IN the truly global market of the paint industry, nowhere has the maxim of work local, sell local, been adhered to more rigorously than in southeast Asia. The region's paint market is fiercely competitive, driven by developed nations such as Singapore and populous rapidly developing countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines. The region is book-ended by China and India, making the trading block of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) all the more attractive and strategically important for setting up regional hubs.