Barloworld Plascon Paints SA is the premier manufacturer and distributor of a renowned range of paints and Allied Coatings in the RSA. The company has achieved phenomenal growth over the last five years through value based management practices, the exercising of innovative marketing and product development strategies whilst striving at all times to provide unchallenged customer service.

Parthenon, founded in 1891, by Herbert Evans an entrepreneurial Welsh immigrant, became the trademark synonymous with long-lasting decorative paints. Twenty years later the first roof paints were manufactured by Herbert Evans and over the following three decades the company enjoyed astronomic growth. 1940 saw Plascon Paint being manufactured for the first time by the Rudner Brothers in Johannesburg. Focusing on industrial paints, the brothers soon became the undisputed market leaders painting virtually everything from fridges and stoves to pencils and zip fasteners and by so doing advanced paint technology in leaps and bounds. The world renowned Blue Train for example, was first painted with Plascon Long Oil Alkyd Paint especially developed for the train with its inter-carriage ‘sheathed’ coupling system. This also led to Plascon developing acrylic polyurethanes, the aliphatic polyurethanes and later, Plascon water based aliphatic polyurethanes used for the long life cycle required by The Blue Train.

Plascon purchased Herbert Evans in 1971 thus acquiring the Parthenon and Buffalo brands. A further acquisition was Crown and Alkydex followed in 1976. Barloworld Limited acquired Plascon in 1978 and paint companies such as Inmont (automotive), Wallpamour and Pinnacle Paints joined the Plascon fold. During 1996/7, Barloworld Ltd acquired Taubmanns, Bristol and White Knight Paint companies in Australia. In 2000, Barloworld Coatings was established, with Barloworld Plascon SA a subsidiary. More recently Barloworld acquired Midas/Earthcote, ICC, Hamilton Brush and Maroun’s, an automotive distributor.

Barloworld Plascon SA, ranked amongst the top 20 paint producers in the world, is a company with vision, integrity and sound company governance. It continues to strive unceasingly for product excellence and providing solutions to enhance even greater customer satisfaction.