PPG Industries broke ground on August 3 on a $280 million expansion of its automotive coatings plant in Delaware, Ohio, adding 100,000 square feet of production space dedicated to waterborne coatings for electric vehicle battery systems. The project will add 100 full-time jobs to a site that currently employs about 450 workers, with operations expected to begin by 2028.
The Pittsburgh-based paint and coatings giant’s expansion at 760 Pittsburgh Drive marks the first time in more than two decades that its automotive coatings division has built a substantial new facility from the ground up in the United States, according to 1808Delaware. As reported by Axios, the new facility will lean on advanced automation, more energy-efficient processes, and digital manufacturing capabilities to boost production at the site.
The 100 new positions will focus on technical work, including production operators, laboratory technicians, and chemical and process engineers, per The Transcript. That report also notes the Delaware campus first opened in 1965, playing a central role in founding the city’s industrial park, and celebrated its 60th anniversary last August.
Built for the Electric Vehicle Era
The waterborne coatings produced at the expanded facility are engineered specifically for EV battery systems, providing fire protection, heat insulation, and lower volatile organic compound emissions, according to IndustryWeek. Beyond the coating lines themselves, the project integrates updated environmental controls, including dedicated infrastructure for water recovery and reuse, solvent recovery, and localized emissions control, the outlet reports.
PPG’s Global Automotive & Packaging Coatings division has been led since July 2023 by Senior Vice President Alisha Bellezza, who previously held executive roles at Chemours and FMC, the same report notes. Axios describes PPG as the world’s second-largest paint and coatings company, trailing only Sherwin-Williams, per Polaris Market Research, with dozens of manufacturing facilities, sales offices, and innovation centers spread across the globe.
State Incentives Tied to Local Payroll
Ohio’s Tax Credit Authority approved an eight-year, 1.483% Job Creation Tax Credit in March for the Delaware expansion, according to the Ohio Governor’s Office. The credit requires PPG to create 100 full-time jobs generating $7.99 million in new annual payroll while retaining $37.2 million in baseline payroll by late 2029.
To help absorb the growth, Ohio also awarded a $1.5 million roadwork infrastructure grant in 2026 to upgrade traffic access around Delaware’s industrial corridor, according to the Delaware Source. City and state officials are managing rapid industrial and population growth across Central Ohio, and this expansion is one piece of that broader push.
Part of a Bigger Central Ohio Hiring Wave
The Delaware investment lands amid a wider run of factory hiring across the region. A regional industry survey found that roughly 70% of participating Ohio manufacturers expected to grow their workforces in 2026, aligning with broader employment gains across Central Ohio’s 15,700-worker factory sector.
PPG Industries reported total net sales of $15.9 billion for full-year 2025, supported by volume growth in aerospace, packaging, and industrial coatings segments, according to PCI Magazine. That financial footing underpins the company’s ability to fund a project of this scale in a single Ohio community.
Exactly how PPG plans to recruit specialized engineers and lab technicians for the new positions in a competitive local labor market, and the detailed construction schedule leading up to the 2028 target, remain open questions for continued reporting.
