-2022. The revenues of paint industry in these segments reached about US $ 1.9 billion in 2017 and may go beyond 3, 1 B US $ in 2022, representing 44% of the total paint market in Brazil.
Francisco Rácz & Washington Yamaga (RY & Associates) - Paint & Pintura March 2018
More than the expectation of a political threshold for the resumption of growth industries must decide on their competitiveness.
TIME FOR EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE?
The South American automotive refinishing market remains attractive
The strong need for mobility in a continent with huge distances for a growing middle class is the major driving force for this market. South American countries will continue to show a growth in their car park. Regardless hiccups in several countries’ economies the need for mobility drives the growth of the fleet back to their long-range projections. Response came from automakers’ globalization strategy through flexible value onboard platform adaptable to any part of world. Color and repair services are part of this challenge as it is related to auto protection and glamour.
March 12, 2018
MODERATE ERHOLUNG IN SICHT
Francisco Rácz und Washington Yamaga – Racz, Yamaga & Associates
FARBE UND LACK // 03.2018
Das Jahr 2017 war ein Wendepunkt für die Entwicklung des brasilianischen Farben- und Lackmarkts. Nach mehreren Jahren der Rezession spiegelten sich der Rückgang der Arbeitslosigkeit und das Verbraucherverhalten in einem Stopp des fortlaufend abnehmenden Marktes für dekorative Beschichtungsstoffe und andere Materialien für den Heimwerker- und Instandhaltungsbedarf wider. Auch einige Neubauprojekte trugen zur Belebung des Markts bei.
June 15, 2017
Francisco Z. Rácz and Washington T. Yamaga (RY & Associates) – European Coatings Journal June 2017
Overall South America businesses have been impacted in the past 3 years by the economy and leadership transition with severe changes in the regional demand mainly in the major markets such as Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela.
April 10, 2017
SÜDAMERIKANISCHER LACKMARKT // INSGESAMT WURDEN DIE GESCHÄFTSAKTIVITÄTEN IN SÜDAMERIKA IN DEN VERGANGENEN DREI JAHREN VON DER WIRT- SCHAFT UND DEM WANDEL DER POLITISCHEN FÜHRUNG BEEINFLUSST. HIERBEI KAM ES ZU ERHEBLICHEN VER-ÄNDERUNGEN IN DER REGIONALEN NACHFRAGE, VOR ALLEM IN DEN WICHTIGSTEN MÄRKTEN.
Francisco Z. Rácz und Washington T. Yamaga, Rácz, Yamaga & Associates
By Francisco Z. Rácz and Washington T. Yamaga
South America risks and opportunities for a 8,4 billion USD and 3,1 billion liters in2015.
This article has been published in China Coatings Journal 9/2016 - Market Report http://www.sinostar-intl.com.hk/edm/CCJ_201609/eng.html
May 10, 2016
Per capita consumption to grow in South America
The middle class in South America will continue to drive and boost the coatings consumption in the coming decades.
By Francisco Z. Rácz and Washington T. Yamaga
Published in th European Coatings Journal 5/2016 - Market Report www.european-coatings.com