PITTSBURGH – PPG Industries has reported net sales for the third quarter 2011 of $3.8 billion, an increase of 11 percent versus the prior year’s third quarter. Net income for the quarter increased to $311 million, or $1.96 per diluted share. Third quarter 2010 net sales were $3.5 billion, and net income was $262 million, or $1.58 per diluted share.
 
“This is the fifth consecutive quarter in which we eclipsed our prior quarterly earnings record,” said Charles Bunch, PPG chairman and CEO. “This consistent improvement in performance, especially in light of today’s economic backdrop, demonstrates the value of our management’s aggressive focus on operations and the continuing benefit of the structural changes that we have made to the company the past few years, including lowering our cost base and expanding in emerging regions. In addition, these results reflect the continuing benefits of our disciplined deployment of our strong cash position.”
 
PPG ended the quarter with approximately $1.3 billion in cash and short-term investments.