In 1954, two brothers, Edward and Joseph Richard, painter’s living and working in Hialeah, Florida, opened a local paint retail store called Richard Bros. The Richard brothers along with their wives worked in a 1,200-square foot building and started their business with an investment of less than $500.00. Today, Richard’s Paint Mfg. Inc., is a sprawling 100,000 square foot facility with modern offi
ces, as well as laboratories, shipping stations, manufacturing areas and warehouses. Despite unprecedented growth, what hasn’t changed is the name on the company logo. Richard’s has been a fixture in the southeastern portion of the country and has found a way to reach over 400 distributors in places such as Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, as well as far away lands including Saudi Arabia, South America and China. In addition we have distributors in the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. The company has grown in leaps and bounds but the philosophy of doing good business with good people remains the same today as it did when Edward and his brother started the company. This philosophy has followed the Richard’s name since the company’s inception. After opening that small, 1,200-square foot store in Hialeah, Ed eventually bought out his brother in 1957. He then started manufacturing and custom-blending paint and with hard work and determination grew the business into what it is today. In 1969, he purchased a 22,000-square foot building and to this day the Rockledge facility remains the company’s manufacturing and corporate headquarters. Richard’s found continued success throughout the 1970s and into the 80s at which time the company again needed to expand. In 1983 a 25,000-sq. addition for warehousing purposes was added along with 2,050 sq ft. of administrative offices including conference room. Also in 1983, paint sales exceeded the $5 million mark and today, sales exceed more than $20 million. Beyond the sales numbers, Richard’s produces more than 2 million gallons of paint per year.
