Paint store seals the deal with Benjamin Moore
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Store manager Perry Barnes (l) and owner
Marcus Anderson
(r). Photo by Eric Campbell
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By Eric T.
Campbell
The Michigan Citizen
DETROIT— When Marcus Anderson went after Benjamin Moore as a
sponsor of a prospective paint store, he didn’t know he’d be setting a
precedent. Anderson Paint Store, on
Eight Mile Road, is now the only Benjamin Moore
outlet in the city of Detroit.
It’s the only Black-owned Benjamin Moore retailer out of 178 in the state of Michigan.
Up until June of this year, Marcus Anderson
operated a successful paint contracting company—Soft Touch Painting. Soft
Touch, established in 1989, was
Anderson’s livelihood, specializing in commercial,
industrial and residential painting. Anderson soon realized the
sensibility of incorporating a paint store in the same location.
“I am, by trade, a paint contractor,”
Anderson
told the Michigan Citizen. “Adding the paint store doesn’t take away from
the service, in fact it enhances it—we’re now more like a one-stop-shop. We
can provide a product as well as a service.”
Anderson
courted several paint companies, but the superior reputation that Benjamin
Moore enjoys in the industry kept them at the top of his list. According to Anderson, Benjamin Moore
Paints are considered the highest in quality.
“Benjamin Moore sets the standards for other companies to follow,” says Anderson.
But gaining the confidence of the paint industry giant wasn’t easy. Anderson tells of meetings
and discussions that lasted six months. The viability of the Detroit market was the dominant topic in talks with
representatives from the Chicago corporate
office, but Anderson
had an established clientele through his painting company.
“I said there’s a market here for your paint,” Anderson recalls.
Once the decision was made to endorse
Anderson’s store, Benjamin Moore wasted no time
providing a comprehensive web of support. Three days was all it took before
he began receiving paint supplies, according to
Anderson.
Paint Store manager, Perry Barnes, has over 14 years in the professional
painting business. Barnes says that experience is beneficial to patrons with
any type of painting task.
“What we do is ask you the proper questions and get you the proper tools,”
Barnes told the Michigan Citizen. “From there we proceed to recommend a
product based on the overall look and appearance you’re trying to achieve.”
The store offers thousands of colors to choose from and is able to match
colors from other companies. This process is called ‘crossover matching’.
According to Barnes, it’s achieved with a computer program whose database
includes colors by companies other than Benjamin Moore.
Despite the non-descript exterior,
Anderson’s store welcomes walk-in customers with an
orderly, well-stocked showroom floor. Paints come in three levels: The
premium Regal interior line, the Super Spec contractor line and the Super
Craft project line.
The reputation Benjamin Moore carries made Anderson Paint Store a retail
option for other paint industry name brands such as Wooster brushes and rollers, and Hyde scrapers
and joint knives.
Other tools for wall-patching, wallpaper removal and interior staining are
also available.
“We want to make sure that people are receiving knowledge from the time they
walk in the door until the time they leave,” says Anderson.
Anderson Paint Store also features over 200 off-white colors and a section
devoted entirely to exterior colors often used in historical neighborhoods. Anderson’s also features
ECOSPEC, a line paint which is low in odor and VOCs (volatile organic
compounds).
“It’s the cheapest way to remodel,” says Perry about the effect a fresh coat
of paint can have on a living space, “and in a lot of cases it makes all the
difference.”
Despite his relationship with a dominant paint franchise, Anderson is still determined to operate like a
neighborhood corner store. He’s attended Detroit area block club meetings and plans a
meet and greet event for his neighbors in the 8 Mile/Southfield Road area.
“Solving your problems is going to be a lot easier when you can deal with
the owner.”
Anderson Paint Store is located at
18539 W. 8 Mile Rd., four blocks west of
Southfield Freeway. Call 313-541-5452 for further questions.
For a free job estimate call Soft Touch Painting at 313-541-8402
