ShanghaiMay 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On May 14, 2026, Nippon Paint Furniture Coatings officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement with ICRO, a high-end Italian paint brand. The two parties will integrate Italian aesthetic design with advanced coating technology to jointly drive the upgrade of products and service systems in China’s high-end furniture coatings market, building internationally competitive coating solutions. During the event, Nippon Paint awarded licenses to the first batch of five core distributors from South China, East China, and North China, marking the substantive implementation phase of the cooperation.
Zhang Lei, General Manager of Nippon Paint Furniture Coatings Division, and Cao Xi, China Manager of ICRO, signed on behalf of both parties; witnessed by Sun Ronglong, Chief Operating Officer of Nippon Paint China; Mr. Antonio Lepore, Technical Support Director and Asia Pacific Regional Director of ICRO; and Chen Changhui, President of Nippon Paint Changrunfa
Group photo of the Nippon Paint team, ICRO team, and the first batch of licensed core distributor representatives
Currently, China’s high-end custom furniture market is heating up, with companies increasingly exploring design language and cultural expression. Zhang Lei, General Manager of Nippon Paint Furniture Coatings Division, noted: “China’s furniture industry has seen a number of outstanding manufacturing enterprises emerge, which, while absorbing the essence of Western design, are also delving into the depths of Eastern cultural heritage.” As consumer focus shifts from “single-item beautification” to “overall spatial beautification,” the visual and color coordination of different substrates has become a key trend in spatial design. Nippon Paint is responding to this change by deepening its presence in the furniture coatings sector through cross-border collaboration, offering customers a higher level of value experience.
Founded in 1948, Italian brand ICRO has accumulated nearly 80 years of technical expertise in color aesthetics and texture coatings, specializing in the development of coatings for substrates such as wood, metal, and plastic. It achieves color consistency and visual harmony across different materials like walls, glass, and wood. Zhang Lei, General Manager of Nippon Paint Furniture Coatings Division, stated: “The cooperation between Nippon Paint and ICRO comes at the right time.” Through this partnership, ICRO will introduce its rich product line—including water-based, acrylic, polyurethane, UV, and wood wax oil coatings—into the Chinese market, aiming to deeply integrate coatings in terms of touch, visual effect, and cultural expression. Currently, the first batch of authorized distributors has initiated regional business layouts to promote the terminal implementation of high-quality scenario-based coating solutions.
Antonio Lepore, Technical Support Director and Asia Pacific Regional Director of ICRO, said: “ICRO has always adhered to the beliefs of aesthetics, quality, and innovation, which aligns perfectly with Nippon Paint. We love wood, we love color, and we love the coating craftsmanship that makes materials ‘speak.’ In our culture, furniture is not just an object; it is part of the family, a witness to time, and an expression of lifestyle. We look forward to combining authentic Italian aesthetics with Nippon Paint’s mature market service capabilities, allowing more users to feel the warmth of Italian craftsmanship. We firmly believe that ICRO’s technology and aesthetic soul, combined with Nippon Paint’s business and service capabilities, will create a perfect partnership.”
This strategic cooperation is not only a complementary advantage of brand resources but also a pragmatic exploration of the integrated development of high-end home aesthetics and coating craftsmanship. Nippon Paint will continue to integrate global high-quality coating resources, leveraging its extensive product line and professional color technology to collaborate closely with upstream and downstream partners in the industry chain. With high-standard products and services, it aims to help Chinese furniture manufacturing enterprises enhance their competitiveness and create living spaces with greater design appeal and quality.