Project gives ‘De Fabriek’ a colorful makeover
GHENT, Belgium, June 25, 2026 - PPG (NYSE: PPG) today announced the completion
of a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® project at De Fabriek, the home of the Habbekrats
children’s rights charity in Ghent. Using more than 400 liters and 15 colors
of SIGMA COATINGS® paint by PPG, 25 volunteers and partners transformed the
center into a vibrant and inspiring place for children and young people
growing up in vulnerable home situations.
PPG volunteers recently completed a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® project that
transformed De Fabriek, the home of the Habbekrats children’s rights charity
in Ghent, Belgium.
De Fabriek tells a powerful story - what was once a tannery where children
were forced to work has now been returned to young people as a haven to play
and grow. Today, the center supports over 2,500 children and teenagers
annually, providing them with play areas, creative studios and dedicated
meeting spaces where they can discover their talents.
Walls and floors were treated with durable Sigma Pearl Clean Semi Matt and
Tigron Aqua Satin coatings using PROGOLD® equipment, perfectly suited to a
place where children play and run about every day. The volunteers chose soft,
soothing shades including Tarreyton and Secret Safari - PPG’s 2026 Color of
the Year - in the areas where young people can relax. More vibrant colors
bring energy to the action zone, along with a mural designed by Lieven Seys,
PPG senior marketing manager B2B Benelux, Architectural Coatings.
“For
many of our young people, Habbekrats is a real home - a place where they can
simply be children without a care in the world,” said Chris Van Lysebetten,
general coordinator at Habbekrats. “This transformation gives them the warm
environment they so richly deserve. The timing could hardly be better; later
this year, Habbekrats is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a big party.”
The project involved several partners; social enterprise Weerwerk took charge
of the major painting work, while art collective PNCHR refreshed an impressive
wall featuring the Rights of the Child in 40 languages.
“For us, this is about much more than a fresh coat of paint; we want to give
these children a sense of beauty and security once again,” said Patrick van
onderbergen, PPG specification manager Belgium, Architectural Coatings. “It’s
wonderful to see how a place with such a raw industrial past has now become a
source of color. This is where our commitment to people and sustainability
really comes to life. PPG is about much more than paint - we want to make a
direct contribution to well-being and a better living environment.”
The Colorful Communities program, PPG’s signature initiative for supporting
communities, aims to protect and beautify the neighborhoods where PPG operates
around the world. Through the program, PPG’s committed volunteers contribute
their time and PPG paint products to help transform community assets - from
painting classrooms to bringing color to a maternity ward and redesigning a
playground. Since 2015, PPG has completed over 635 Colorful
Communities projects, impacting more than 10.3 million people in over 50
countries.
PPG’s global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring
color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested $18.1
million in 2025, supporting 400+ organizations across nearly 30 countries. By
investing in educational opportunities, we help grow tomorrow’s STEM
innovators and skilled workforce in fields related to coatings and
manufacturing. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact for
causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and
charitable giving. Learn more here.
PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD®
At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty products that our customers have trusted for more than 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 50 countries and reported net sales of $15.9 billion in 2025. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.
Colorful Communities, the PPG logo and We protect and beautify the world are registered
trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
ProGold is a trademark and Sigma Coatings is a registered trademark of PPG Coatings Nederland B.V.
PPG Media Contact:
Andrew Wood
Corporate Communications, EMEA
awood@ppg.com
www.ppg.com