Corporate Social Responsibility

Seconds Program / Wastewater / ESOP

Mark Golden on Corporate Responsibility

I'll admit it. I was a child of the 60's. The notion that I was going to be a "businessman" like my father, seemed more like a life sentence then a career. I wanted to do something creative, challenging and productive. I saw a career in science as being the obvious path for me.

Over the last 24 years, I have been the beneficiary of having incredible mentors, talented colleagues and an incredibly supportive family. The first lesson I learned when we started Golden Artist Colors in 1980, with my father, Sam Golden, mother, Adele, and wife Barbara was that my Dad wasn't a businessman either. This could have been incredibly unfortunate, but instead turned out to be a most wonderful blessing. You see, Sam just loved making paint for artists. His passion was being part of the process with some of the most talented and creative people in the world. There was absolutely no reason that this man in his late 60's should throw everything he had worked for back up for grabs to pursue an ambition that he had already achieved. Why not enjoy a retirement so richly deserved over a 40 year career. Yet, I was to learn that the true soul and joy of this man was to make paint and I too was soon caught up in his passion.

So, here we were, no business plan, (thankfully my mother had a penchant for keeping tabs on the accounting) and therefore no preconceived ideas of what business should be. Early on in our journey, we were given some incredible lessons. Hard lessons in which we were told "it was just business" and not to take it personally. I think that has made all the difference. I have taken everything we do personally. Personally bringing others into this Company who also take things personally and who share a deep commitment to caring for all our stakeholders. Caring for each other, our customers, our local and larger communities.

This Company has been grown by many people sharing their own passions for what they do and in turn reshaping what we are as a company. Together we have proven that business can do good things, and have committed to a legacy that doing good things creates a good and sustainable company.

I believe you will recognize our commitment within the content of this website, within all of our products, within all of our research and technical and customer support, within all the ways we connect with our communities. I hope you will understand and benefit from our drive, passion and enthusiasm for making and a sustaining legacy of which Sam would be proud.