Our guest on Episode 3 was Robert Bryant, the CEO of Axalta Coating Systems (Ticker: AXTA). Axalta is a $7 billion market cap company that manufactures and distributes high performance coatings that go into the industrial, automotive, and refinish end markets. The company was originally a division of DuPont that was founded in 1866 but was carved out by private equity firm Carlyle—and then taken public in 2014. Axalta is the global leader in providing coatings to auto body repair shops and is a top 3 supplier to auto OEMs.
The COVID-induced lockdowns and the subsequent supply chain issues—not to mention the ongoing semiconductor shortage that is plaguing the car companies—have presented a number of challenges to the company. Given the dynamic backdrop and the recovery the company is seeing in certain markets, I thought it would be an opportune time to catch up with Robert about:
- The evolution of the company since going public in 2014;
- The long-term growth opportunities within the global refinish market;
- What it was like to have Berkshire Hathaway as the company’s top shareholder;
- How the company is navigating rapid raw material inflation and shortages; and
- The highs and lows of going through a very public strategic alternatives assessment process
*For full disclosure, Cove Street owns Axalta shares.
Please enjoy the show at the following sites:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXl_KTpia1I
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/capitalizing-on-155-years-of-excellence-in-coatings/id1579124518?i=1000545609108
Podbean: https://compounders.podbean.com/e/capitalizing-on-155-years-of-excellence-in-coatings-with-robert-bryant-ceo-of-axalta-nyse-axta/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0JbTqHz01NugXyDdj79unm
As always, if you have any comments, feedback, or guest recommendations, please contact us at podcast@covestreetcapital.com. You can also follow the podcast on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/CompoundersPod.
You can also enjoy the last Compounders Podcast with The Joint Corp. CEO Peter Holt.
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