Stan Talks: A Laboratory Of Opportunity

Stan Talks features interviews with Rosco’s Chairman of The Board Stan Miller, his reflections on the company’s history and how Rosco Laboratories became the company it is today. In this episode, Mr. Miller discusses how keeping “Laboratories” in the company name enabled Rosco to expand its product range and explore other markets.

Rosco’s founder, Sydney Rosenstein, was a chemist by trade and therefore added "Laboratories" to the Rosco name because he was sure his new company was capable of more than just bulb lacquers. Boy, was he ever right about that!

Thanks to the name Rosco Laboratories, a number of opportunities have come our way. Mr. Miller tells a great story about how – thanks to our Laboratory moniker – we mistakenly received a Request For Quotation from the nearby Brooklyn Navy Yard who was in need of gray paint for its ships. Rosenstein decided to jump on this opportunity. He put in a bid… and WON!

USS North Carolina in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1941
Image via Wikipedia by Makthorpe Public Domain

Mr. Miller recalls how, once he took over the company, he tried to remove the “Laboratories” and change the name to Rosco Inc. – but the State of New York wouldn’t allow it. We owe New York State a debt of gratitude because keeping “Laboratories” in our name enabled Rosco to expand into many other markets and develop some of our most popular products, including Fog & Haze Fluids, Flame Retardants, and – thanks to our prior success selling paint to the US Navy – Scenic Paint. Speaking of which, be sure to tune-in to the next installment of Stan Talks to find out how the company got into the Scenic Paint business and how Stan introduced Rosco to the scenic industry.

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