As someone who has waxed poetic about certain Benjamin Moore colors, I'm clearly a fan—and designers love their paints, too. Now, the company is giving us all the more reason to love them by rolling out a multifaceted relief program in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The most surprising pivot? Turning its Newark, New Jersey, paint factory to a hand sanitizer production.
Over the past few weeks, Benjamin Moore—which as operated a facility in Newark since the 1920s—has been investigating how to switch from making paint to making hand sanitizer. Now, the company is in the process of manufacturing 600 gallons (over 2,000 bottles) of sanitizer, which it is donating to local police departments.
In addition, the company has announced a $100,000 gift to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and Frontline Foods, two of the organizations helping to make up for the 50% state increase in demand for food assistance. This donation will facilitate 230,000 meals.
"Benjamin Moore has operated in New Jersey for more than 100 years, with four locations and our largest employee population based in the Garden State. As a company committed to the communities we serve, we recognize the health and financial hardship that COVID-19 has caused many residents," says chairman and CEO Dan Calkins. "Through our production of much-needed hand sanitizer and monetary donations to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and Frontline Foods New Jersey, we hope to bring some comfort to first responders, healthcare workers and community members in need during this difficult time."