George Kirby Jr. Paint

What George Kirby Jr. Paint does

George Kirby Jr. Paint Co. Inc. is a privately held, family-owned marine paint manufacturer and retailer headquartered at 163 Mount Vernon Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts, with a heritage tracing back to 1846 when the Kirby family began handcrafting marine coatings along the New Bedford waterfront. The company produces and sells a traditional single-part alkyd-enamel based marine paint line, including Marine Topside Hull & Deck Paint (priced at $127.99 per gallon and available in gloss, semi-gloss, and low lustre finishes), Copper Bottom anti-fouling paint (the company was one of the first manufacturers of this category), and specialty marine products such as Red Lead Primer, Pine Tar, Salty Dog Deck Oil, Brushing Liquid conditioner, Wooden Canoe Filler, and Chris Craft Red Bilge Paint. Supporting its marine core, the company offers a complementary sundries catalog (premium brushes from Corona, Wooster, and Purdy, plus rollers, knives, scrapers, and sanding/prep products), a custom color matching service, and a Kirby Signature Color Line of classic marine colors.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront (with free shipping on paint orders over $150 within the 48 contiguous U.S. states) and a physical retail store at its New Bedford headquarters. It has extended its brand into adjacent categories with a Kirby Residential 100% acrylic latex line, an Industrial/Specialty Products collection, and a Kirby Standard Goods merchandise line of branded apparel. The primary customer segment is marine boat owners — owners of wooden and fiberglass boats, classic-boat restoration specialists, and hobbyists — with secondary residential and industrial customer segments. Ownership and operations remain with the Kirby family (George A. Kirby IV and Shari Kirby are identified as current owners), and the company has no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investors.

Name

George Kirby Jr. Paint

Legal name

George Kirby Jr. Paint Co. Inc.

Website

https://kirbypaint.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

George Kirby Jr. Paint is a family-owned, New Bedford, MA-based marine paint manufacturer and retailer with heritage since 1846, handcrafting traditional alkyd-enamel marine coatings, copper bottom anti-fouling paint, sundries, and accessories for boat owners, restoration specialists, and residential customers via Shopify e-commerce and a physical retail store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Coatings Manufacturing

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint and Wallpaper Retailers (444120)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Coatings (IMAEAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Offshore Coatings (IMAEAGAD), Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB), Marine Parts, Accessories & Maintenance Supplies Retail (CRAMAIAB)

Keywords

• Marine paint manufacturing
• Copper bottom paint
• Boat hull coatings
• Wooden boat finishes
• Marine painting supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

New Bedford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marine Paint Sales: Direct sales of marine paints and coatings including topside hull and deck paint, copper bottom paint, primers, and specialty marine finishes. Sold in various sizes (gallon, quart, pint) through e-commerce and retail.
2. Sundries and Supplies: Sales of painting sundries including premium brushes (Corona, Wooster, Purdy brands), rollers, applicators, knives, scrapers, and sanding/prep products.
3. Merchandise: Sales of branded merchandise including Kirby logo hats, t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies featuring the company branding.
4. Residential Paint Products: Sales of Kirby branded residential paints including 100% acrylic latex paint and specialty deck oils for non-marine applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

George Kirby Jr. Paint Co. Inc. handcrafts and sells traditional marine paints, coatings, primers, and specialty finishes for wooden and fiberglass boats, including its signature alkyd-enamel marine topside paint and anti-fouling copper bottom paint. The company also offers residential 100% acrylic latex paint, industrial/specialty coatings, stains and varnishes, plus painting sundries (brushes, rollers, scrapers, sanding supplies) and branded merchandise. All products are made in small batches using premium ingredients at the New Bedford, Massachusetts facility, sold through a Shopify e-commerce store, a physical retail location, and phone orders.

Product overview

George Kirby Jr. Paint Company is a marine paint specialist with over 175 years of history since 1846. The company produces a comprehensive portfolio centered around its core Marine Topside Hull & Deck Paint (traditional alkyd-enamel based formula available in multiple colors and finishes including gloss, semi-gloss, and low lustre) and Copper Bottom Paint (anti-fouling product for boat bottoms). Supporting the marine paint line are specialty products including Red Lead Primer, Pine Tar, Salty Dog Deck Oil, Brushing Liquid (conditioner), Wooden Canoe Filler, Chris Craft Red Bilge Paint, and Fiberglass Products. The company has expanded into residential coatings with Kirby Residential 100% Acrylic Latex Paint and Industrial/Specialty Products. Additional categories include Stains and Varnish, Primers and Sealers, plus painting accessories (Premium Brushes from Corona, Wooster, and Purdy brands; Rollers and Applicators; Knives and Scrapers; Sanding and Prep supplies). The company also sells branded merchandise (Kirby Logo Hats, T-shirts, Long-Sleeve T-shirts, and Hoodies) and offers a free Vintage Color Chart. All marine paints are handcrafted in small batches using premium ingredients at the company's New Bedford, Massachusetts facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kirby Marine: Marine paints including topside hull and deck paints, copper bottom paint, and specialty marine coatings.
• Kirby Residential
• Kirby Signature Color Line
• Kirby Standard Goods

Products and services

• Marine Topside Hull & Deck Paint

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Defender Marine: Long-established U.S. mail-order marine supply retailer headquartered in Connecticut, selling marine paints, hardware, and accessories. Comparable as a marine supplies distribution channel competing for the same restoration and active boat-owner customer.

Direct peers

• TotalBoat: WoodenBoat Publications' consumer marine coatings brand offering topside paints, bottom paints, varnishes, and epoxy systems direct-to-consumer. Targets a similar DIY and restoration customer base as Kirby with a more modern e-commerce-first approach.
• Epifanes: Dutch manufacturer of high-end traditional marine varnishes, wood finishes, and topside paints favored in classic boat restoration. Comparable to Kirby on traditional formulations, premium positioning, and restoration customer base.
• Interlux (AkzoNobel): AkzoNobel's marine coatings brand offering topside, bottom, and antifouling paints for boats worldwide. Directly comparable to Kirby's marine topside and copper bottom products, but at much larger scale and with broader product breadth across OEM and aftermarket channels.
• Hempel: Global marine and protective coatings manufacturer offering bottom paints, topside finishes, and anti-fouling products to commercial and recreational marine markets. Comparable product categories but operates at vastly larger scale than Kirby.
• Jamestown Distributors: U.S. marine supplies retailer/distributor selling marine paints (including TotalBoat), epoxy, and wood finishes to boat builders and restorers. Comparable customer base and product categories to Kirby with a strong DIY/restoration focus.
• Awlgrip (AkzoNobel): AkzoNobel's premium yacht finish brand offering high-end topcoats and clear coats for superyacht and high-end boat builders. Overlaps with Kirby's topside hull and deck paint category at the premium end of the market.
• Pettit Marine Paint: Long-established U.S. marine paint manufacturer producing topside enamels, bottom paints, varnishes, and primers. Closely comparable product mix and target customer (boat owners and restorers) as Kirby, with broader distribution through West Marine and other channels.
• Rust-Oleum Marine: Rust-Oleum's marine coatings line offering topside paints, bottom paints, and primers at value price points through big-box retail. Comparable categories but competing at the opposite end of the price/quality spectrum from Kirby's artisanal positioning.

Broad incumbents

• West Marine: Largest U.S. marine retail chain selling paints, hardware, and accessories across hundreds of stores and online. Comparable in that it sells marine paints and sundries alongside many other categories, but at much larger scale and breadth than Kirby.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KirbyPaintCompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/kirbypaintco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/george-kirby-jr-paint-co

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about George Kirby Jr. Paint