If you are looking for outdoor and interior paints and stains to exceed your painting expectations, check out Benjamin Moore. The corporation has formulated its very own line of Gennex® resins and colourants to supply precise quality and first-class application. In addition to the phenomenal colour selection, these materials can help you beautify the interior and outside of your home or place of work.



Company Origins

It all started in 1883 when Benjamin Moore crafted the “Calsom Finish,” wall coating. Working in a small building in Brooklyn, NY, Benjamin worked alongside Robert Moore, his elder brother to make this product. The siblings saw profits the first year on their operations and their business grew fast. Their Corporation was created in New York in 1889 and their current New Jersey Corporation was established soon afterward.

In the beginning, Benjamin Moore crafted a personal philosophy that soon became the initial credo of the business. He passionately believed that “The application of Intelligence to Industry based upon Integrity,” should be their foundation. Over time, the three essential words, “Intelligence, Integrity and Industry,” transitioned to be the company’s central values.

Benjamin Moore’s Internal Vision demonstrates these values known currently as Leadership, Innovation and Performance. It is this strong philosophy that creates such a solid founding principle for the company.

Today’s logo, featuring the “M Triangle,” was created in 1925 by L.P. Moore to represent the concept of “Integrity, Intelligence and Industry.” This is the logo given today to staff to wear proudly when they receive their service pins. This stands for how business thrives with its suppliers, customers and employees.

Benjamin Moore refined his Calsom Finish product in 1892 and created MURESCO, a new item. This all-in-one ceiling and wall finish was revolutionary for its time. It became a popular household name and even a listing in Webster’s Standard Dictionary.

The business continued developing innovative paint products and finishes. A flat-finish, lead-free, decorative item called SANI-FLAT was sought after since it could sustain frequent washing. The UTILAC fast-drying enamel came out next as an excellent replacement to widely popular lacquers that were dangerous.

Benjamin Moore and Co. were able to successfully expand in 1897, thanks to the businesses’ exponential growth. Optimal service was delivered to expanding clients through a specific expansion program. The next ten years were busy. A Cleveland factory was born, Chicago became home to a factory and subsidiary and the New Jersey plant was constructed.

Benjamin Moore expanded to Canada in 1906. During the first shareholders’ meeting on September 11, 1906, Benjamin Moore was elected president. Fred Moore, Benjamin’s half-brother, was elected as Treasurer in 1911. Fred was the first residing Canadian company president in 1937 after being the managing director of the Canadian branch. This occupancy established the foundation for what is currently Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited.

Toronto was where the business first put down its roots. They bought the plant on Lloyd Avenue on January 14, 1907. 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!

By 1953, the company built its Montreal-based complete factory. In 1962, Burnaby, BC became home to the company’s third Canadian plant. By 1991, this plant was relocated to Aldergrove. The North American Company revamped manufacturing in 2000.

The plant in Aldergrove transitioned to become the main office and Western distribution center and ceased manufacturing abilities. 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.. The Technical Coatings Co. Ltd. plant in Burlington, Ont. grew to become the location for central solvent-based production..



Berkshire Hathaway Inc. bought Benjamin Moore & Co. in December 2000. This business owns subsidiaries and acts as a holding company with a variety of interests in different businesses. The Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is Warren Buffet.

There are over 275 committed Benjamin Moore & Co. Canadian employees offering their best products and services to consumers, contractors and independent retailers.

Nowadays, the company focuses its vision and strategy on offering support to independent retailers while growing, leveraging and protecting the Benjamin Moore brand. The company has created many programs such as The Painting & Decorating Services Initiative, The Strategic Training Triad for the Retailer and the Signature Store Program.

The company has used the success of these programs to stay progressive and competitive in the paint market. Betty Moore created branding as “The Colour Experts,” in the 1950s, becoming the first spokesperson. In the 1960s, the Moor-O-Matic custom colour range was introduced and Moore’s Colour Matching System was born by 1970.

Benjamin Moore has become known as the most trusted paint brand in Canada. The recognition is from independent research, Reader’s Digest and Ipsos-Reid Canada, one of the most trusted independent research firms and public opinion polls in the country.

Research and Development

Ongoing product testing combined with scientific testing enables Benjamin Moore & Co., Ltd. to offer excellent paint products that clients enjoy using.

There are over 100 technicians, chemical engineers, support staff and chemists maintaining strict product standards. New products are continuously being developed by these crews. There are 10 team-based laboratories operated by technical staff at the eighty-thousand square-foot Technical & Administrative Centre.

Every lab is outfitted with the latest technology. Each instrument focuses on certain expertise. Every lab works together to develop the formulations for Benjamin Moore products. The labs work close to the marketing and manufacturing facilities to ensure demands are met across the different industries including industrial, DIY, professional and commercial 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 undergo analyzing tests to develop new formulations or maintain existing ones. To ensure their competitors’ products hold up to their advertising claims, Benjamin Moore regularly tests them too.

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 Latex Coatings Lab and the Solvent Coatings Lab are where these new products are made and tested for enhanced performance. These items are repeatedly tested to ensure that they pass the stringent company expectations for clients, environmental stands and company regulations.

The Industrial Maintenance Finishes Laboratory designs specific corrosion-fighting coatings for high-performance for industrial use including factories, military tanks and similar applications.

The main location for most of Benjamin Moore’s research is done at the Polymer Laboratory. 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. Benjamin Moore relies on in-house production to offer quality assurance. Specific requirements can be tailored to meet binder formulations.



Factory standards are created and consistency is checked at The Colour Assurance Laboratory. Their exceptional standards are distributed in each one of Benjamin Moore’s paint plants. The chip accuracy on each of the Benjamin Moore colour cards is monitored by this lab too. This tool helps contractors and homeowners find the perfect shade.

The Colour Technology Laboratory invented the first colour-matching computerized system and this has become the industry standard across the board. This machine is vital for enhancing Benjamin Moore’s colour-matching abilities. The scientists working at this lab are in charge of reviewing and evaluating the latest technologies and colour matching equipment.

The place where all of the paint colour prescriptions live is at the Colour Development Laboratory. It ensures that formulas are consistent for current shades while developing new colour formulations.

25,000 paint coating samples are evaluated and studied at the Exterior Testing Facility aka “the Test Farm,” after being exposed to harsh elements for a certain time. This colour data is used by the daily research and development teams. This farm is very accessible and located near where the paint is tested and created in Benjamin Moore labs.

Every staff chemist can utilize the lab as a place for research and development. Chemists are encouraged to visit the facility during the day to check on their coatings and monitor performance. Sales and marketing staff additionally rely on the farm to gain valuable information on many products.

Home to the Information Resource Centre, Management Information Services, Corporate Engineering, Regulatory Affairs Departments and Product Information Centre, the Technical & Administrative Centre is the major hub of the company.