Motor City Paint brings Michigan-made paint to Detroit area with a focus on environment and quality

-- Line launched by Shelby Paint & Decorating

-- Manufacturing at Lansing, Mich. plant

-- Earth Day Paint Recycling, April 21-24

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Apr 14, 2016, 11:04 ET

UTICA, Mich., April 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For Brian Eisbrenner, coming up with the idea for what became Motor City Paint seemed to be just a natural extension of the conversations he used to have with his father, Tim Eisbrenner, who founded Shelby Paint & Decorating, the company his son runs today.

"We used to have these long chats when he would drive me from our home in Shelby Township to hockey practice in St. Clair Shores," says Brian, who remembers asking his Dad if he could be a vice president of the company one day. "His answer was always the same—'if you work hard, yes.'"

Today, the younger Eisbrenner may be doing one better with the launch of Motor City Paint, a product line that not only delivers a Michigan-made paint to the area, but does so with a focus on environmental sustainability, something that is even more timely than ever before.

Having taken over from his Dad in 2008, Brian weathered the storms of the Great Recession, putting his associate's degree from Macomb Community College and further education at Walsh College to work.

All the while, he made sure he was listening to the Shelby Paint customers who were part of his growing up from the time he began as a stock person at the age of 12, then working summers during high school serving customers.

"Painting contractors were telling us that they missed some key properties that only professionals would truly appreciate, things like consistency of color and durability that came from a locally manufactured paint," notes Eisbrenner, who went on to find a Lansing-based manufacturer who could deliver a product line that would meet his specifications, including being environmentally friendly.

That comes from Motor City Paint, the new brand introduced in late March 2016, which contains fewer volatile organic compounds, commonly referred to as "low VOC" in the industry.

Motor City Paint's water-based varieties—Guardian, Ambassador, Renaissance, Repaint and PROV8000—are also specifically suited to Michigan's rugged climate and, because they are manufactured in a low-volume, closely monitored laboratory environment, are seen to be much more consistent than paints that are merely tinted.

Eisbrenner has further embraced the "kind to the environment" business model by making it easy to recycle paints. He's even included a "made from recycled" line—Repaint.

The entire Motor City Paint line is now available for purchase by both contractors and homeowners at Shelby Paint & Decorating's three stores in Shelby Township, Rochester Hills and Grosse Pointe Woods.

Earth Day Effort
In a nod to Earth Day, Shelby Paint & Decorating is accepting discarded cans of water-based paint for a can disposal fee of just $1 from April 21-24 when you check in on Facebook.

The old paints are blended to form one water-based color (typically beige or gray), which becomes Motor City Paint's "Repaint" line.

Customers who recycle paint on those days and make a purchase will also receive a green T-shirt to demonstrate their commitment to the environment. Recycling is free if customers buy the same number of paint gallons as they are recycling.

All paint brought in for recycling must be water-based and still in a liquid form; hardened paint cannot be accepted.

As an ongoing demonstration of its eco-commitment, Shelby Paint & Decorating donates excess paint to organizations such as Motor City Blight Busters and Habitat for Humanity.

Shelby Paint & Decorating is family-owned and operated, serving the Detroit area for more than 47 years. With three locations in Shelby Township, Rochester Hills and Grosse Pointe Woods, the company has the widest selection in Michigan of Benjamin Moore paints, Hunter Douglas blinds and designer wallpaper. Learn more at http://www.shelbypaint.com/. Motor City Paint is a paint line manufactured in Michigan, for Michigan, by Shelby Paint and Decorating. Visit http://www.shelbypaint.com/motor-city-paint/ to learn more.