As the saying goes, “out with the old in with the new.” William Raveis Real Estate in Shelton is doing just that.
This month, the company enters its 30th year in business. To commemorate its successful history, the firm is changing its signage and company colors from the recognizable dark, almost-cobalt blue to a lighter Yankee blue that symbolizes the essence of New England.
Asked about the change, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William Raveis explained, “When I first opened my office above a grocery store in 1974, I did not anticipate that the way we do business would be so enthusiastically received throughout New England. Now, 30 years later, we have five offices in Massachusetts, and we plan to expand into Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine in the future.”
‘Only Natural’
Raveis added, “We have extended beyond Connecticut and are now a New England company with a family heritage in New England dating back 100 years. It is only natural that our color represents the tradition of both our company and of the states in which we are located. We redesigned our signs and colors to reflect traditional New England.
“The New England Blue is a color that was prominent in Colonial America during the 17th and 18th centuries. Through the years, it maintained its popularity and has become a New England benchmark. Our Antique & Vintage Properties Division has had many antique homes that were restored using the New England Blue and similar shades of it.”
The new color already can be seen on the exterior of several William Raveis offices. For those buildings that are not painted New England Blue, traces of it can be found on interior walls and moldings.
According to Raveis, the company’s signage also has been redesigned. No longer the generic rectangle shape, the new sign has a curve representative of the arched windows characteristic of the Federal style home, which came into prominence in the American colonies in the 1700s and 1800s.
Raveis said that although the new signage and colors reflect the historic past, the company is looking forward to the future. It recently launched a new consulting and coaching program to assist its sales associates and has “spent millions of dollars” embracing the new technology/Internet, e-commerce and sales associate training.