History
It all started at The Shepherd Chemical Company.
The founder of the company, Lee Shepherd, began his career with a degree in chemistry from Case Institute of Technology. He worked at industry leading companies in the growing chemical industry, through which he gained the skill and confidence to start his own enterprise. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to establish his career in his hometown, he purchased a plot of land in Norwood, Ohio and constructed the original manufacturing facility in 1916. Three years later, in 1919, he moved the operations to a nearby site which is now Shepherd's largest manufacturing facility and global headquarters.
Shepherd's original products were metal soaps (such as cobalt, lead and manganese linoleate) used as printing ink and paint driers. Compounds such as cobalt, lead, and manganese linoleate were manufactured at the Shepherd facility and sold into the marketplace. In addition to paint and ink driers, Shepherd's early products included lubricant additives for use in Model T Ford planetary transmissions.
As sales of Shepherd's cobalt products grew, so did its interest in the sources of this important metal. In the 1920's and 30's Shepherd undertook efforts to establish supply sources of cobalt from around the world to supplement its primary sources in Canada.
Shepherd's secure metals supply and capabilities led to it becoming a leading supplier of metal salts and carboxylates for a variety of growing applications. In the 1930's Shepherd began to make high purity salts for metal plating applications, it also began to supply cobalt salts into the growing animal micronutrient market. In the late 1920's, the founder's son – John F Shepherd, joined the company and began the business for manufacturing coloring oxides for use in porcelain enamel applications. Guided by the same entrepreneurial spirit as his father, John, a ceramic engineer, began his business which has since expanded into new markets such as architectural coatings. Through its focus on quality and customer satisfaction, the business grew to a stand alone company in 1980 - The Shepherd Color Company. It is now one of the leading suppliers of complex inorganic color pigments in the industry.
The Shepherd Color Company is now operating under the leadership of the family's fourth generation. Owing to efforts of the company's employees since its founding, it now has the scale and resources to invest in new and exciting technologies and markets. We invite you to contact us to learn more about our plans to expand our capabilities to serve our existing customers and earn new relationships across the globe. Throughout our technical and commercial efforts, the hallmarks of quality and character continue to guide the company's philosophy towards its customers, employees and business partners as they did in 1916.
