Ed Seymour, Founder of Seymour of Sycamore®, and the inventor of aerosol paint.
The Seymour of Sycamore® legacy goes back to 1949 in Sycamore, Illinois, when founder Ed Seymour devised a novelty spray gun to demonstrate an aluminum paint he had created for painting steam radiators. Based on the same principle as spray deodorizers and insecticides, the conveyance featured a small can of paint packaged with an aerosol propellant and fitted with a spray head. Though intended to show sales prospects how the paint would look when applied to surfaces, the aerosol sprayer proved so popular that he borrowed a few thousand dollars from a local bank to develop this revolutionary idea. Soon after perfecting the first spray can, Ed and the employees of his new company formulated the paint, which was mixed and filled with aerosol using a combination of customized and specially engineered machinery.
Many changes took place over the next couple decades. From the 1950s through the early 1960s, Seymour® products were sold mainly to hardware wholesalers and paint distributors. The company continually modified and improved formulas and manufacturing processes to achieve the unforgiving quality Ed Seymour demanded. Expansion resulted from increased distribution into larger markets, as well as from the company’s continuing innovations. Further expansion ensued as Seymour® launched its Automotive Division in the mid-1960s, providing refinish coatings and touch-up paints to the automotive aftermarket.
Private label programs also were added to Seymour’s® operations. During the 1970s, the newly formed Industrial Division introduced a line of protective coatings for industrial and commercial equipment maintenance. In addition, international exports became a larger component of our business. Seymour of Sycamore® extended its leadership position in the 1980s through ongoing research and development. For example, the company introduced water-based traffic and inverted tip markers for striping paint. The company also developed Cast Blast, an OE cast-iron finish used on rebuilt engine blocks.
Today multiple facilities totaling 220,000 square feet house Seymour’s® corporate headquarters and manufacturing operations in Sycamore, Illinois, a community located sixty miles west of Chicago. The Automotive, Industrial, Hardware, Specialty and Marine products divisions serve the professional and do-it-yourself markets with reliable, environmentally friendly paints. Seymour® products are widely available through industrial supply houses, distributors, paint stores and other retailers. A staff of 150 highly trained individuals includes three full-time chemists plus process engineers and quality control specialists. Seymour® personnel work closely with customers to guide special order projects from conception to distribution. We deliver extremely fast turnarounds, and our minimum requirements for custom orders and direct purchases of proprietary products are among the lowest in the industry. We employ state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and the finest raw materials to ensure our customers receive superior quality and value.
