Richard’s Paint: 50-year Legacy Launched from Space Coast Garage
How has Richard’s Paint grown from a small, garage-based business to a multi-million dollar company that employs over 100 Space Coast residents? The secret is in the way they have always provided the best value to their customers.
Richard’s Paint has come a long way since founder Ed Richards mixed his first batch of paint in his garage over 65 years ago. Back in 1954, Richards was working as a painting contractor when he decided to try his hand at making paint. He started as a small batch manufacturer, mixing paint in 55-gallon drums. He first sold to his fellow painters, later adding local paint and decorating stores.
After calling the Space Coast home for more than 50 years, annual sales now exceed more than $20 million. The business has grown to include a 100,000 square foot facility in Rockledge, featuring modern offices, laboratories, manufacturing areas, and warehouses.
Richard’s Paint serves customers in residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial markets with hundreds of different products. You can find their paint locally in their showrooms in Melbourne, Viera, Palm Bay, and Merritt Island. Richard’s Paint also is sold in independently owned paint and decorating stores.
Though the business is rooted in Brevard, Richard’s Paint is sold in 43 states and overseas. Quality products keep their customers coming back.
”We aren’t spending hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising like some of the larger paint companies,” said Ron Hutton, director of marketing. “The money that might otherwise be spent in larger budgets for fancy marketing campaigns, we put that back into the can so that the customer gets the benefit.”
Today, Richard’s Paint remains a family affair. Ed Richard’s two sons both worked their way up through the ranks and now run the business.
“I started out in junior high school, canning paint, sweeping floors, and unloading boxcars,” said Eric Richards, company president and CEO. “After high school, I went to work full time. I’ve done almost every job in our facility, from the manufacturing side to the laboratory side to the warehouse side.”
Eric Richards has served as the company's president since 2004 and became CEO when his father, Ed, Sr., passed away in 2020. Ed Richards, Jr. is the vice president of operations and chief operating officer. Eric’s son, Justin, is a third generation member of the team.
The spike in business during the height of the pandemic came as a wonderful surprise, and despite supply chain issues prompted by COVID, the company continues to grow.
“At the start of the pandemic, we weren’t sure what the outcome would be,” Hutton said. “But home improvement projects just exploded and the demand became really, really high. But now, just getting the raw materials in the quantities we need is a huge challenge. The demand has outpaced supply.”
When you buy Richard’s Paint, you are buying from a company that cares deeply about the community.
“At Richard’s Paint, the meaning of family runs through all of the things that we do,” Hutton said.
Breakout Box:
800-432-0983
info@richardspaint.com
Facebook: /richardspaint
Instagram:@richardspaint
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