Glidden is a

paint Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or solid mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture. Paint can be made in many ...

brand, manufactured by

PPG Industries PPG Industries, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 company and global supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 70 countries around the globe. By revenue it is ...

. Glidden was purchased by British

conglomerate Conglomerate or conglomeration may refer to: * Conglomerate (company) * Conglomerate (geology) * Conglomerate (mathematics) In popular culture: * The Conglomerate (American group), a production crew and musical group founded by Busta Rhymes ** Co ...

ICI in 1986, which in turn was later acquired by Dutch conglomerate

AkzoNobel Akzo Nobel N.V., stylized as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational company which creates paints and performance coatings for both industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, ...

in 2008.

announced an agreement to acquire Glidden from AkzoNobel for $1.05 billion on December 14, 2012. The transaction closed April 1, 2013. Following the deal, PPG will be the second largest paint manufacturer in North America, behind Sherwin-Williams.

History

Glidden was started in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, in 1875 by Francis Harrington Glidden, Levi Brackett and Thomas Bolles. It began making varnishes for furniture, pianos, carriages, and wagons.The Glidden Company History
Retrieved December 14, 2012. It expanded greatly, opening a 17-acre varnish factory in 1908 which was claimed to be the largest in the world. It was initially named the Glidden, Brackett & Company and was renamed later to the Glidden & Joy Company, and in 1890 incorporated as The Glidden Varnish Company. Francis Glidden retired from the business at the age of 85, turning the company over to Adrian D. Joyce and his associates after a public sale. Joyce became president when Glidden was incorporated in 1917, a title he would retain until 1950, when his son, Dwight P. Joyce, succeeded him. Joyce rolled up ten paint and varnish competitors in his first two years at the helm. During the

Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...

, Joyce greatly expanded the company by integrating vertically through the acquisition of chemical and pigment companies, and creating The Glidden Food Products Co. in 1920. Glidden famously employed the chemist

Percy Julian Percy Lavon Julian (April 11, 1899 – April 19, 1975) was an American research chemist and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants. He was the first to synthesize the natural product physostigmine and was a pioneer in ...

in the 1930s, who was one of the first African-Americans to receive a Ph.D. in Chemistry. In 1967, Glidden merged with SCM Corporation and became the Glidden-Durkee Division of that company. In less than 10 years, the division became responsible for two thirds of SCM's sales. SCM was acquired by Hanson Trust, PLC, in 1986; Hanson sold the Glidden Division (retaining Durkee foods) to

Imperial Chemical Industries Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was a British chemical company. It was, for much of its history, the largest manufacturer in Britain. It was formed by the merger of four leading British chemical companies in 1926. Its headquarters were at M ...

. ICI was bought by the Dutch company

in 2008; Akzo Nobel's American decorative paints business was bought by Pittsburgh's PPG in 2013.

References

External links

Glidden website

Jap-A-Lac, Glidden Varnish Company, 1890
Kenneth Franzheim II Rare Books Room, William R. Jenkins Architecture and Art Library, University of Houston Digital Library. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Glidden (paints) PPG Industries Paint and coatings companies of the United States Manufacturing companies based in Illinois Manufacturing companies established in 1875 American brands Strongsville, Ohio Defunct companies based in Cleveland