The History of Benjamin Moore
Everything started in 1883 when Benjamin Moore designed the “Calsom Finish,” wall coating. Working in a little building in Brooklyn, NY, Benjamin worked with Robert Moore, his elder brother to create this product. The siblings saw profits the first year on their operations and their business grew fast. Their Corporation was born in New York in 1889 and their present New Jersey Corporation was established soon afterward.
During the company’s beginning years, Benjamin Moore developed a personal philosophy that transitioned into the business’ first credo. He felt the corporation should adhere to “The application of Intelligence to Industry based upon Integrity.” “Intelligence, Integrity and Industry,” has become the hallmarks of Benjamin Moore’s core values.
The businesses’ current Internal Vision dictates these values further as “Leadership, Innovation and Performance.” This philosophy generates the principle foundation for the business policy.
Today’s logo, featuring the “M Triangle,” was created in 1925 by L.P. Moore to represent the concept of “Integrity, Intelligence and Industry.” Representing the “3 I’s,” it is the logo that the Benjamin Moore staff proudly wear on their service pins. This principle flows into how the business deals with its customers, suppliers and employees.
The Calsom Finish item was refined in 1892 and next, Benjamin Moore manufactured a new finish called MURESCO. MURESCO was an all-in-one wall and ceiling finish that revolutionized the painting industry. This product was so popular, it earned a spot in Webster’s Standard Dictionary since it was a popular household name.
The business continued developing innovative paint products and finishes. SANI-FLAT was a lead-free, flat-finish, decorative product that could handle frequent cleanings. UTILAC was the next amazing invention. It replaced dangerous lacquers at the time as a fast-drying enamel product that was widely used.
The company continued to expand in 1897 as Benjamin Moore and Co. saw repeated success with their innovative products. Their expansion program was created to bring stellar service to clients. A subsidiary was formed in Chicago over the next decade and a new plant was built in New Jersey along with the purchase of a Cleveland factory.
Canadian roots were formed on September 7, 1906. On September 11, 1906, Benjamin Moore became the elected president during the company’s first shareholders’ meeting. Benjamin’s half-brother Fred Moore became Treasurer in 1911. Fred became the Canadian branch’s managing director and then the first residing Canadian president in 1937. His occupancy created the basis for the current Benjamin Moore & Co. Limited.
The City of Toronto saw the first company established. On January 14, 1907, the plant located on Lloyd Avenue was bought. This successful location allowed the business to establish the Montreal warehouse by 1923. Throughout the 1920s, other Benjamin Moore warehouses were born in Vancouver, Regina, Saskatoon, Halifax and Winnipeg. Unbelievably, the initial Toronto to Vancouver shipments travelled an all-water route sometimes through the Panama Canal and roughly 8500 miles!
A complete factory was built in Montreal in 1953. A third plant was constructed in Burnaby, British Columbia in 1962. This plant relocated in 1991 to Aldergrove. The North American Company revamped manufacturing in 2000.
The Aldergrove plant stopped being a manufacturing facility and became the main office and distribution centre for the West. After ninety-four years of running, manufacturing in the Toronto plant was also finished. However, the Montreal facility grew and became an all-latex manufacturer.. Formerly called the “Technical Coatings Co. Ltd, the plant in Burlington, Ontario became the central solvent-based manufacturer..
In December 2000, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. purchased Benjamin Moore & Co. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. owns subsidiaries as a holding company with interests in numerous business activities. The Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is Warren Buffet.
Over 275 employees are committed to delivering stellar service at Benjamin Moore & Co. They work at a variety of independent retailers all across Canada to deliver their best items to consumers and contractors.
During these changing economic days, the business remains focussed on its strategy and vision of strengthening and supporting the independent retain channel while protecting, leveraging and enhancing the Benjamin Moore Brand. This business had developed numerous programs including the Strategic Training Triad for the Retailer, the Signature Store Program and the Painting & Decorating Services Initiative.
The company has used the success of these programs to stay progressive and competitive in the paint market. In the 1950s, Betty Moore initiated branding as “The Color Experts,” and was the company’s first spokesperson.
Canada has recognized Benjamin Moore as its most trusted paint brand. This recognition came via public opinion polls from Ipsos-Reid Canada (one of North America’s trusted public opinion and independent research firms), and Readers Digest and independent research.
Research and Development
The company’s commitment to continuous product testing and scientific development has allowed the admirable and consistent paint products to continually be enjoyed by customers.
There are more than 100 chemical engineers, technicians, chemists and support staff working hard to maintain strict product standards. New products are continuously being developed by these crews. There are ten team labs operated at an 80,000 square foot Technical & Administrative Centre by technical staff.
Every lab is outfitted with the latest technology. The instruments focus on a certain expertise level. Every lab works together to develop the formulations for Benjamin Moore products. The labs work alongside the manufacturing plants and marketing department to meet the variety of demands from DIY, industrial, commercial and professional markets.
The Analytic Laboratory utilizes the latest technology and equipment to analyze the Benjamin Moore items.
There are two testing locations at the Competitive Evaluations Laboratory dedicated to testing the exterior products and their competitive brands. There are more than 20,000 stained or painted exposed test panels monitoring weather extremes for up to fifteen years. These panels are subjected to different analyzing techniques to create new formulas and make better products or update existing formulas. The company regularly tests their competitor’s stock in the lab as well to check if their products match their claims.
The Central Process Lab is responsible for auditing Benjamin Moore’s product quality. These testing procedures occur over and above the daily product testing on the production line.
The Solvent Coatings and the Latex Coatings Laboratory is the place where new latex and solvent-based items are created and developed to enhance their performance. These products are tested to ensure they meet or exceed tough company regulations, environmental standards and client expectations.
The Industrial Maintenance Finishes Lab is home to developing high-performance, anti-corrosion products for military tanks or industrial locations including factories.
The Polymer Laboratory is the location of the majority of Benjamin Moore’s research. Here is where the binders utilized in the products are created or improved. Many other paint companies buy their polymers from exterior locations instead of creating their own. In-house production is important to Benjamin Moore for maintaining quality assurance. Specific requirements can be tailored to meet binder formulations.
The Colour Assurance Laboratory creates the factory standards that maintain the consistency of ready-mixed Benjamin Moore colours. They have high standards at each and every one of their paint plants. The chip accuracy on each of the Benjamin Moore colour cards is monitored by this lab too. The chip tool is ideal for homeowners and contractors.
The Colour Technology Laboratory invented the first colour-matching computerized system and this has become the industry standard across the board. This specialized machine is essential for creating Benjamin Moore’s colour-matching capabilities. The scientists working at this lab are in charge of reviewing and evaluating the latest technologies and colour matching equipment.
The Colour Development Lab is where the prescriptions for each paint colour are stored. It is responsible for examining the colour formulations to check for consistency with the shades it has while creating new formulations for a variety of products.
The “Test Farm,” or Exterior Testing Facility, is where 25,000 coating samples are studied and evaluated after being exposed to extreme elements. This data is incorporated into daily research and development. The highly accessible farm is close to where Benjamin Moore paint is formulated and tested in labs.
The staff chemists are able to use this lab for all of their research and development work. Chemists are invited to visit the facility throughout the day to visit their coatings and monitor how they perform under various conditions. The marketing and sales employees also utilize the farm to learn specific information on Benjamin Moore items.
The Technical & Administrative Centre is home to the company’s Corporate Engineering, Product Information Centre, Management Information Services, Regulatory Affairs Departments and Information Resource Centre.
