Owner Stewart Strayer in his store, Ashmore Paint, 1736 S. Staples. He holds a photo of the store taken in 1913. The oldest retail shop in the city, Ashmore Paint first opened for business in 1905. Photo by Jane Kathleen Gregorio
At 105 years old, Ashmore Paint might be Corpus Christi’s oldest business still in operation, but it uses the latest technology to meet today’s painting needs. The only locally owned paint store in the city, Ashmore opened its doors in 1911. It has since passed through half a dozen hands until Stewart Strayer bought the company in 1993.
Strayer worked as a contractor for several years before he decided to “get off the ladder and into a store” when he took over Ashmore Paint. Over the past two decades, he has been pleased with the evolution of the paint industry.
“I think it's great,” he said. “The paints are now tinted by computer automation instead of by hand. We have paints with zero odor and are much safer now than they were 50 years ago.”
Ashmore carries Benjamin Moore Paints, a company Strayer said is on the cutting edge of paint technology. Also in business for more than 100 years, Benjamin Moore says on its website that it is a company committed to developing innovative products with a minimal impact on the environment. It is the first paint company to use computer color matching and the first to develop low-odor latex paints. Even before government requirements, the company eliminated lead, formaldehyde and mercury from its paints.
Technology has also improved Ashmore Paint’s point-of-sale system, which can track customer purchasing history for long periods of time.
“We work with some of the best computer people around for our point-of-sale system and tinting machines,” Strayer said. “It enables us to give customers much better service and to take care of them in the long run.”
When customers walk into Ashmore Paint, they can expect service with a smile, one-on-one attention, a huge selection of Benjamin Moore color samples, tools and a design area, Strayer promised. As a former contractor, he is able to advise customers from a practical standpoint.
“I've actually done it,” he said, referring to painting the homes and businesses of the Coastal Bend. “It’s not just a theory that I read in a book somewhere. I even get the employees to practice painting the store themselves to get a hands-on feel of what works best so they have practical knowledge.”
Corpus Christi is a good market for the paint industry; seaside breezes blow sand under a blazing sun most of the year.
“Being close to the ocean is a very tough environment to maintain exterior buildings,” Strayer said. “It's just hard on paint because there is always a need to protect your wood, your metal, the siding on your home as well as substrate.”
He shared the following advice for fighting the elements, picking the right paint for the job and choosing colors.
• The first step in protecting a home’s exterior is proper surface preparation before painting. Strayer advises carefully cleaning any mold or mildew that might be there.
• The next step is to prime. Primer provides a smooth surface that absorbs and keeps paint from peeling. Follow primer with two solid coats of paint to help protect the wood.
• Interior work is all about choosing the right paint for the job. For areas that take a lot of wear and abuse, such as the hallway, kitchen or bath, use a washable paint that makes it easier to clean. If there are lots of imperfections on a wall, Strayer recommends using a flat paint to help hide or reduce their appearances.
“For enamels, use a true enamel or hard paint,” he said. “Benjamin Moore has one of the best waterborne oils, or water-reducible oils around, and it makes for a great finish and very low odor.”
• When it comes to choosing the right color, a variety of online tools now exist to “walk” customers through color selection (see a link at ashmorepaint.com). The store keeps a wide selection of color chips showing all variations of a color palette from light to dark, which can be used when painting a monochromatic paint scheme. According to Strayer, having access to lighter and darker shades that work well together makes it easier to coordinate ceiling color with wall and trim colors.
• For front doors, classic reds and blacks are still popular for a classic look. Strayer’s own paint preferences, which can be used both inside and out, include Benjamin Moore’s “Revere Pewter,” a neutral gray growing in popularity. Another favorite, “Simply White,” is Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year.
“That makes a great trim paint to go with the Revere Pewter,” Strayer said. Customers can see the colors for themselves inside the store showroom, which has been painted in the top tones.
After 105 years in business, Strayer has his eyes set on growth for the future.
“Over the years, we’ve been able to expand our customer base as well as the lines of paint that we carry,” Strayer said. “We are looking forward to continuing to grow our clientele and possibly even add more locations. Feedback has been positive. Our customers are repeats, and because we have been around so long, we are now working with the second generation and even a third generation of customers. This store has been taking care of our neighborhoods for a long time.”
Ashmore Paint is located at 1736 S. Staples St. in Corpus Christi. For more information, call (361) 884-3895 or visit ashmorepaint.com.
