Environmentally friendly paints have been marketed by Para Paints Inc., a mid-sized Canadian manufacturer, for many years. The Brampton, Ontario-based company has built a reputation for innovation based on its research. President David Smith notes that while major paint manufacturers have extensive in-house research labs, mid-sized and smaller manufacturers usually outsource most research. Para Paints bucks that trend. Nine of the company’s 80 employees in corporate headquarters operate an aggressive R&D laboratory.
“The ability to be innovative and move fast is one way to stay in the game,” Smith says. “Over the years Para Paints has become recognized for being either first to market or among the first to market. For example, we quickly realized the potential of the color computer and effectively introduced it at a very early stage. Today, our color system offers 2,411 colors — the world’s largest collection of colors in one display.”