History
In the productive year of 1895, the Swiss entrepreneur Max Meyer founded the Colorifico Italiano in Milan. This was to become the MAXMEYER® brand factory.
At that time the Swiss, French, Germans and Austro-Hungarians living in Milan were particularly active in industry and commerce.
The factory was mid-sized, with about 50 employees, and based in an area of prolific industrial and craft production throughout the nineteenth century. In these years, paints produced in powder form and dispersed in linseed oil began to gain importance.
Within a few years, established horse-drawn-carriage makers turned their traditional artisan inventiveness and refined techniques to the motor car. The MaxMeyer factory took part in this great adventure.
During the 1930s through to the 1980s, MaxMeyer brand worked hand in hand with the Italian automotive industry. Fiat and ALFA ROMEO were leading the world in the design of luxury models and sport cars. MaxMeyer brand supported the industry by developing customised products and finishes from fine enamels to baked enamels that delivered durability and colour.
During the Second World War, repeated bombings damaged the factory so production was transferred to Via Comasina, the current site in Milan.
The plant was built according to the most modern criteria and equipped with new technologically advanced machinery: MaxMeyer brand was born again in a more developed form, becoming a true chemical industry relying on high technology. It achieved a leading place on the Italian market, also expanding internationally.
From the mid-1950s, MaxMeyer brand was present in the rapidly expanding motor car and steel industries with its nitrocellulose paints specifically produced for bodywork.
At the beginning of the 1980s, MaxMeyer brand acquired its biggest competitor in Italy, Duco, and this gave birth to MaxMeyer Duco S.p.A, renowned for its comprehensive range of products that met the requirements of quality and simplicity of use.
Over the last century, MaxMeyer brand has become a major international refinish industry, keeping true to its original philosophy: to improve the business for its customers, making painters' lives easier by delivering high-performance products that are easy to use.
Through years of research and practical application in the service of its customers, MaxMeyer brand has accumulated valuable professional know-how.
In the future, MaxMeyer products will remain the industry benchmark for offering excellent results simply and effectively.
In 1997, PPG Industries completed the acquisition of MaxMeyer Duco S.p.A, reinforcing PPG's position as a leading European supplier of automotive coatings.