Benjamin Moore, the company, asserts it has been “dreaming in color since 1883.” That’s when Benjamin Moore, the entrepreneur, established his eponymous company and started a colorful legacy that has thrived by adapting to a changing design environment while staying true to its roots.
History
Like many success stories, Benjamin Moore’s beginnings were humble. With $2,000 and one product, Moore’s Prepared Calsom Finish, Benjamin Moore started his company with his brother Robert in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1883.
The brothers built their company on the belief in “the exercise of intelligent industry in the spirit of integrity.” It’s a philosophy Benjamin Moore still holds close today.
Over its long history, the company has hit many milestones: the introduction of low-gloss, latex-based paints with “scrubbability;” the creation of a Historic Color Collection in honor of the U.S. Bicentennial; and a computerized color-matching system that was introduced way back in the early 1980s.
Present
The company has unquestionably moved with the times. Now a Berkshire Hathaway company, Benjamin Moore has expanded its product roster to include paints, stains and finishes to suit a variety of decorative and preservative needs. It has also been active in technological and environmental advances.
Recent years have seen the development of Natura, a Zero-VOC interior paint; an iPhone app that allows users to digitally match colors; and the addition of solar panels that will provide nearly 70% of the power needed to operate its research and development facility in Flanders, N.J. There is also great effort to make choosing and using its paints as simple as possible with online options like the downloadable Personal Color Viewer that allows users to see how a paint color will look on any surface.
Giving Back
Benjamin Moore is not only committed to developing perfect hues for modern times. The company is active in preserving historic structures as well and takes measures such as providing grant money for paint analysis and donating paint for projects including The Historic Trust House of New York City, Inc. and The Mount, Edith Wharton’s residence in Lenox, Mass.
The company also takes an active stand in protecting the environment and supporting programs that enrich communities across the country. Among them is Scenic Hudson, an organization that brings citizens, elected officials and businesses together for ecological restoration work throughout the Hudson Valley.
