The Marbella Center in downtown Redmond has become a bit more colorful since Parker Paint relocated there, at 16132 NE 87th St.

A Redmond presence since 1985, Parker Paint spent the last 10 years in the Redmond Shopping Square at 161st Avenue Northeast and Redmond Way. That shopping center will be demolished this spring, as the City of Redmond plans to extend 161st Avenue Northeast from Bear Creek Parkway to Redmond Way.

But along with the relocation, Parker Paint has undergone a transformation to a “Comex Branded Concept Store.”

Comex is the fourth largest architectural paint manufacturer in North America, serving professional and homeowner customers in more than 3,300 locations from Canada to Panama, through a variety of regional companies providing the best product performance for that area. But colors and quality standards will be consistent throughout the range of products, according to Redmond store manager Pete Carr.

“Parker Paint is truly the only manufacturer in the Northwest formulated for this unique climate,” Carr stated. “Bill Parker started this company almost 70 years ago. It was to be for exterior needs especially, but interiors are affected by our climate, as well.”

Carr noted that Parker Paint has a testing area in Gig Harbor to evaluate paints for weather and mildew resistance. He said consumers especially like the Encore products which are extremely durable and “scrubbable.” Also popular is the Clean Air line with zero VOCs (volatile organic compounds), said Carr.

Parker Paint has a solid reputation with contractors on the Eastside, especially in the Redmond area, Carr added. When it came time to seek a new location for the Redmond store, the corporate office looked outside of Redmond, but Carr wanted to stay in the same neighborhood.

The new store opened in late December and Carr said he’s very pleased with the new, “easy-to-access location on a developed street.” Getting in and out of the parking lot is much simpler than at the old location, he said, and longtime customers won’t have a hard time finding him a few blocks away.

For information about the Redmond store, call (425) 885-7858. For general information, visit www.parkerpaint.com.