Yorkshire-based specialist paintmaker Brouns & Co has formally launched in the US with a local stockholding and distribution centre in New Hampshire, a new US website LinseedOilPaint.com and billing and payments direct from its US-based subsidiary.
Michiel Brouns, founder of Sherburn in Elmet Brouns & Co, said: “The remarkable rise in demand for linseed paint and coatings in Europe has now been outpaced by the US market, where architectural styles mean that there is greater need to preserve and protect both historic buildings and new structures that lean into the importance of natural components and carbon footprint.”
The company has seen a tenfold increase in demand from the US since it began shipping initial orders to North America in 2015. It views the market as a key area for growth, driven by a combination of consumer preferences for natural products, regulatory changes and the huge volume of wooden homes that are built and maintained in the US.
“Holding stock in the US as order quantities rise means we can meet the demands of local and national government contracts, as well as enhancing the service we offer private and corporate buyers who are increasingly looking for cleaner, greener, higher performance alternatives without forever chemicals,” added Brouns.
Brouns is working with American architects and preservation bodies on numerous projects in the US, including the restoration of President Washington’s Mount Vernon summer home in Virgina.
“We’ve been working closely with Royal Institute of British Architects in the UK and US for several years, and also the American Institute of Architects, who are meeting the demand for more information and training on the use of these products and techniques that were almost completely lost over the last few hundred years,” he added.
“Establishing our US venture, warehousing and a dedicated web presence is the natural next step, and we’ve also appointed a US-based CFO to lead the business.”
