PPG completes COLORFUL COMMUNITIES project at Zhangjiagang White Cloud Primary School Houcheng branch in Jiangsu, China

ZHANGJIAGANG, China, Sept. 7, 2020 – PPG (NYSE:PPG) today announced the completion of a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® project that helped revitalize the dance studio, reading room and exterior walls of the Zhangjiagang White Cloud Primary School Houcheng branch in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, prior to its reopening. The project brought together nearly 25 PPG voluteers who spent 50 hours creating a cozy and bright learning environment for the school’s 1200 students.

PPG provided more than $52,000 (approximately RMB 365,000) in products and services to assist with the project, including 320 gallons(1,211 liters) of MASTER’S MARK™ interior and exterior paint by PPG.

The Colorful Communities project provides PPG volunteers and products along with financial contributions to bring color and vitality to communities where the company operates around the world, such as in Zhangjiagang, where PPG has a manufacturing facility. PPG volunteers had previously completed a Colorful Communities project at the Zhangjiagang Nansha Elementary School in 2015.

Rebuilt this year, the Zhangjiagang White Cloud Primary School Houcheng branch serves the children of migrant workers. Adhering to the philosophy of “Uniqueness leads to growth; innovation shapes the future,” the school is dedicated to offering quality education within a clean and comfortable environment. The Colorful Communities project was designed to help students learn more effectively through “immersion.”

“We’re very grateful for what PPG has done to help renovate our school,” said Fang Guozhi, principal, Zhangjiagang White Cloud Primary School Houcheng branch. “The classroom paint designs are in line with the school’s teaching philosophy. The colors can inspire the students to equip themselves with knowledge and enjoy the process of studying in a more interesting way.”

Featuring a theme of blue skies and white clouds, the dance studio aims to encourage students to feel free to release their emotions and unlock their potential. The reading room’s blue sea concept enables students to enjoy reading in a quiet environment. The pattern of blue sky dotted with white clouds on the exterior walls expresses the school’s anticipation for a bright future and its emphasis on traditional culture and courses.

“We’re very pleased to participate in the rebuilding program of the Zhangjiagang White Cloud Primary School Houcheng branch,” said Dequan Zhang, PPG plant manager, Zhangjiagang. “It is our honor to use PPG products to transform the school with our own hands. We feel very proud to be one of the first groups of PPG volunteers in the world to participate in a Colorful Communities project since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“We greatly appreciate the support from local government and the school as well as the engagement of PPG volunteers,” said Cathy Yan, PPG general manager, corporate and government affairs, Asia Pacific. “Since China's recovery from the pandemic is on track, we expect to conduct Colorful Communities projects in more communities and schools. Regardless of the circumstances, we will continue our purpose of protecting and beautifying the world.”

The Colorful Communities program, PPG’s signature initiative for supporting communities, aims to protect and beautify the neighborhoods where PPG operates around the world. Through the Colorful Communities program, PPG’s committed volunteers contribute their time and PPG paint products to help transform community assets – from painting classrooms, to bringing color to a maternity ward and redesigning a playground. Since 2015, PPG has completed more than 300 Colorful Communities projects, impacting more than 6.7 million people in 41 countries.

PPG and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested more than $11 million in 2019, supporting organizations across 38 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in fields related to coatings and specialty materials. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at www.ppgcommunities.com.

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At PPG (NYSE: PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for more than 135 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.1billion in 2019. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.