What is the oldest paint company in America?

The oldest paint company in America is Devoe Paint, founded in 1754 in New York City, 22 years before American independence. It was originally established as a varnish and paint shop serving colonial shipbuilders, merchants, and early industrial customers who needed protective coatings for wood and metal. Over more than two and a half centuries, Devoe survived the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and both World Wars, supplying paints for ships, bridges, and military equipment. Today Devoe no longer operates as an independent company, but the brand still exists and is owned by PPG Industries, which acquired it through a series of acquisitions including AkzoNobel's North American operations. If you are looking for the oldest company still operating under its original name and ownership structure, that title goes to Benjamin Moore, founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, which remains a major independent brand. Other historic brands include Sherwin-Williams founded in 1866 in Cleveland and PPG itself founded in 1883 as Pittsburgh Plate Glass. Valspar, founded in 1806 as a varnish maker, is also among the oldest surviving coatings companies.