PITTSBURGH, Pa.—PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG - News) reported sales for the second quarter 2011 of $4.0 billion, an increase of 15 percent versus the prior year’s second quarter. Each major region and reporting segment achieved volume and price gains, the company said. Net income for the quarter increased to $340 million. Second quarter 2010 sales were $3.5 billion, and net income was $272 million.

The Optical and Specialty Materials segment, which includes Transitions Optical, delivered record quarterly sales and earnings, according to PPG. Segment sales were $326 million for the quarter, up $25 million, or 8 percent, versus the prior year. Segment earnings improved $4 million to $90 million, as the benefit from higher sales, including 30 percent growth in emerging regions, partly offset growth-focused increases in selling and advertising costs.

“Our strong execution during the quarter enabled us to deliver excellent financial performance, including record earnings for any quarter,” said Charles E. Bunch, PPG chairman and CEO. “We implemented further pricing initiatives and managed our businesses aggressively to overcome continued input cost inflation, a global economy that has only partially recovered and several transitory impacts to some businesses’ volumes early in the quarter. Our strong performance underscores the benefits of our broad end-use market reach and the global business portfolio we have built,” Bunch said.