So you‘re standing in the paint aisle at Home Depot, staring at the overwhelming wall of Behr paint gallons and wondering – who actually makes this stuff?
It‘s a great question! When investing in paint for your home painting projects, it pays to know exactly who manufactures and stands behind the products you‘re buying.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know about who produces Behr paints sold at Home Depot. I‘ll share details on Behr‘s history, manufacturing, and partnership with Home Depot.
By the end, you‘ll be a Behr paint expert ready to pick the perfect cans of Behr for your project!
A Quick History of Behr Paint
To start at the beginning, Behr Paint Company was founded way back in 1947 by a German immigrant named Otho Behr in Santa Ana, California.
Behr was focused on innovating with the new acrylic latex paint technology that was just hitting the market. The company quickly became known as a trailblazer in interior and exterior acrylic paints.
Flash forward to 1978, and Behr Paint Company entered into a partnership with the brand new Home Depot chain to be the exclusive retailer of Behr paints. This turned out to be a hugely successful pairing.
Then in 1999, Behr Paint was acquired by a much larger corporation named Masco based in Michigan. This made Behr a subsidiary brand under the Masco umbrella.
Today, Masco remains the parent company that owns and produces all Behr branded paints sold at Home Depot.
Where Is Behr Paint Manufactured Today?
As Behr grew from its humble beginnings into the paint giant it is today, manufacturing locations were added around the United States.
Currently, Behr paint is produced in several major factories in these locations:
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Santa Ana, California – Behr‘s founding city is still home to 3 manufacturing facilities
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Roanoke, Texas
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St. Louis, Missouri
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McDonough, Georgia
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Chicago Heights, Illinois
So while Behr got its roots on the West Coast, today you‘ll find Behr paint made all across America.
In total, Behr has 9 dedicated paint manufacturing plants that allow it to produce over 200 million gallons of paint each year!
Is Behr Considered a High-Quality Paint Brand?
With so many paint options on the market, you might be wondering – is Behr actually a good brand when compared to competitors?
The answer is a resounding yes! While Behr may not be a go-to brand for professional painters, it‘s one of the most popular and reliable consumer-grade paints.
Here are some of the reasons Behr paint has earned a stellar reputation:
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Excellent coverage and hide – Behr claims that their paints contain over 40% more pigments and resins than other brands. This leads to top-notch hide to cover existing paint colors and wall stains. Consumer testing confirms Behr‘s hiding power.
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Thick and durable finishes – Behr‘s premium paint lines like Marquee and Ultra provide a durable coating that stands up well to wear and tear.
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Superb color selection – With over 1,400 colors and entire palettes created with interior designers, Behr offers endless options to match any decor.
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Low VOC and low odor – Recent Behr formulations focus on low VOC emissions and minimal odor during and after painting.
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Affordable pricing – Especially compared to premium brands like Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams, Behr paint offers amazing quality at consumer-friendly prices.
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Primers included – Many popular Behr interior paints come with primers already mixed in for added value.
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Satisfaction guarantee – Behr offers replacement guarantees if you‘re unsatisfied with the product.
Looking at consumer reviews, Behr consistently earns rave reviews and 5-star ratings from thousands of happy DIYers. It hits the sweet spot of quality and value.
How Does Behr Paint Compare to Other Brands?
Behr has stiff competition from other major paint brands on the market. Let‘s see how it stacks up to two top competitors, Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams:
Price
- Behr paint is 20-30% cheaper than both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams paints. This makes it far more budget-friendly.
Selection
- With 1,400 colors, Behr offers a much wider selection than 200 colors from Benjamin Moore or 1,500 from Sherwin Williams.
Quality
- Behr paint quality falls short of the pro-preferred Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams according to many painters, but meets the needs of most DIYers.
Availability
- Behr paint is only available at Home Depot while competitors are sold through authorized dealer locations.
Consumer Ratings
- On Consumer Reports surveys, Behr exterior paints match top ratings from competitors, while interior paints lag somewhat behind.
So while professional painters may opt for pricer, high-end Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams paints, Behr is an excellent value-focused option for everyday home painters.
What Types of Behr Paint Are Sold at Home Depot?
Thanks to Behr‘s exclusive partnership dating back over 40 years, you‘ll find the complete Behr line at any Home Depot store or on HomeDepot.com.
Here are the most popular types of Behr paint sold at Home Depot:
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Behr Premium Plus – Behr‘s flagship paint that offers their best overall coverage and durability. Ideal for interiors and exteriors when you need a standard all-purpose paint.
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Behr Marquee – The most advanced interior paint Behr offers, made to cover bold colors and hide flaws in one coat. Provides a rich, smooth finish.
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Behr Ultra – A mid-tier interior paint designed for ease of application and uniform finishes. Great for surfaces like cabinets and doors.
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Behr Exterior – Exterior paints like Behr Premium Plus Ultra that provide maximum UV protection and weather resistance. Available in flat, satin, semi-gloss sheens.
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Behr Primers – A complete line of specialty primers like drywall primer, masonry primer, wood primer and more to start any project right.
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Behr Ceiling Paint – Flat white paints designed to go on easily and hide imperfections on ceilings and high walls.
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Behr Porch and Patio Floor Paint – Durable paints meant to withstand foot traffic and weather on concrete, wood, and masonry porch floors.
So for any painting project – interior or exterior – Home Depot is guaranteed to carry the right Behr product to get your project done right.
Does Home Depot Actually Make Behr Paint?
Because of the exclusivity of Behr paints at Home Depot, some people assume that Home Depot must make Behr paints. However, this isn‘t the case.
While Home Depot and Behr have worked closely together for over 40 years, Home Depot does not actually manufacture or produce any Behr paint products.
Instead, as discussed above, all Behr paints are made in Behr‘s own paint labs and multiple factories around the U.S. Home Depot simply partners to sell the finished products.
Now, Home Depot did work extensively with Behr to develop an industry-leading paint color matching system. This allows you to bring in any paint chip or sample and have Behr paint instantly mixed to match the exact shade. But the paints themselves come straight from Behr‘s production lines to the shelves.
So while you‘ll find knowledgeable Behr paint experts and top-notch product availability at Home Depot, the Behr brand handles the full paint creation process on their own.
The Behr and Home Depot Partnership
The close relationship between Behr and Home Depot all started back in 1978 when the first Home Depot opened and began selling Behr paints.
This partnership has flourished over the past 40+ years into an exclusive agreement where:
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Behr develops paint products specifically for Home Depot customers.
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Home Depot commits to selling Behr as its one and only paint brand in stores.
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Both companies have benefitted enormously from this relationship.
By 2016, Behr reached nearly 1 billion dollars in annual sales at Home Depot – that‘s a lot of paint!
For Home Depot, Behr paints are consistently one of its top-selling products accounting for billions in revenue. Clearly this strategic partnership has been a massive win-win.
Over the decades, Behr and Home Depot have collaborated to revolutionize the in-store paint buying experience with color matching technology, top coat visualization tools, and more.
Yet behind the scenes, Behr hasn‘t lost its focus on manufacturing top quality paints as it has rapidly expanded. This commitment to excellence is what keeps millions of customers coming back to Behr paint again and again.
Conclusion
So there you have it – a complete guide to who makes Behr paint that you buy at Home Depot.
The key takeaways to remember are:
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Behr paints are produced by the Behr Process Corporation division of parent company Masco.
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Multiple plants across the U.S. manufacture Behr paints.
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Although Home Depot sells Behr paint exclusively, it does not actually make the paints.
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Behr and Home Depot have an incredibly successful 40+ year partnership.
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Behr offers exceptional quality paints at consumer-friendly price points.
Armed with all this helpful info, you can feel confident picking the perfect Behr paint for your next project during your next trip to Home Depot. Let the painting begin!
