The Flood Company, a family-owned business, has been in the paint industry for more than 160 years. It was established in 1841 in Cleveland, Ohio, by English immigrant John Aylard as a paint contracting firm. In its early years, the business provided various painting services including lettering canal boats and decorating buggies. Aylard's daughter Annie married James Flood in 1852 and their family and business grew through the Civil War era.

James Flood's son William carried on the family business and helped develop a penetrating oil which preserved the wood he painted and allowed for a smooth base of future coatings. In 1881 he bought the company and renamed the business, The William Flood Company. Under his guidance the business expanded into the world of stains and custom wood finishes for historic buildings and homes in northeast Ohio. By the early 1900s the company gained an impressive reputation and they were painting the businesses and exclusive homes of Cleveland's wealthy elite on Euclid Avenue, such as Marcus Hanna, George Hulett, Ambrose Swasey, Amasa Stone and one-time Cleveland Mayor Tom Johnson.

In 1914, William's son, Earl Dennison Flood assumed leadership of the company. In 1934, under his leadership, the company expanded into manufacturing and distribution with the introduction of Penetrol®, a high solids, durable paint oil used alone as a protective coating for wood and metal or as a paint additive to assure the smooth and easy application of oil based paints and varnishes. So outstanding was its performance that today Penetrol® has a worldwide reputation for quality and performance among painting contractors and marine and industrial firms.

Earl Freeman Flood, born in 1923, joined the family business after serving as a navigator in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He raised his family and grew the family business over the years. "Floody" as he was affectionately known also had a strong commitment to urban renewal and worked to get homes painted in low income areas of Cleveland and Akron.

Earl's son, Peter, became president of the Flood Company in 1981 and grew the Flood Company into the third largest business in the United States producing exterior stains and clear finishes.

The company's corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities were located in Hudson, Ohio, on Barlow Road. International distribution is served by plants in Australia and France,with products actively marketed throughout Europe, Canada, Latin America, Israel and Australia. The Flood Company continues to provide solutions for both professional painters as well as and DIYers, building on the company's groundbreaking work of the past to create products that deliver great results.

The Flood Company was sold in October 2008 to AkzoNobel and moved to a new location in Strongsville, Ohio.