Kelly-Moore Paints closes stores in Paso Robles, SLO

January 12, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Kelly-Moore Paints announced Friday it has closed all of it retail locations – including stores in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria – effective immediately.

The California-based firm is laying off about 700 employees at its manufacturing plant and stores in California, Texas, Nevada and Oklahoma. It will continue to fulfill previously placed paint orders from existing inventory.

Kelly-Moore also plans to fully compensated its employees for regular time worked, and management will continue its efforts to collect receivables to pay all accrued benefits including paid time off.

For over 30 years, Kelly-More Paints has grappled with thousands of asbestos litigation claims related to its past use of asbestos in cement and texture products, a practice that was discontinued in 1981.

“Through the cumulative cash drain caused by legal settlements and the cost of defending ever-continuing case filings, the company’s ability to reinvest in the business – including investments needed to address historical supply chain challenges that were exacerbated by the recent pandemic – has been severely constrained for an extended period of time,” the company said in a press release. “Despite paying out approximately $600 million over the past 20 years to settle asbestos claims, a recent study commissioned by the company estimates future asbestos liabilities exceed $170 million.”

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