Samuel Cabot Inc.
| Company type | Private (until 2005), then subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Wood stain and wood finishing products |
| Founded | 1877 |
| Founder | Samuel Cabot IV |
| Fate | Acquired by Valspar Corporation in 2005 |
| Headquarters | Newburyport , United States |
| Products | Wood stains, wood finishing products |
| Parent | Valspar Corporation (since 2005) |
Samuel Cabot Inc. is a U.S.-based producer specializing in wood stain and wood finishing products, widely recognized for its Cabot Stain line.
The company was established in 1877 by Samuel Cabot IV, a member of the Cabot family, and operated as a privately owned entity until it was purchased by the Valspar Corporation in 2005. Its main office is located in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
History
Samuel Cabot IV, a chemist trained at M.I.T. and ETH Zurich, created wood stains and preservatives utilizing coal tar. He launched a laboratory in Chelsea, Massachusetts, which his brother Godfrey Lowell Cabot joined in 1882. Their product range included household disinfectants, sheep dip, wood preservatives, and shingle stains derived from coal tar obtained as a by-product of Boston’s gas production facilities. Additionally, the brothers ran a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania that produced lampblack ink pigment from natural gas.
When supply challenges arose at the Pennsylvania facility, Godfrey acquired Samuel’s share and moved the business to Kittanning, Pennsylvania, founding what eventually became Cabot Corporation. Meanwhile, Samuel continued to operate Samuel Cabot Incorporated, concentrating on wood finishing products.
In 2005, Valspar acquired Samuel Cabot Inc., which still sells products under the established Cabot brand name.