Area entrepreneurs Nicholas and Nicole Piach, owners of Banner Sign Co. and Digital Print Specialties, have opened The Color Bloc, the only independently owned and authorized Benjamin Moore retailer, and the first in the city of Detroit this century.
Located at 6538 Russell St. in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood, a corridor near Midtown and New Center, the shop specializes in premium interior and exterior paints and stains as well as painting supplies. It also offers household tools and accessories.
Housed in a 10,000-square-foot building constructed in the 1930s, The Color Bloc shares space with the Piachs’ other companies. The Banner Sign Co. is a large format digital and textile printing business, and Digital Print Specialties is a print service provider that primarily serves the architectural and design community.
RL Concetti, a residential and commercial design firm specializing in interior design and space planning, designed The Color Bloc’s lobby area and community space.
A ribbon cutting for the new location took place May 6.
“Nick and I were inspired to open The Color Bloc after a Midtown Inc. study alerted us to the need,” says Nicole Piach. “Paint and related accessory stores were a type of business that city residents were looking to have in this area, but they were just coming up short. The Color Bloc is building upon the exciting revitalization of our business centers and neighborhoods, and we look forward to helping put our stamp on many new developments.”
The Piach’s are second-generation owners of the Banner Sign Co., which has been in business for nearly 100 years. Banner clients include Olympia Entertainment, DTE Energy, and the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“The opening of The Color Bloc is a true complement — a natural extension even — to our existing Detroit businesses,” says Piach. “The thread that unites all of our businesses is that we consistently provide show stopping design and leverage colorful materials to gain attention for our customers.”
The Piachs were Motor City Match Round 10 and Motor City Re-Store Round 8 winners. The sister programs connect new and expanding businesses with real estate opportunities in Detroit, providing them funding and tools to support entrepreneurism.
“As a brand, we want to foster a sense of community,” says Kelly Bye, director of sales for Benjamin Moore. “We are dedicated to providing our customers with high-quality products and supporting those who work to transform the communities in which they live. We believe that paint has the power to transform a job into a calling for contractors, a business into a passion for retailers, a vision into a reality for designers and architects, and a house into a home for homeowners.”
The Color Bloc is planning a range of classes for the community designed for a variety of ages and skill sets, such as how to use chalk paint or refinish a wood chair. To accommodate contractors, The Color Bloc hosts early morning hours and is open on Saturdays and Sundays.
“The opening of this new Benjamin Moore store in our city is an example of how Motor City Match is brining not only unique local brands to our neighborhoods but can leverage trusted national brands to partner with local entrepreneurs, as well,” says Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “With so many housing and commercial developments underway in Detroit right now, a recognized paint brand is a timely and welcome addition to our neighborhood business offerings.”
