What Sun Paints & Coatings does

Sun Coatings (also doing business as Sun Paints & Coatings) is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer founded in 1971 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company produces adhesives, caulks, paints, and coatings for both residential and commercial end markets. Its product portfolio spans latex-based paints, solvent-based paints, wallpaper adhesives, construction adhesives, white and clear caulks, silicone coatings, and low-VOC formulations positioned for environmental sustainability. Premium sub-brands ELEMENTS® and Grandeur® are explicitly formulated for Florida's warm, humid climate, with company-controlled tests claiming superior bond durability versus national brands designed for cold-weather climates.

The company manufactures all products locally at a purpose-built 90,000 sq ft Tampa production facility constructed in 2007, drawing on a chemistry team with over 100 years of combined formulation experience. Sun Coatings operates a dual go-to-market model: it manufactures products for private label partners that distribute nationally and globally under partner brand names, while selling directly to professional contractors through its own chain of SunKote retail stores. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; wholesale and contractor pricing requires direct inquiry. The company holds EPA/DOE Energy Star charter membership and is associated with industry trade bodies including the National Paint & Coatings Association, the Federation of Societies for Coatings and Technology, and PDCA, among others.

Strategic and operational signals include a 2007 facility build-out and product line refresh, the April 2020 pandemic-driven addition of hand sanitizer production (with 350+ gallons donated to first responders in the first week), and an emphasis on community partnerships (Alpha House of Tampa, Habitat for Humanity, multiple local first-responder organizations). The company is led by CEO Michael Hyer, has between 11 and 50 employees, and shows no signs of external institutional ownership, public listing, or completed M&A activity.

Name

Sun Paints & Coatings

Legal name

Sun Coatings

Website

https://suncoatings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sun Coatings is a family-owned, Tampa-based manufacturer founded in 1971 producing paints, coatings, caulks, and adhesives for residential and commercial markets, selling through private label partners globally and directly to contractors via SunKote retail stores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paint and Coatings Manufacturing

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255), Paint and Wallpaper Retailers (444120)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Adhesives & Sealants (2891)

akta.pro primary industry

Paint, Stain & Finishes Retail (Coatings, Sundries) (CRAIADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Exterior Painting & Surface Coatings (HSAPAKAF)

Keywords

• Latex paints manufacturing
• Construction adhesives supply
• Wallpaper adhesives products
• Private label coatings
• Silicone coating production

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Private Label Manufacturing: Manufactures coatings and adhesives for private label partners who distribute nationally and globally under their own brands.
2. Direct Retail Sales (SunKote Stores): Direct sales to contractors through company-owned SunKote paint store chain, providing professional contractor customers with fast, convenient service.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sun Coatings manufactures and sells adhesives, caulks, paints, and coatings for residential and commercial use, including latex-based paints, solvent-based paints, wallpaper adhesives, white and clear caulks, silicone coatings, and construction adhesives. The company produces two premium sub-brands, ELEMENTS® and Grandeur®, formulated specifically for the Florida climate, and distributes products through private label partners and its own SunKote retail store chain.

Product overview

Sun Coatings is a coatings manufacturer producing a comprehensive portfolio of adhesive, caulk, paint, and coating products for both residential and commercial applications. The company operates a unified product offering built around core competencies in latex-based paints, solvent-based paints, wallpaper adhesives, construction adhesives, white and clear caulks, and silicone coatings. The portfolio is organized around two sub-brands—ELEMENTS® and Grandeur®—which are premium paint lines specifically formulated for Florida's climate conditions. Additional products include low VOC coatings and adhesives focused on environmental sustainability. Products are distributed nationally and globally through private label partners, and directly to contractors through the company's own SunKote retail store chain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELEMENTS: Performance paint brand specializing in formulations for the Florida climate.
• Grandeur
• SunKote

Products and services

• ELEMENTS® Paint Premium paint line specializing in formulations designed for the Florida climate, offering superior weather resistance and bonding strength compared to national brands.
• Grandeur® Paint Premium paint line specializing in formulations designed for the Florida climate, offering superior weather resistance and bonding strength compared to national brands.
• Latex Based Paints Water-based paints manufactured locally in Tampa, Florida with quality formulations developed by experienced chemists with over 100 years of combined expertise.
• Solvent Based Paints Oil-based paint formulations manufactured locally in Tampa, Florida using experienced chemists' knowledge and formulations.
• Wallpaper Adhesives Adhesive products for wallpaper installation, part of the company's comprehensive adhesives product line.
• Construction Adhesives Professional-grade adhesives for construction applications, part of the company's comprehensive adhesives product line.
• White Caulks White latex caulk products for sealing and waterproofing applications.
• Clear Caulks Clear caulk products for sealing and waterproofing applications.
• Silicone Coatings Silicone-based coating products for protective and waterproofing applications.
• Hand Sanitizer FDA compliant hand sanitizer produced using approved guidance procedures, manufactured in the Tampa facility during the COVID-19 pandemic response.
• Low VOC Coatings and Adhesives Environmentally conscious paint and adhesive products developed to create better habitats through reduced volatile organic compound emissions.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tampa Police DepartmentminorOthers · 7 April 2020In April 2020, Sun Coatings donated hand sanitizer to local first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic, including 350+ gallons in the first week of production.
• Tampa Fire RescueminorOthers · 7 April 2020Donated hand sanitizer to Tampa Fire Rescue during COVID-19 pandemic response.
• Hillsborough County Fire RescueminorOthers · 7 April 2020Donated hand sanitizer to county fire rescue services during COVID-19 pandemic response.
• MacDill Air Force BaseminorOthers · 7 April 2020Donated hand sanitizer to military installation during COVID-19 pandemic response.
• Moffitt Cancer CenterminorOthers · 7 April 2020Donated hand sanitizer to cancer treatment center during COVID-19 pandemic response.
• Private Label PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSun Coatings manufactures adhesives, caulks, and coatings for private label partners who distribute products nationally and globally under their own brand names. This is a core distribution channel for the company.
• National Roofing Contractors AssociationminorOthersIndustry trade association membership supporting the roofing contractors segment.
• Federation of Societies for Coatings and TechnologyminorOthersTechnical industry association membership for coatings technology.
• National Paint & Coatings AssociationminorOthersMajor industry trade association for paint and coatings manufacturers.
• Paint and Decorating Contractors AssociationminorOthersTrade association for painting and decorating contractors.
• Paint and Decorators Retail AssociationminorOthersRetail trade association for paint and decorating businesses.
• National Guild of Professional Paper HangersminorOthersProfessional guild for wallcovering installation specialists.
• EPA/DOE Energy Star ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSun Coatings is a charter member of the EPA/DOE Energy Star Program, demonstrating commitment to energy efficiency and environmental responsibility in their product development.
• Alpha House of TampaminorOthersSun Coatings partnered with Alpha House of Tampa to renovate space at The Bonne Center, donating paint, supplies, and volunteer time to help mothers and babies at the maternity residence.
• Habitat for HumanityminorOthersSponsored nonprofit organization through donations of goods and services for housing construction.
• Shelton Quarles Impact FoundationminorOthersSponsored nonprofit foundation through community involvement and donations.
• Warrick Dunn Family FoundationminorOthersSponsored nonprofit foundation through community involvement and donations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sherwin-Williams: Sherwin-Williams is the largest paint and coatings manufacturer in the U.S. with thousands of stores and a comprehensive product portfolio. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Sun Coatings across all product categories but at a vastly larger scale, including competing in Florida's climate-specific market.
• Benjamin Moore: Benjamin Moore is a premium paint brand owned by Berkshire Hathaway, sold through independent retailers. Its premium positioning and contractor-friendly products directly overlap with Sun Coatings' ELEMENTS and Grandeur lines, though it operates at national scale with much broader brand recognition.
• PPG Industries: PPG is a major global paints and coatings manufacturer with extensive architectural and industrial product lines. It competes with Sun Coatings in architectural coatings and serves similar private label and contractor channels globally, though at much larger scale.
• Behr (Masco Corporation): Behr is a major paint brand sold primarily through Home Depot, serving DIY consumers and contractors. It competes with Sun Coatings in architectural paints and offers premium product lines that overlap with Sun's Florida-climate positioning.

Direct peers

• Rust-Oleum: Rust-Oleum is a specialty coatings manufacturer focused on protective paints, primers, and specialty coatings. It shares Sun Coatings' product categories in caulks, sealants, and specialty coatings, and serves overlapping contractor and DIY customer segments.
• Cloverdale Paint: Cloverdale Paint is a Canadian-based, employee-owned paint manufacturer that produces private label and branded coatings. It directly competes with Sun Coatings in private label manufacturing and serves similar contractor and retail channels across North America.

Regional players

• Hirshfield's: Hirshfield's is a regional paint manufacturer and retailer serving the Upper Midwest with company-owned stores and contractor focus. Its business model of regional manufacturing plus direct retail is highly comparable to Sun Coatings' SunKote store strategy.
• Kelly-Moore Paints: Kelly-Moore is a regional paint manufacturer serving the western U.S. with a mix of company stores and independent dealers. It shares Sun Coatings' business model of regional manufacturing, contractor focus, and direct-to-contractor retail.
• Diamond Vogel: Diamond Vogel is a family-owned, regional paint and coatings manufacturer serving the Midwestern U.S. It mirrors Sun Coatings' family-owned structure, regional specialization, and contractor focus, and competes in architectural and industrial coatings.
• Dunn-Edwards: Dunn-Edwards is a regional paint manufacturer primarily serving the western United States with company-owned stores. Its regional specialization model closely mirrors Sun Coatings' approach of optimizing products for specific regional climates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/suncoatings

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sun Paints & Coatings