Delving back into Resene’s history, Ted Nightingale had a dilemma. The year was 1946 and he needed an alkali-resistant paint to cover a concrete building. There was nothing available, and faced with post-war shortages he made a typical Kiwi decision – to make a go of it himself. A trusty old concrete mixer in his garage was called into service. His paint (known first as Stipplecote) worked a treat, and it was soon in demand from other builders.

Thus Resene (a brand name derived from the paint’s main ingredient, resin) was born – and it has grown from backyard beginnings into the country’s largest privately owned decorative paint company, still New Zealand owned and operated, with manufacturing operations in Wellington, Tauranga, Fiji and Australia.

So why should ‘big’ and ‘a true Kiwi’ translate into Most Trusted Paint? It’s pretty straightforward really. Resene’s products continue to be marked by innovation, ingenuity, and top quality. The company has developed a range of paint and specialist coating products for residential and commercial buildings as well as marine, heavy industrial and automotive use. Resene paint is now recognised as world class. Increasingly sophisticated New Zealand consumers – most particularly Reader’s Digest readers! – require even greater sophistication from paint manufacturers.

With over half a century of experience, and three generations of the Nightingale family at its helm, Resene has proven a big point – it has New Zealanders’ trust. Resene paint and colour technology is exported around the world, and its chemists are internationally respected for their development of superior products. Not bad for a little Kiwi ingenuity, eh?

A snapshot of the feedback about Resene: 

Story and snapshot quotes courtesy of Reader's Digest.