By Lisa Sciortino, Managing Editor of CoatingsPro Magazine
Join the celebrations as CoatingsPro Magazine and the Master Painters Institute (MPI) present the 2026 winners of their respective awards programs! The announcements will be made beginning at 3 p.m. local time on Tuesday, March 17, inside the Exhibit Hall at the Student Poster Session stage.
Alan Thomas, CEO of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), will present the awards as part of the 2026 AMPP Annual Conference + Expo (held at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center).
In its ninth year, CoatingsPro’s Contractor Awards Program honors excellence in the commercial and high-performance coatings sectors by showcasing the dedication demonstrated by coatings crews and recognizing trailblazing projects. Awards will be presented in seven categories including Commercial Concrete, Commercial Roof, Industrial Concrete, and Industrial Steel. The individual winners of the MVP and Work It Safe awards will also be announced.
Contractor Awards winners will receive a trophy or plaque depending on placement; a photo of themselves receiving the award; and a badge for use with marketing collateral. For those unable to attend the awards in person, tune in to CoatingsPro’s Facebook page (facebook.com/CoatingsProMag) for a live stream.
Meanwhile, MPI’s Product Champion Program recognizes paints and coatings manufacturers who set the industry standard in product performance, sustainability, education, and commitment through efforts to advance coatings technology, training, and environmental responsibility. Their selections are based on their MPI Approved Product List performance; the number of students involved in MPI training programs; or the overall adoption of MPI programs, listings, subscriptions, and promotions.
This year’s Champion Program award-winning companies were announced in December 2025. They include Sherwin-Williams (Product Performance Champion); Behr Paint (Green Performance Champion); Davies Paints Philippines Inc. (Coatings Education Champion); and Coverdale Paint (Commitment Champion).
Don’t miss this pair of festive ceremonies!
Discover New Research in AMPP’s Annual Student Poster SessionAMPP’s annual Student Poster Session, sponsored by BP, kicks off on Monday, March 16, with the opening of the Exhibit Hall. This session features student projects of both undergraduate and graduate levels, which will be evaluated by an industry judging panel.
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Tuesday’s Panel Explores Challenges, Opportunities of Maritime EcosystemThe AMPP TC04 Marine Technical Community of Interest (TCI) is bringing together commercial shipowners, classification societies, government, and workforce innovators in a session to explore the technologies, workforce initiatives, and policy drivers shaping the future of marine fleet readiness.
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Sunday’s Presentations Tackle Data Challenges of CorrosionAs corrosion programs become increasingly data-rich, the industry is being forced to grapple with how to manage, interpret, and apply complex datasets in ways that support sound engineering decisions. Those issues will be addressed during “Data Challenges in Corrosion,” a Sunday morning technical session during the 2026 AMPP Annual Conference + Expo.
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