United Paint Will Close Spokane, Post Falls Stores Company Will Maintain Retail Outlet At Valley Headquarters

United Paint and Coatings is closing its paint stores in Spokane and Post Falls.

The move is part of a company strategy to focus on its coatings business rather than paint, United President Keith Coultrap said Thursday.

“The paint business has been shrinking,” he said. “Last year it was just 5 percent of our business.”

The Post Falls paint store will close Aug. 4 and the Spokane store closes Sept. 30. Local customers will still be able to buy United paint at the company’s Spokane Valley headquarters and outlet store.

Employees will be moved from the stores to other parts of the business.

“Obviously we are going to lose some customers,” said Coultrap, “but because coatings pays the bills and paint is our history, we are going to be closing the stores.”

United Paint & Coatings was founded in 1919 in Spokane by Russian immigrants Manuel and Samuel Grossman.

Coultrap said the change in emphasis has been coming for some time - ever since he and business partner Bill Radobenko took over the company in 1983, revitalizing it under Chapter 11 reorganization.

Since then, the coatings business has thrived, with United specializing in roof coatings for low-slope commercial buildings. Last month, the company had record sales of $2.25 million in product. It employs 85 people with an annual payroll of $4 million.

Recently, United Coatings rushed a Boeing 737 filled with its products to Sydney, Australia, for use on buildings designed for the upcoming summer Olympics.