Benjamin Moore & Co.

Benjamin Moore & Co. is an American company that produces paint. It is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Founded in 1883, Benjamin Moore is based in Montvale, NJ. image.aurapaintcans.gif/thumb/right/346px/aurapaintcans

History

In 1883, Benjamin Moore and his brother Robert opened Moore Brothers in Brooklyn, New York. They started with $2,000 and one product, "Moore's® Prepared Calsom Finish," which was sold exclusively through independent retailers. Moore Brothers built their company on Benjamin Moore's belief in "the exercise of intelligent industry in the spirit of integrity."

Today, Benjamin Moore & Co., a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a manufacturer and retailer of coatings and provider of related goods and services for decoration and preservation. Benjamin Moore & Co. manufactures at 7 plants, distributes from 22 facilities, and sells paints, stains, and finishes through a network of more than 4,000 independent retailers across North America. Popular brands include: Aura^TM, Natura^TM, Ben^TM, EcoSpec^TM, and Regal^TM.

Timeline

1883 Benjamin Moore and his brother Robert opened Moore Brothers in Brooklyn, New York., they started with $2,000 and one product, "Moore's® Prepared Calsom Finish," which was sold exclusively through independent retailers.

1892 Muresco® offers a new ease of application and becomes one of the most popular ready-mix paints on the market, available in colors and tints that can be custom-blended.

1957 Regal® Wall Satin® Latex Interior Paint is introduced. The DIY decorating market grows as consumers use this easier-to apply water-based latex paint.

1968 Benjamin Moore removes lead from all of paint formulations.

1972 Regal® Aqua Velvet®, a low-gloss latex-based paint, is launched. It gives a finish akin to eggshell coupled with excellent scrubbability. An industry first.

1976 In commemoration of the United States Bicentennial, and in collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS) Benjamin Moore creates its Historic Colors Collection, an interpretation of colors from the archives of the NPS and its historic home sites.

1982 Moore's® Computer Color Matching System is introduced, another industry first. Benjamin Moore retailers can now match the color of any sample. No longer is color choice limited to chips.

2000 Benjamin Moore & Co joins the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies.

2002 Benjamin Moore & Co undertakes a major retail development initiative leveraging the unique attributes of the local Independent Retailer. The Benjamin Moore® Signature Store Program, designed to create a world class shopping experience, is launched.

2003 Regal® Matte is introduced, providing the best cleaning attributes of glossier finishes in the look of a matte finish. Benjamin Moore’s own proprietary stain-release resin ensures superior durability in a coating that withstands repeated scrubbings. Colors remain true, application is easy and touch-ups are seamless in this never-before-available product.

2007 Benjamin Moore introduces Aura® paint claiming it to be the ‘finest paint we’ve ever made’ an ultra premium high performance product for homeowners. It features proprietary ColorLock – a water-borne colorant system encapsulates color for unmatched color depth and durability, in a low-VOC formula. Also in this year, Benjamin Moore acquired the assets of Insl-X, a manufacturer and marketer of a variety of specialty primers, paints, lacquers and stains

2008 Benjamin Moore launches Natura® paint– a zero-VOC paint asserting that it combines the performance features expected from Benjamin Moore products along with virtually no odor and the lowest emissions and VOC’s of any national paint brands.

Environment

In 1996 Benjamin Moore indicated its strong commitment to environmental concerns when it joined the Coatings Care Program® a project spearheaded by the National Paints & Coatings Association. This enabled the company to anticipate and react to stricter environmental standards imposed by the revised Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) regulations, which went into effect in September 1999.

Benjamin Moore also applied its environmental awareness to product development in the late 1990s. In 1999 it introduced its Pristine Eco-Spec line of acrylic latex interior paints. In addition to drying very quickly, the innovative new paint contained no solvents and, therefore, released no harmful VOCs

Product Innovation

Benjamin Moore's 80,000-square-foot facility in Flanders, New Jersey, includes eight research and development laboratories, more than 100 chemists, chemical engineers, technicians, and support staff. Each lab focuses on a different area of expertise, from evaluating color standards to enhancing high-performance coatings designed for industrial facilities. Benjamin Moore's commitment to research and innovation has led to a number of industry firsts: the introduction of the first eggshell interior finish in 1972; the first Computer Color Matching System in 1982, now an industry standard; the first pearl interior finish in 1988; and EcoSpec®, a low-VOC/low-odor latex paint, which earned both the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute and Green Seal® certificates;the introduction of Color Lock Technology® in Aura® paint, and an eco-smart zero-VOC formula in Natura® paint which is certified by GREENGUARD, Green Seal, and LEEDS.

References

"About Us". Retrieved 2008-03-24. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessdaymonth=, |month=, |accessyear=, |accessmonthday=, and |coauthors= (help)

External links

• Benjamin Moore home page
• Benjamin Moore Paint Colors Index
• National Paint & Coatings Association
• Coatings Care
• Greenseal