“We’ve hired Ross three times. You simply can’t go wrong with him. Smart. Funny. He listens to what we need and we always get what we want!”
– Mike Gunnells, Sr. Manager – Business Solutions
THE CLIENT: PPG INDUSTRIES is an American global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, chemicals, glass, and fiberglass. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 70 countries around the globe. Sales are over $15 billion. The company is headquartered in PPG Place, an office and retail complex in downtown Pittsburgh that is known for its glass facade designed by Philip Johnson.
THE CLIENT’S OBJECTIVES: PPG holds an annual meeting of over 2,000 dealers, body shop owners/managers, and internal personnel. The client maintains a leading edge in the auto body paint and coatings business due to their obsession with staying two-steps ahead of the competition. Example: PPG was the first to develop a water-borne product that not only was sensitive to the environment but also best reproduced the OEM colors and specifications. At this meeting it is important to convey how the changing auto construction processes (from steel to aluminum & carbon fiber) will affect the auto body business.
ROSS’S RESEARCH: This was the 3rd time Ross has spoken for this client so he was very familiar with their history, product innovations, and passion for remaining relevant. The client felt confident Ross could deliver a fun and interesting 90-minute keynote that would focus on the profitable future of PPG’s B2B client base.
KEYNOTE INSIGHTS: It was decided that Ross’s keynote (titled “How To Be a Peripheral Visionary” would give the audience specific tactics for tackling the future. In an interactive session, Ross stood amongst the large audience and talked about the realities of the new Ford F150 truck (now being made in aluminum to save fuel costs). Ross asked, “How many of you are trained to work on and paint the world’s most popular pickup?” Only seven hands went up. “Do you think there will be less aluminum trucks 5 years from now…or more?” Ross posited. “The survival of your businesses requires you to learn TIG (Heliarc) welding by next week.” Ross also urged the audience to “go to the wrong meetings” to learn how the culture is evolving. Ross said, “You are worried that self-driving cars will mean less accidents…and less business for you? Well, I was with a large auto insurance carrier last week and they predict the risk of auto accidents will be much higher because a reliable infrastructure (roads) is fifty years away!” Ross also discussed how 50% of teens don’t want a driver’s license at age 16. Ross’s research showed how the top 10 insurers get 65% of a $31 billion dollar business…and that higher repair costs are struggling to compete with the totaled vehicle. “Your #1 threat is YOU,” said Ross. “Luckily, PPG has all the resources you need to compete. And you can learn from the superstars in this room how to perform at best-in-class customer standards to drive top line revenue – and how to use Big Data and technology to control costs. Market share is yours if you just embrace reality.”