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Lawrence Herbert considers his company the bureau of color standards. And there is probably no one in the printing, publishing and packaging industries who would dispute that claim.
Herbert is the president and chief executive officer of Pantone Inc. He's also the creator of the many varied processes that have standardized color reproduction and has made the Moonachie-based company the only such firm of its kind in the United States. Simply put, Pantone sells the colors it has trademarked.
There are more than 1,000 companies in 95 countries -- ink manufacturers, art supply manufacturers and the like -- that hold licenses to blend and use Pantone colors in their products. One of the largest licensees is Letraset, which uses Pantone colors to produce paper markers, paper and other art and office supplies.
"We sell the reproduction (of a color) and (the licensees) sell materials using the reproductive color," Herbert explains, far from modest about the strides he has taken in color reproduction processes.
Pantone revolves around Herbert. Although he has a management team of five vice presidents overseeing about 100 employees, he is the kingpin of the entire operation, keeping a close tab on every aspect of the business -- innovation, management and expansion. He has no qualms with crediting himself with making Pantone what it is today -- a privately held company that each year, along with its licensees, sells $500 million worth of products bearing its trademark. What Herbert won't disclose publicly is how much of those sales are Pantone's alone.
Color has always intrigued Herbert. He was 12 when he began experimenting with a printing press and inks in a graphics arts course, and created an award-winning design of an autumn leaf changing color.
As his interest in printing grew, he took on part-time jobs at several printing plants. Even while a student at Hofstra University -- a biology/chemistry major hoping to land a career in medicine -- he wrote a chemistry paper on the organic pigments in printing inks.
His career with Pantone began in 1956. After serving with the Army in Korea, he took a temporary job at the company in order to save money for medical school. At the time, Pantone's major operation was producing color cards for...