Company History

The Paul N. Gardner Company, Inc. (GARDCO) has its origin with the alliance of pioneer paint chemist Dr. Henry Alfred Gardner, Sr., Director of the Institute of Paint and Varnish Research in Washington, D.C. and his son Paul Norris Gardner in 1935 and the subsequent incorporation of the Henry A. Gardner Laboratory in Bethesda, Maryland the following year. After his father retired Paul was named President and later Board Chairman until 1964, when he decided to retire. Maintaining contact with the industry, Paul formed the Paul N. Gardner Company, Inc., for the distribution and import and export of scientific instruments and laboratory equipment. A short time later he relocated the business to Pompano Beach, Florida. After his passing in 1995, Paul N. Gardner, Jr. assumed the Presidency of GARDCO. His sister, Sandra Gardner Bride, joined the company in 1983 and her last position at the company was Vice President.

On July 1, 2019 the Paul N. Gardner Company became a part of the Altana family, as we were acquired by the BYK-Gardner / Altana Group.

Many of the GARDCO employees have been with the company for 20-30 years, and share the same principals of Appreciation, Openness, Empowerment, and Trust that are a major part of Altana’s vision. We are excited to be a part of such a successful global corporation that shares the same core values and industry standards that has made the Gardner name synonymous with quality for physical testing equipment.

We are confident that our combined strengths will provide new and innovative solutions to improve quality testing worldwide.