Issuu

BARBADIAN BY BIRTH, Ralph Johnson’s early years were quite similar to those of the average man. During that time he had no idea that he would one day be the chairman of one of the most widely known paint companies in the region. He grew up in the Deacons and Westbury Road neighbourhood, the eldest of six children. He left school at 16 years old to find work and wound up assisting in the management of the family owned night club operation known as Mary’s Moustache in St. Lawrence Gap. At the 40th anniversary awards dinner for Harris Paints, Johnson reflected on the humble beginnings of the company. “Not too many of you know that I inherited this job because the chosen manager, Mr Harry Roberts, decided to manage another endeavour in Barbados. I hardly knew the difference between blue and pink paint but Andrew, Richard and Norman knew. And I had a large family to tap up for some shares which was the most important commodity needed by the new company.” Johnson may not have known about paints in the beginning, but he quickly became synonymous with the Harris Paints brand and he was even greeted by

strangers as ‘Mr Harris’. It was a long, trying road to that point however, and Johnson described the early years as ‘a struggle of Titanic proportions’. “It was exceedingly tough to convince the Barbadian public that we could produce top quality products to rival what was coming in from the outside, in our own backyard.” However, Johnson managed to convince the right people, and alongside the other founders, he was eventually able to garner the required capital to propel their business into the public’s eye. And Johnson made sure that Harris Paints would quickly become a household name by spending what he described as ‘quite considerable amounts’ on television advertising. As a result, several Barbadians are now able to associate the smiling, walking, talking can of paint with the company. To this day, Johnson is known for his immense contribution to the company and assistance in taking it so far — even to other countries in the region. Despite his very senior rank as chairman of the company, Ralph Johnson is still just like a regular man: a very down-to-earth and accessible boss with a love for motorsports.

CHAIRMAN of Harris Paints, Ralph Johnson, took guests at the company’s awards dinner on an entertaining trip along memory lane during his address to the gathering. (RC)

NEW or EXISTING Property? Don’t Leave it

looking give it

flat !

added depth & improved Value

A passion for global quality

with the perfect

textured

Our global reach and cross-border approach enable us to deliver practical advice and tangible long term value to every client.

finish

For more information contact any of our Barbados Partners or Directors at 246-434-3900 or info@kpmg.bb

made from Caribbean Coralstone

www.kpmg.bb

Custom Tinting Available!

Six Roads T: 423-3340 Wildey T: 429-9974 Fitts Village T: 417-5459

www.championsofcolour.com

facebook.com/championsofcolour

© 2012 KPMG, a Barbados partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity, All rights reserved.

SANDALS GRANDE in Antigua - Troweltex and Ulttima

ICBL in Barbados - Ulttima

THE HARBOUR, Rodney Bay in St. Lucia - Ulttima

BLAIRCOURT PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT VILLAS in Dominica - Troweltex

KENSINGTON OVAL in Barbados Ulttima and Devoe Flooring Systems

PRIVATE RESIDENCE

in Georgetown, Guyana Troweltex

CONGRATULATIONS! to

Harris Paints on their

40th Anniversary!

CASTRIES CENTRAL LIBRARY in St Lucia – Ulttima

AS WE EMBARK on a new chapter in the Harris Paints story given the tough years the company has survived, who knew we’d be looking at a company with a turnover of over $50M, selling through over 1000 distribution points across more than 15 countries, providing IAN KENYON (GP) employment for over 200 people who in turn, can then provide for their families, and with market leading Brands and icons recognized all over the Caribbean including of course our much loved “Little Man”. In recent times we’ve been reflecting on what made us strong and essentially we have just gone back to the basics of making a “Best by Test” quality can of paint underpinned by world class customer service. We still don’t always get it right by any means, but in 2012 it has been gratifying to see this renewed focus on customer centricity being rewarded with awards from upstanding establishments like ISO, the Future Centre Trust, the St Lucian Manufacturing Association and NISE here in Barbados which included the top award from the Prime Minister. And the future? Well it’s hard enough to predict tomorrow let alone another 40 years from now as we all jump on this mandatory rollercoaster ride called the world economy, and where events today in far off places such as Greece or Afghanistan can now have such a profound effect, for better or worse, on the well being of all of us in our beautiful part of the world. However, what I do know is that for the past 8000 years paint has been the best solution man has found to protect and beautify his environment, so the probability is that paint will still be around in the near future, and there will always be a need for a company that can produce world class coatings embellished with the unique local touch that comes from being part of the fabric of the Caribbean. The company that never sits still, that continually reinvents itself by listening to the changing needs of its customer base will always be a company in demand and a company that is blessed with world class strategic partners, from the Bank that provides financial insight rather than just lending money, to the Agencies that enable us to tell our unique story in a novel and compelling way, to the raw material suppliers that consistently provide innovative coating solutions and not just raw materials, then that, will be a

HARRIS PAINTS’ Caribbean presence. (GP)

company with a very rich future. Above all, I do know that a company that is willing to listen and learn from its past, to listen to its employees now, so they become fully engaged in our future, to realise that you get nothing in life without the willingness to demonstrate resilience, tenacity, creativity and good old fashioned common sense when the need arises, a company that respects its rich heritage and the community in which it seeks to live and prosper .... well, if a company can do all of that then it doesn’t matter if that company is 1 day, 1 year, 40 years or 400 years into the future, the chances are this is a company

that will deliver on its promises to its shareholders, its customers, its partners and its employees. And a very strong chance that it will truly become the Caribbean Champions of Colour! So that is OUR vision - to be that company. To get up every day and produce the best products that best meet the ever changing demands of our customers. Simple to say and hard to do, but I am proud to represent over 200 like minded souls, ready and willing to continue to make this dream a reality and who, just like me, are humbled by the presence of many of the people that have taken us on this rich and colourful journey so far.

RALPH JOHNSON CERTAINLY A COLOURFUL CHARACTER, Ralph “Bruggadung” Johnson had won a measure of infamy through his exploits in music, sports and rally racing before he became widely known as one of the founders of Harris Paints.

ANDREW PHILLIPS FOR NEARLY 25 YEARS the late Andrew Phillips was a significant guiding figure in the Harris Paints enterprise and was the driving force behind many of the initiatives that contributed to the growth and expansion of the business. Phillips is credited with the vision of starting a local paint manufacturing operation, an audacious idea which was backed by the support of friend Richard Carter.

RICHARD CARTER WITHOUT A DOUBT Richard Carter played an inextricable role in the history and founding of Harris Paints, and his open-mindedness, vision and willingness to ‘break the mould’ in part gave rise to the dynamic local manufacturing company that is Harris Paints today. It is hard to believe that such an accomplishment and vast undertaking came about as a tangent to the main focus of his career, which was the successful management of the Carter & Co Ltd family business.

It was second nature to Ralph to put the full force of his personality behind the business and to put the business into every aspect of his personal life. More than any other figure, Johnson became synonymous with the brand particularly in the years he served as managing director, often hailed by passing strangers as ‘Mr Harris’. To this day Ralph continues to champion the company to success in Barbados, the Caribbean and beyond.

THE LITTLE PAINT CAN icon has been around as long as the company itself and by 1974 was a regular feature in advertising materials. Since then The Little Man has been a fixture at Harris standing up for customers and delivering quality, choice and service. From the outset the Little Man marched to the beat of a different drum as Harris embraced a distinctly local/Caribbean perspective. They threw out the accepted advertising norms of the time as the Little Man found his own voice; a down-to-earth, straight-talking, tell-it-like-it-is style that confronted customers to examine their own choices more closely and judge by the quality of the contents and not the cover so to speak. Harris did not waste time beating around the bush. The company proclaimed: “We ain’t the biggest... We don’t sell the most. We simply sell the best for less!” It was a clear and targeted message aimed directly at the large foreign-owned

corporation that dominated the industry. Above all it set out the company’s confidence in delivering superior quality despite their modest circumstances and signalled the beginning of a David-andGoliath-like battle for market share. Although it took several years before Harris began to win the fight, the Little Man was extremely effective in his role as corporate ambassador and became a highly recognized symbol of Harris. As the company has grown so has the Little Man who has kept his image up to date and now sports 3-D technology!

THIS YEAR HARRIS PAINTS is proud to present the new “Spirit Of The Harris Little Man” award to the staff member who best evokes inspiration and dedication; and who best embodies the customer-centric, “tryharder” values on which the company was founded. This individual exemplifies Harris Paints’ commitment and dedication to service. In choosing this special person, all staff members were invited to nominate an individual from any department based on the following categories – Safety, Health and the Environment, Job Performance, Team Spirit, Going Beyond the Call of Duty, Attendance and Punctuality. There is therefore no surprise that Don Gooding has been chosen as the recipient of the “Spirit Of The Harris Little Man” award. Don is recognized by all departments as being highly approachable and positive, and favourable feedback from both our internal and external customers is testament to his results-oriented work ethic and willing attitude. Through hard work and dedication to the team, Don has contributed to

DON GOODING (RC) the success of Harris Paints in many ways including contributions to the Green Team, Health and Safety Committee, charitable projects, general activities and marketing events. In recognition of this achievement, we salute Don Gooding for his unwavering attitude to work and dedication to the company.

MICHAEL CARTER began his journey with Harris Paints from its inception in September 1972 as a production assistant at the tender age of 19. establishing the Harris When Harris Paints Paints brand. began manufacturing there Over his 40 years of were five employees and service he has the first batch of paint demonstrated dedication Michael ever assisted and commitment to Harris making was Duratone Paints and its customers; Bone White. both local and regional. Describing his early He is a walking experiences as an exciting encyclopaedia of Harris time when all hands were history and is the go-to on deck, he said: “Mr person whenever someone Johnson used to tell us he wants to know something doesn’t want a team of about its heritage. specialists but only allThroughout the years, rounders on his team.” MICHAEL CARTER: Michael has shared his This declaration became Harris Paints’ longest expertise and advice, and the mantra for how the business was run on a daily serving employee with is always available to listen 40 years and counting. or offer an encouraging basis, so when there was word to his colleagues. excess paint in the In keeping with his willingness to warehouse and not enough customers, pass on his knowledge to others, every employee in Production became Michael has also been involved in a salesman. training across the region for a number It was at these times that Michael of years. Sales and customer service could be found riding his bicycle or were his primary topics. catching the bus to visit potential Even though Michael is keen on customers. business, he is not all work and no play, He has worked tirelessly in varied as he has actively participated in the capacities including sales supervisor Harris Sports & Social Club for many and sales manager, and today, he is years and was often the chief organiser export sales manager. In this role, he is of staff events. He is also very responsible for the sale of Harris passionate about sports and family, and products throughout the region to over any visitor to his office would see nine territories including Grenada, St. pictures of his football team and family Vincent, St. Kitts and Belize – in many prominently displayed on the walls. of which he was instrumental in

Website: www.adcbuildingmaintenance.com Email: info@adcbuildingmaintenance.com

RETAIL RETAIL

RETAIL

FINANCE

& PROCUREMENT

MAINTENANCE

& TECHNICAL

PRODUCTION

SALES

HUMAN RESOURCES, ADMINISTRATION

& MARKETING

& INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

INVENTORY

RICHARD CARTER (left, receiving his award from Chairman Ralph Johnson) and Andrew Phillips were both rewarded for their roles as founders. Phillips’ widow, Wynona Phillips, received his posthumous award on his behalf. (RC)

EXPORT SALES MANAGER MICHAEL CARTER (left) receiving his award for 40 years of service to the company from Chairman Ralph Johnson.

IT WAS a little after 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 15, when specially invited guests gathered at Bagatelle Great House to celebrate Harris Paints’ 40th anniversary with a dinner and awards ceremony. The location was creatively decorated using the company’s colours as guests filed in and were treated to a scrumptious buffet style dinner. Immediately following the meal came the moment they had all been waiting for: the awards, held under the auspices of Acting Prime Minister, Richard Sealy, and other members of parliament. Guests were first reminded of the long journey to the 40-year mark. This was portrayed by a well-compiled slideshow that displayed past advertisements, products and the evolution of the Harris Paints ‘Little Man’ mascot. Emphasis was placed on the significant growth of the company through the years, as well as their esteemed commitment to corporate social responsibility. The first speech of the night was fittingly given by the original ‘Little

Man’, Chairman Ralph Johnson. He spoke to the challenges the company overcame, including hard financial times and difficulties in garnering financial support in the early days. He also acknowledged those who passed on, including the first chairman, Andrew Phillips. He said that the company was born out of dissatisfaction with what was being offered on the market at the time. Harris Paints opened its doors with a focus on service, staff education and wider product offerings. Thus the ‘Champion of Colour’ was born. Johnson was followed by Luke Ticknor, the senior vice president of sales and marketing for the company. Ticknor used his speech as an opportunity to present the company’s new book, The Little Man to the guests. The book was written by Johnson’s daughter, Tracy Johnson, and it covers the history and growth of Harris Paints in its entirety. Ticknor explained how the

iconic ‘Little Man’ represents all that the company stands for, “service with a smile”. The final speech before the feature address came from CEO Ian Kenyon, who praised the book for helping them to understand where they came from, where they are today, and consequently what they have to do, or not do, to be successful. Kenyon also presented a slideshow. It focused on their work over the years, including past campaigns, community involvement, awards, and partnerships. He indicated that they have plans for a rich future which will involve listening and learning. Acting Prime Minister Richard Sealy delivered the feature address. His short, but powerful speech saluted the founders of the company, and commended Harris Paints on their contribution to society, asserting that they had gone way beyond their call

HIS ETHIC IS A TESTAMENT of The Spirit Of The Harris Little Man, and for his inspiration and dedication Don Gooding was the 2012 recipient of the award of the same name. Here Don is all smiles while receiving the award from Senior Vice-president, Human Resources, Marguerite Desir.

ACTING PRIME MINISTER RICHARD SEALY delivered the feature address. of duty. Describing Harris Paints as a case study for all entrepreneurs, current and prospective in what needs to be done to succeed despite recessions, despite international competition, and despite anything that gets in the way of delivering a locally made product that is of international standard, Sealy wished Harris Paints another 40 years of success.

MICHAEL EDWARDS (left) of Carter’s General Stores, receiving the highest sales volume award (local) from Ian Kenyon, CEO of Harris Paints.

TRACY JOHNSON receiving an award for her contribution to The Little Man book, as writer, from Chief Executive Officer Ian Kenyon.

PICTURED AT RIGHT: Senior Vice-president Sales and Marketing Luke Ticknor (right) presenting the highest sales volume award (export) to David Goddard of PaintPlus in Antigua. (RCs)

PICTURED AT LEFT is Trish White receiving an award for her contribution as graphic designer of The Little Man book. (RCs) CEO IAN KENYON (right) receiving a special award presented to Harris Paints by Jerry Ramirez of Andes Chemical Corporation in Doral, Florida. (Pictures by Rawle Culbard)

EXPORT SALES MANAGER MICHAEL CARTER (left) receiving his award for 40 years of service to the company from Chairman Ralph Johnson.

MICHAEL EDWARDS (left) of Carter’s General Stores, receiving the highest sales volume award (local) from Ian Kenyon, CEO of Harris Paints.

TRACY JOHNSON receiving an award for her contribution to The Little Man book, as writer, from Chief Executive Officer Ian Kenyon.

PICTURED AT RIGHT: Senior Vice-president Sales and Marketing Luke Ticknor (right) presenting the highest sales volume award (export) to David Goddard of PaintPlus in Antigua. (RCs)

SIR CHARLES WILLIAMS (RC)

SIR CHARLES WILLIAMS is not only a shareholder and director of Harris Paints, but he has also been a loyal supporter of the company for over 35 years. Williams insists on the use of Harris Paints products across his property and business ventures and uses them exclusively wherever possible throughout the Caribbean. Examples of this can be seen at

his luxury Apes Hill development. Williams knew founder Ralph Johnson since he was a lad and the two became close not through business, but through a mutual love for fishing and motorsports. When Harris Paints was in financial trouble in earlier years, Williams came to the company’s rescue, providing the much needed equity to keep the business afloat. The

company has flourished ever since. Williams is still kept abreast of Harris Paints’ activities and said that he is excited about the future, stressing the importance of looking to the opportunities in the market. “’He who has the best eyesight in the world and has no vision is completely blind’ and there is no truer word!” he said.

CHAIRMAN RALPH JOHNSON (left) accepting the Prime Minister’s Award for Service Excellence from Prime Minister Freundel Stuart. (GP) OVER THE YEARS, Harris Paints has won numerous awards for its hard work and dedication, but 2012 has proven to be year in which the company’s cup of success has certainly been filled to the brim. In March, the company’s St Lucia operation won the five top prizes for excellence at the St. Lucia Manufacturers Association Awards, dominating in the categories of human resource development and social responsibility, and topping this off with three diamond awards for Implementation of standards and best practices; leadership; and product and consumer service quality. Home in Barbados, the company was also enjoying the fruits of its pursuit of excellence, winning four out of the top five awards at the National Initiative for Service Excellence gala, including the Prime Minister’s Award for Service Excellence. Harris Paints also broke a new record within the Green Business programme when it became the first business to achieve Tier 2 of the Footprint Rating System. The achievement set a new standard for the programme and raised the bar for a new level of achievement for the other businesses in the programme to follow. CEO Ian Kenyon said being the first company in Barbados to achieve Tier 2 status in the programme was a great honour. “It reflects the focus of our company to be the leader in health, safety and the environment – and not just in Barbados but in the 14 other countries we sell to throughout the Caribbean. This achievement is another important step in the journey towards becoming a World Class, Tier 5 Green business, and I am confident that the hearts and minds of all our staff are working in unison towards that goal”.

GREEN BUSINESS AWARD recognizing Harris Paints’ achievement of Tier Two of the Footprint Rating System. (GP)

NISE AWARDS four times as nice. (GP)

HARRIS PAINTS’ Senior Vice President Human Resources Marguerite Desir (third left) with the the Harris St Lucia team celebrating the company’s success at the St Lucia Manufacturers Association Awards. (GP)

“FOR MANY YEARS we have been very pleased with the prompt and professional service we have received from Harris Paints, particularly in colour matching, preparation of samples and advice on technical specifications for special paint and surface applications.” — DAVID R SPINK GILLESPIE & STEEL ASSOCIATES LTD.

“ONE OF HARRIS’ BOLDEST MOVES was their investment in top-of-the-line automatic tinting machines across the region. Being tops in the Caribbean means being tops in technology and Harris is positioned as the leader in colour.” — STEVE NELSON, VICE PRESIDENT – INTERNATIONAL MARKETS, AKZO NOBEL PAINTS

"FIRSTLY, my wife Carolyn and I are very thankful for the invitation to attend the 40th anniversary celebration of Harris Paints on Saturday, September 15, 2012. The evening was most enjoyable, especially the recognition of PaintPlus for achieving the highest export Harris sales volume in the Eastern Caribbean. During the last 17 years we have had the pleasure of representing Harris Paints in Antigua and Barbuda, where we are known as the 'Home of Harris Paints'. Although the road has not always been smooth, the strength of this relationship owes much to the chairman, and good friend, Ralph Johnson. His knowledge and expertise has been valuable and respected, and has helped our success thus far. PaintPlus is still the only exclusive Harris Paints retailer in the Eastern Caribbean. We have chosen this route because of the reliable and superior products made under the Harris label." — DAVID A. GODDARD, OWNER, PAINTPLUS, ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

PRICESMART, another Harris Paints and Structural Systems project. (GP) “HARRIS PAINTS has provided our industrial coatings from the time we opened our doors for business 37 years ago. During this time we have had no reason to look elsewhere for a better range of products and services.” — ANDRE GIBSON, GENERAL MANAGER, STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS LTD. “I WISH to take this opportunity to extend our congratulations to Harris Paints on the occasion of their 40th Anniversary. The organisation has proven itself to be an exemplary one by way of its fine workmanship and dedication to its customers. It is essential values such as these that have allowed for Harris and their team to achieve this truly tremendous milestone.” — KIM TUDOR, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR SERVICE EXCELLENCE (NISE) INC. “HARRIS PAINTS has always given us prompt and reliable service over the years.” — MILTON INNISS, PURCHASING OFFICER MOORJANI CARIBBEAN

“WE WERE LOOKING for a partner with a comprehensive understanding of the Caribbean market to assist us with growing our presence and were also keen on aligning ourselves with a market leader, as this would ensure greater prominence and acceptance of our products. In Harris we were able to fulfil both of these desires as well as have access to a first class sales force and certified technical applicators.” — CHRIS VAUGHAN, TECHNICAL SALES MANAGER, FLOWCRETE NORTH AMERICA “HARRIS PAINTS is a superior brand in my opinion. You never have to worry about their paints fading due to their excellent quality and I simply love the range of colours.” — MARK HARRIS, CUSTOMER “HARRIS PAINTS has a deep understanding through experience and NACE certification of the High Performance Coatings required to keep our equipment running efficiently.” — ANDRÉ ALLEYNE, TERMINAL MANAGER BARBADOS NATIONAL TERMINAL CO. LTD.

IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN its position as a world-class company, Harris Paints has over the years secured the support of many world-class partners. Harris has had two main goals when creating partnerships with international companies – to gain resources and knowledge that might otherwise be outside their grasp as a regional company, and to widen the range of products in their portfolio, so as to satisfy more customers’ needs. Acquiring International Expertise There is a high focus on quality at Harris Paints. This is done to complement both their ISO 9001:2008 quality certification, and the breadth of skills that their many long term staff have developed over the years, Harris often works with international experts to ensure they are delivering the best quality possible. Their technical partnerships include: Akzo Nobel Decorative Paints Owners of world-famous paint brands such as Dulux, Glidden, Cuprinol and Sikkens, Akzo Nobel (formerly ICI Paints) is the largest paint and coatings company in the world. As their exclusive technical licensee in the Caribbean, Harris Paints has been able to tap into Akzo Nobel’s colour technology, paint formulations, operations practices and marketing resources.

Coatings Research Group Incorporated (CRGI) As an international cooperative group of over 30 paint companies from around the world, CRGI provides Harris Paints with shared best practices, formulation support and laboratory services. In addition, CRGI has an ISO 17025 Accredited Testing Laboratory that provides independent testing services to help Harris Paints determine how the other paints in the region perform, and how they in turn can make theirs better. The Color Guild More than 60 international paint companies, including Harris Paints, have joined together to form the Color Guild, which is a cooperative group focused on identifying colour trends, developing colour tools and sharing colour leadership practices. By participating in this exclusive group, Harris is able to have up-to-the minute knowledge of what is happening in the world of colour, and access to the world’s best colour innovations. Perfecting the Product Portfolio There are so many substrates in the world that paint goes onto, and so many factors that make coating them difficult. Though Harris Paints prides itself on making the best quality decorative paints, they have realised

over the years that in order to be able to offer solutions for every possible paint project, they need partners to help them. As a result, Harris has secured distribution rights for an everwidening range of specialty coatings and paint products, which today include: International Paint and Devoe Coatings By partnering with the top two brands of industrial, high-performance coatings in the world, Harris Paints has access to epoxies, urethanes, tank linings, fire proofing, anti-fouling and many more specialized coatings for the most demanding projects. Harris’ team of NACE-certified technical consultants work directly with International and Devoe’s engineers to help develop specifications and coating systems that are second to none. Flowcrete North America Floors are the most difficult things to coat, especially those with heavytraffic or industrial use. Flowcrete is one of the largest and most recognized industrial floor coatings companies in the world, and as their exclusive distributor in the Caribbean, Harris Paints offers flake floors for retail environments, quartz floors for hospital and airport-type environments, anti-slip floors for safety

areas, antimicrobial floors for food processing areas, and many more. Rustoleum Products Long revered for their metal care coatings, Rustoleum also manufactures world-famous brands such as Zinsser Primers, Varathane Wood Coatings and Painter’s Touch Aerosols. As the only manufacturerdirect distributor of Rustoleum products in the region, Harris has access to an almost infinite array of specialty product solutions to help their customers get the job done. FEB Building Chemicals The originators of concrete and mortar admixtures, FEB products have been the brand of choice for engineers and architects for over fifty years. Harris Paints is the exclusive Caribbean distributor of FEB’s UKmanufactured admixtures, bonding agents and other building chemicals. Flood Stains Since 1841, Flood Stains have grown to become the product of choice for exterior wood coatings in both North America and Australia. Harris Paints has partnered with Flood, a product of Akzo Nobel, because their UV-resistant pigments and superior penetrating formulations make them the ideal choice for resisting the impact of the Caribbean climate.

FROM THE OUTSET Harris Paints recognized the importance of the local community in the Little Manâ€™s titan task of taking on international companies and carving out a share of the market. The company is deeply appreciative of having been embraced in so many countries and is only too aware that sometimes a little assistance goes a long way, and even great things can

HELPING TO TRANSFORM the Pinelands community one brush stroke at a time. (GP)

DONATIONS TO WORTHY CAUSES are a part of Harris Paints philosophy of giving back. (GP)

THE Seivwright Gardens Mural in Jamaica. (GP)

AS A COMPANY, Harris Paints does not just sell coatings, but rather, colours. Since Harris Paints first opened their doors in 1972 they have known that it is not just enough to have the right products, but that they needed to be able to give their customers both the right colours, and the right tools in order to help them choose the best shades for their spaces. A history of colour innovation In 1994 under the name “Colour Creations”, Harris launched the first computer colour matching system in the Caribbean. This system was the first foray into widely available in-

store tinting, and allowed custom matches to be done on any sample that was at least two inches square or bigger. It also offered customers what at the time seemed like any amazing array of standard colours to choose from – up to 916 shades! Despite being a pioneer in colour, it wasn’t until 2002 that Harris Paints really changed the game. With their new partnership with ICI Paints, Harris was able to tap into the world-class “Master Palette” program and by investing heavily in computer-driven, automatic tinting machines, they heightened their ability to match colours, and increased the range of available

Lears, St. Michael. Telephone: 436-3910 e-mail: info@cow.bb

colours to over 6 000! Tools to help you choose With such a wide range of colours available, choosing colours can be a daunting experience – even to the

most seasoned decorator! Over the years, Harris Paints has consistently maintained its status as the leader in colour technology by continually coming up with new tools to help customers find the perfect colour. The

• From Page 20. tools Harris offers today include: The language of colour This Harris Paints fandeck and colour chip display have been cleverly laid out in a combination of “colour families” such as Reds, Blues and greens, and “Mood Groups” such as Calm, Fresh and Luxurious. This system of classifying colours, known as the “Language of Colour” makes choosing the right colours easy. The colours in each “Mood Group” are all designed to evoke a specific feeling or “mood” once painted on the wall – and any two colours in a given “Mood Group” are guaranteed to go well together. Colour visualisation and colour scheme selector On their website, www.championsofcolour .com, Harris offers two

unique programmes to help customers explore colour. The first, their “Mousepainter” programme, lets the user virtually paint a series of rooms to see what colours will look like in a real-life context, and visually see how colours will go together in a space. The second, their “Colour Scheme Selector” works as a virtual designer and asks the user a series of questions to help them come up with the perfect colour scheme, or combination of colours that work together. Top Ten Colours Because Harris Paints are sold in over 1 000 stores across the Caribbean, they have a large amount of trend information at their fingertips. By running reports from their automatic tint machines, they have been able to find out what the most popular colours are across the Caribbean – by seeing which colours are tinted most often. Every few years, Harris Paints

releases their “Top Ten Colours” to help customers who want to be “in the know” make selections that are sure to keep them on trend. Currently, these colours can be tinted, or are available pre-tinted in the new Harris Perma product line.

Colour champions No matter the technology and tools that are available, Harris Paints would not be the Caribbean Champions of Colour without their own “Colour Champions”. The staff in all Harris Colourcentres have

been extensively trained in colour matching, tinting and colour coordination, and are there to provide expert colour advice. Harris Team member Ian “Frankie” Archer has over 40 years experience working with colours, and says that

when it comes to matching, “experience, and a specially trained eye are the secrets”. Frankie must be an expert because as he says “the only time people I have matched colours for come back to the store is when they want more!”

to Harris Paints, the Caribbean Champions of Colour - celebrating 40 years of Colour, Ingenuity and World Class Performance.

come of small gestures. Therefore, since inception, Harris has always actively participated in giving back and supporting a wide range of community initiatives. Of course, the company is not able to answer every appeal but each subsidiary develops an annual action programme based on local knowledge designed to uplift, inspire and brighten lives. On many

occasions staff jump in and get involved in lending practical assistance, which helps bring the Harris team yet closer and provides individuals with opportunities to enrich their lives and for personal growth. These activities include support for youth, sport and well-being; beautification; educational and environmental initiatives.

HARRIS PAINTS is no stranger to creating smiles on faces, as seen when they donated paints to the children of the Charles F. Broome Primaryâ€™s Special Unit for their tyre garden. (GP)

Printed and Published by THE NATION PUBLISHING CO. LIMITED, Nation House, Fontabelle, St Michael, Barbados. Telephone (246) 430-5400