WHO'S WHO IN THE PAINTING INDUSTRY 2008

For the second year in a row, American Painting Contractor recognizes the top Who’s Who in the Painting Industry. APC selected one top honoree in each of 10 categories: Residential, Small Business; Residential, Medium Business; Residential, Large Business; Decorative Painting; Full Service; Paperhanging; Commercial; Education/ School; Industry Consultant; and Manufacturer/Vendor.

In 2007, invitations to nominate professionals for the APC 2008 Who’s Who were mailed to readers, editorial advisory board and editing staff, as well as numerous industry experts. In response to those invitations, we received an impressive number of nominations to review. The top 10 honorees featured on these pages are the men and women who have made phenomenal contributions to the success of their industry. Their business accomplishments, passion for the trade, commitment to the industry and service to the community were outstanding. Featuring them here is our way of applauding the impressive strides they have made. APC salutes their ideas and efforts, their creativity and skill.

Following the top honoree profiles are listings of several more featured contractors whom APC deems worthy of honorable mentions for their outstanding accomplishments.

RESIDENTIAL, SMALL BUSINESS
Jim Werner President,
Jim Werner’s Painting and Decorating Inc. Omaha, Neb.

Jim Werner entered the business of residential painting and decorating in 1972. For the past 36 years, Jim Werner’s Painting and Decorating has been providing customers with quality services. His company is well known in the Omaha region for its high-end residential repainting, faux finishes, exterior wood finishing and wallcovering installation. In 2007, the company earned an estimated $400,000 in revenue, and it employs a dedicated full-time staff of three.

Werner’s accomplishments extend beyond his local reputation for reliability. Decades of experience have made him a savvy advocate for the industry. He has traveled to the nation’s capital to represent the Painting Decorating Contractors of America National Legislative Committee. His lobbying duties included keeping appointments with members of Congress and senators. He has encouraged the passage of bills benefiting professional contractors all over the country. Werner is proud to have successfully represented PDCA three times in Washington, D.C., as well as chaired or co-chaired numerous state conventions.

In addition to being president of his own company,Werner has been a member of PDCA for 34 years. Some highlights of his career include being named PDCA’s Membership Recruiter of the Year, serving as past president of the Omaha Platte Valley Nebraska PDCA, becoming national executive board member and serving as legislative chair on the Nebraska Council.

He has been a certified Republic Metal Powders Company Wolman Wood Care products contractor for the past 11 years, and he is a member of RPM Wolman’s advisory board. He recently visited RPM’s research and development lab, where Wolman’s in-house chemists helped Werner deepen his knowledge by leading him on an informative tour of the chemical plant.

He understands that there is more to success than being an outstanding businessperson and leader. He has offered his talents and services to the community by contributing to numerous charitable projects. He chaired and co-chaired the American Society of Interior Designers Symphony Showcase painting project, and he painted the exterior of the St. Francis Halfway House as well as the exterior of the Arch Halfway House. He also has been involved with other nonprofit projects, including Habitat for Humanity.

RESIDENTIAL, MEDIUM BUSINESS
Harry Lux III President, Luxbrush Painting Company, Inc.
Manchester Center, Vt.

In 2000, Harry Lux III began offering painting services in Vermont. In the eight years since, Luxbrush Painting has developed a strong reputation for repainting projects, both interior and exterior. The business steadily expanded its customer base and its array of services, and in 2007, it earned approximately $1.15 million in revenue. Luxbrush hires only the most talented people to join its full-time staff, a group who are kept up to date through continuous business and technical education.

Luxbrush’s high standards for quality have been attracting notice. Luxbrush was singled out by the Better Business Bureau to receive the Torch Award of Excellence in 2007. The honor is given to businesses committed to ethical practices and reliability for its customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and to the communities in which they do business. In addition, the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America rewarded Luxbrush’s outstanding excellence in craft by bestowing not one, but two Lee Travis Junior Craftsman of the Year awards in the same year. In 2008, two Luxbrush crew leaders were two of only five recipients chosen to receive the award. The craftsman of the year award goes to individuals who demonstrate high-quality painting and decorating artisanship. Last year, Luxbrush earned the PDCA safety award, as well as the Picture It Painted Professionally award for best charity project of 2007. The year 2008 saw Luxbrush garner both of those awards again.

Harry Lux is an active leader in the professional painting contractor industry. He served as the president of the New England Council of PDCA from 2005 to 2006, and his company has contributed to PDCA craftsmanship forum’s Craftsman Operating Procedures. “A COP works toward standardizing tasks and project elements to ease the training processes,” Lux explained, “and create a shared language for painters, while setting the bar for the level of quality and results. In addition,we’ve created some COPs of our own.” Luxbrush Painting’s protocols are tailored to improve the company’s effectiveness. “We have created COPs to streamline paperwork, fine-tune customer service and to communicate our minimal expectations for each and every facet of the business.” This attention to detail has enabled Luxbrush Painting to offer a terrific value for first-rate services.

Luxbrush Painting’s contributions to the community are wide-ranging. In 2007, it worked on an annual charitypainting project on behalf of the Tutorial Center of Bennington.Other beneficiaries include St. James Church in Arlington, the Arlington Food Shelf, Harned-Fowler VFW and the Cohoes Senior Center. And the business participated in United Way’s Day of Caring by Painting, which benefited the Bennington Homeless Coalition.

RESIDENTIAL, LARGE BUSINESS
Terry McGill President, Terry McGill Inc.
Bellevue, Neb.

In 1985, Terry McGill Inc. opened its doors under the auspices of an owner intent on providing premium residential painting contractor services and expert workmanship at a reasonable cost. Terry McGill, president of Terry McGill Inc, along with a dependable staff of 40-plus employees, is now celebrating 23 years of skill, quality and on-time completion of projects.McGill’s outstanding reputation for exceptional painting, special coatings, and vinyl and fabric hanging has helped the company earn approximately $3 million in revenue during 2007.

McGill continues to grow his painting company in Nebraska, focusing on unparalleled commercial contract painting services that are supported by a professional staff.Accolades include twice being named as one of “The Top 25 Fastest Growing Companies in Their Market” and, in the spring of 2007, earning the ranking of “Top Rated Painting and Wall Covering Contractor in Omaha.”

One of the biggest obstacles this business has had to surmount has been creating a “legitimate business model, starting out on my own and being underfunded,” McGill said. “We have gone from zero to now having a shop office area of 20,000 square feet. We now have an office staff of six and 40 people in the field. Our bonding capacity is $3 million, and our liability insurance is up to $5 million, aggregate.”

Terry McGill Inc. is committed to excellence, and this dedication is woven into the company fiber, as its employment practices illustrate. Terry McGill Inc. offers a competitive package to its workers, including vacation; a 401(k) plan; and health insurance with medical, dental, optical and prescription coverage. “Our biggest challenge has been and remains to be keeping a qualified, but more important, cohesive overall staff,” McGill said.“Our hourly and salary pay rates are second to nobody in this market.Hourly employees are given a lot of overtime hours, and our salaried staff receives yearly bonuses. We have developed an Occupational Safety and Health AAdministration—and Environmental Protection Agency—compliant environment,” which he explained includes investing in the latest equipment. For example, the contractor recently acquired a spray booth that improves safety for workers and complies with requirements set forth by the federal government.

Community involvement is very important to McGill. He regularly contributes to charitable causes and worthy local nonprofits, and these offerings are in the form of money, supplies and services. He has donated materials and services to Open Door Mission, Woman’s Touch Pregnancy Center and the King of Kings Church. Most notably, McGill makes financial contributions to those organizations with the greatest need.

McGill’s success in commercial painting, special coatings and wall coverings is due to a tradition of standing behind its work and service.

DECORATIVE PAINTER
Sharon Leichsenring Owner, Leichsenring Studios, LLC
Trumbull, Conn.

“I began working in the field of decorative painting as a second career when I was in my mid-40s,” Sharon Leichsenring recalled. “I have been in the business of decorative painting for 10 years, and before that I worked for more than 25 years as a sign painter. I consider myself fortunate because I was able to make the crossover an ongoing success.” Leichsenring is owner of Leichsenring Studios, LLC, and she specializes in the art of decorative painting, cloudscapes, faux finishes and stenciling. She produces impressively creative murals, some of which feature trompe l’oeil. She launched her decorative painting business a decade ago, and her gross sales for 2007 were $175,000.

The passage of time has given her more energy and made her more deeply committed to her craft. “The formal training I received as a fine artist, coupled with the experience in the field of sign painting, created the solid foundation to becoming a decorative painter.”

Leichsenring was recognized as a winner of American Painting Contractor’s Top Job award in 2004 as well as an honorable mention for projects submitted in 2005. In addition, one of her projects is included as a feature segment in a book authored by Gary Lord,“Mural Painting Secrets for Success,” which is scheduled for release in 2008.

“One of the byproducts of starting a new career at an older age is that I bring a kind of intensity and passion to the table that is much stronger than I remember it being in my earlier years,” she said.

She is a member of the National Society of Mural Painters, the Stencil Artisans League and the Working Woman’s Forum. She accepted the invitation to become a member of the Salon of International Painters, an elite, invitation-only group of artists, and 2008 marks her fourth year with that group. She is a national award-winning artist, having garnered the grand prize in the Decorative Painting Division category of a competition that American Painting Contractor sponsored in 2003. She is thrilled to make a success out of doing what she loves most: creating. She also teaches workshops throughout the year in Houston and Atlanta. She is an instructor of classes in mural painting, perspective drawing, cloudscapes and trompe l’oeil technique.

It’s important to her that she share her knowledge with up-and-coming artists. “The experience and knowledge that I collected from both careers has put me in the wonderful position of being able to work as a teacher,” she said. “Teaching is a gift that is as rewarding to the teacher is as it is to the student. I strongly feel that it is my responsibility to share what has been taught to me.”

FULL SERVICE
Joel Hamberg President, Joel Hamberg Painting, Inc.
Portland, Ore.

Joel Hamberg has been a leader in the industry for 24 years.His business, Joel Hamberg Painting Inc., has helped restore historic buildings,and that work was selected to receive the Architectural Heritage Center award. This full-service company has a solid record of providing topquality commercial and residential repainting services as well as wood finishing. Hamberg WHO’SWHO | IN THE PAINTING INDUSTRY 2008 APCApril2008 5/2/08 2:16 PM Page 40 American Painting Contractor • April 2008 41 and his business have earned several other forms of recognition for various projects, including being named the 2005 Oregon Contractor of the Year, and being honored with the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America 2006 Picture It Painted Professionally Award for commercial restoration. Also in 2006, the Portland Chapter of PDCA selected Hamberg to receive the Portland Oregon Contractor of the Year award, which is the Top Job award for excellent commercial and industrial work in the region.Hamberg also brought home the PDCA Safety Gold Award last year.

Hamberg’s community projects include having painted offices for the Thrive Foundation for Youth, the Good Shepherd Home (an assisted living facility) and other nonprofits.

Because his business has grown so substantially (in 2007 the company brought in approximately $1 million in revenue), Hamberg is able to handsomely compensate the employees who have contributed to the success of the company.He said he is proud of “becoming an employer who can provide living wages for my long-term employees.” He also is pleased that he has created “a working environment where craftsmanship can shine through.” Over the years, as his business was on the increase, he became more and more skilled at establishing protocol for his workers. “Growing the business provided the setting where we can have systems in place that help everyone know their job.” To become an industry leader one must change with the times and stay on top of new trends, such as the rise of environmentally “green” industry products and systems. However, Hamberg doesn’t stop there. He has taken his accumulation of knowledge and “assisted other contractors to also become ‘green,’” he said. “I have educated clients and prospective customers about the benefits of using newer painting systems. Showcasing these innovations within PDCA has enabled me to win several awards.” He added, “The future still holds many challenges. Keeping abreast of these will help pave the way to being prepared and successfully able to lead the way.”

Another aspect of his job that he finds satisfying is contributing to the larger industry by sharing his wealth of experience with people who are entering the business. “Being a mentor for the newer contractors brings a joy that is hard to describe. Having accomplished many things over the past 24 years, I have the experience that can enrich our lives and assist others.Our goal is to continue to be there to educate, build relationships, communicate, and to be the problem solvers. Painting contracting is a wonderful profession that protects buildings, homes and families.” He also has contributed his practical understanding of the industry to a broad audience via publication. For example, he is cited as a source in “The Top 10 Things You Need to Know about Painting in the Private Sector,” featured in a recent issue of PDCA’s Residential Forum.

Hamberg is a member of PDCA, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Oregon Remodelers Association and the Architectural Heritage Center.

PAPERHANGING
Glen H. Olsen, Jr., CP Co-owner,
V & G Services Woodridge, Ill.

This top honoree has achieved success through superior craftsmanship, professionalism and specialized service in high-end wallpaper installation. The letter “G” in V & G Enterprises, stands for Glen, and the “V” stands for the first letter of his wife Vickie’s name. Glen Olsen credits Vickie with providing the inspiration that enabled him to succeed as a paperhanging entrepreneur. “She has encouraged me to keep on doing my best for the past 45 years. Vickie is the real ‘Who’ of this ‘Who’s Who’ listing. Many times when I thought a problem insurmountable, Vickie came up with a fresh viewpoint on how I (or sometimes we) could accomplish the task. That is why my company is not G & V Services, but V & G Services,” Glen said. “Vickie is number one on my list of ‘Who’s Who’!”

The Olsen’s high-end wallpaper business began in the late 1950s. While the V & G Enterprises business success is notable from any standpoint, it is particularly commendable because of the hurdles Glen has risen above. “My red-green colorblindness has been a challenge to me throughout my 49-year paperhanging career. Just as a totally blind person compensates for the loss of sight by honing the other four senses, my color blindness made me pay attention to the aesthetics and finer details on the material given to me to install. Not being able to simply paint in a split seam, I have spent a lot of time concentrating on seaming techniques, design placement and balance, and creating invisible appliqués from the actual wallpaper given to me.”

V & G Enterprises has been a repeat recipient of awards from Winning with Wallpaper, and was the first recipient of the Bob Isenberger Member of the Year Award from the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers. One of his proudest accomplishments is a job he performed at the famed Goodman Theatre located in Chicago. “In 2005 Guild chapter member and local president Steve Kaye, CP, received the 2005 Second Place in the Commercial Category of Winning with Wallpaper. Three months later at our local chapter’s Christmas party, Kaye presented me with an engraved plaque along with a large portion of the prize money. The plaque reads, ‘In recognition of your outstanding contribution as an equal partner from beginning to end.’”

Glen has been able to rally support for a cause that’s important to him: “I have donated considerable time and money to help speech- and hearing-impaired children. My former quartet appeared frequently at hospitals, senior centers and nursing homes.”

COMMERCIAL
Dave Siegner President, Siegner and Company
Portland, Ore.

Dave Siegner epitomizes the American entrepreneurial story of achievement. He entered the industry as a novice more than 30 years ago, and today he is the president of Siegner and Company, a successful professional painting contractor business located in Portland, Ore. His business has been operating for the past 17 years, during which time it has become known for its record of accomplishment in service, dependability, safety and trained professional staff. The company strives to overdeliver on what the customer already expects: a commitment to excellence. According to Siegner, he and his company, which is composed of a team of 60 full-time employees, earned approximately $5.5 million in revenue during 2007.

Siegner and Company’s customers know that excellence, reliability, competitive pricing and professionalism are the firm’s hallmarks. Clients choose Siegner and Company for an assortment of jobs, from exterior and interior painting to customized new construction or historic renovation. “We’ve been involved in many innovative, challenging and rewarding projects,” Siegner said. One of the highlights of his career has been serving the industry in a leadership role. Siegner has worn many different hats but said, “I am most proud of being able to represent the membership of Painting and Decorating Contractors of America as its 2007 national president.” It is an impressive distinction, especially in consideration of how high he has climbed in the industry. “I served an apprenticeship, beginning at $3.34 per hour back in 1972, and worked my way up to foreman.” He then rose to the rank of superintendent and has worked as an operations manager, an estimator and project manager. In 1991, he launched his own business, building it into a top-notch professional firm that, he said, “Our kids are now beginning to take into the next phase.” He is thrilled by the incorporation of the next generation of his family into the business: “It just doesn’t get any better!”

Awards that he and his business have received include PDCA’s National Gold Safety Award in both 2001 and 2002, as well as a National Silver Safety Award in 2003. PDCA’s Portland Chapter tapped Siegner and Company to receive its Contractor of the Year award four times. Moreover, the Oregon Council granted a Contractor of the Year award in 2002.

Siegner and Company makes it a priority to establish connections to the worthy organizations in the local area. “In 2007, we chose a very needy families home from the Oregonian newspaper’s ‘Season of Sharing’ campaign. We repainted the exterior of this house for no charge. In addition, several years ago, we headed up an effort to remove the lead-based paint from the historic nonprofit organization, the Albertina Kerr Center. We completely repainted it with lead-free paints at cost, which saved the center almost $250,000.”

The company’s mission is to offer its customers exceptional service in every phase of a project, from beginning preparation through the final inspection. It aims to form long-term relationships of trust with its customers that result in both repeat business and positive referrals. Employees receive the necessary resources and training to ensure that customers receive the best service possible.

EDUCATION/SCHOOL
Janie Ellis President, Anything But Plain
Houston, Texas

Director and Master Artisan Janie Ellis is not only talented and creative, she also has the gift of long-term vision. “As with any successful entrepreneur, I started out with an idea,” she explained. “Through hard work, creativity and persistence, I have created a million-dollar company. I used the skill of my art and interior design degrees to establish a career. And I attained my business acumen on the job.”

She has traveled a long way on her route to success. “I went from putting flyers on doorsteps to achieving high visibility on the Internet. I went from finishes done in oil to those done in water-based acrylic resin.”A holder of degrees in both interior design and art, she established herself by pairing creative skills with good old-fashioned business know-how. In addition, she built up her storehouse of knowledge along the way, becoming proficient in a range of areas, “managing people, employee rights, OSHA requirements, insurance, corporate taxes and a million bits of other information necessary to move my company forward. I have had challenges that I thought were impossible to meet but meet them I did, and I continue to do so.”

Ellis has 19 years of experience as a professional faux finisher under her belt, and is the founder of Anything But Plain School of Decorative Finishes, as well as the key member of the teaching staff. She is a working artist who also sells products for decorative finishes.

With more than 30 years of experience in fine art, Ellis is a self-described artisan, vendor and school instructor. She is a certified faux consultant, a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and an industry partner of Professional Decorative Painters Association as well as a distinguished speaker for ASID nationally.

Ellis also is an invited participant of the International Salon of Decorative Painters, member of the Stencil Artisans League Inc. and a recurring judge for the Faux Academy Awards. Ellis explained that the “houses I’ve worked in have won ASID awards for design, concept and finishes,” and that her work includes creating those award-winning finishes.

Despite her long list of accomplishments, Ellis is not one to rest on her laurels. “To stay current in our industry, you must continually update your skills and every avenue of business as well as in art.” Ellis is a published author and a national speaker on the subject of faux finishing and decorative painting. Anything But Plain Studio is known for its commission work across the country for the interior design community. Her community service involvement includes helping organizations that foster assistance for the homeless, cancer research, HIV-AIDS hospice patients and cystic fibrosis.

INDUSTRY CONSULTANT
Monroe Porter President, PROOF Management Consultants/PROSULT Networking Groups
Richmond, Va.

Monroe Porter was raised in a workingclass family. His father was a carpenter, which he said made communicating with contractors a natural for him.After a brief stint with a construction company, he was fortunate enough to meet Irv Chasen, who hired him to help build the PROOF organization. He is now entering his 32nd year as a business consultant, helping contractors improve their business.

Porter’s accomplishments include authoring a business column, “Sound Business Management,” in American Painting Contractor for more than 20 years; lecturing at PDCA conventions; speaking to 10,000 painting contractors at 100 business seminars in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; founding and facilitating PROSULT Networking Groups for painting contractors; instructing Dulux Paint Australia and New Zealand’s partners in the Profit Seminar Series; and teaching Benjamin Moore Contractor Seminars throughout the country.

Porter recited several highlights in his career that stand out as his most rewarding accomplishments: Keynoting an international construction conference held in China; the gratitude of thousands of painting contractors whom he had the opportunity to speak to; and his fondest memory, when a contractor brought his wife to his third PROOF seminar so that she could personally express how much it meant to both of them to learn how to make money and thus buy a house. However, his most rewarding experiences come from working with the PROSULT Networking Groups. “While the national accolades are not as glamorous, helping people one-on-one has produced astounding results,” Porter said.He recently tallied some statistics collected from the painting contractors in his networking groups with some impressive results: During the last four years, the average painting contractor has increased his or her personal profit and salary by $109,242 per year. But he points out that there is more to the story than just income. “The networking groups have taught me that everyone has their own distinct challenges,” Porter said.

Porter strives to be straightforward with people, provide them first-class treatment and focus on what will make a difference in their business and personal lives. He said his greatest business challenge is to distinguish what his business does and get people to understand the intensity, impact and effectiveness of the service. “The market is saturated with information overload,” Porter said. “Fortunately, I have always had more than enough consultant opportunities than I can service. But I still want to find and work with bright, upand- coming contractors because their energy and enthusiasm is contagious.”

Porter helps charities with a straightforward approach. “We fine people for being late to class and then donate the money to charity,” Porter said. “Through those fines and our own monies, we have helped numerous handicapped children in our community.”

After consulting with contractors for 30 years, Porter said his goal is just to help people and take on projects where his services can make a difference. “I look forward to continuing to help contractors build better communities and lives.”

MANUFACTURER/VENDOR
Steve Revnew Director of Marketing, Product Development Sherwin-Williams Co.
Cleveland, Ohio

Steve Revnew began his career in the commercial painting industry in 1988 when he went to work for Sherwin- Williams. Trained as a chemist, Revnew applied his skills in Sherwin- Williams’ research and development labs before venturing into the sales and marketing branch of the company. Not only can he solve complex chemical puzzles, he can also resolve critical customer concerns.

So far, during his tenure with Sherwin- Williams, he has served as sales representative, store manager, sales manager and district manager. In his current position as Sherwin-Williams’ director of marketing for architectural products, he is the go-to expert in all matters related to the residential market because he is able to address the interests of both the homebuilder and the homeowner.

In 2008, Revnew was the recipient of the PDCA’s National Associate of the Year award. This award is presented to the company representative who has consistently supported PDCA in its efforts to improve the coatings application industry. In his role as an industry expert and very active member of PDCA, he has given several presentations on the topic of paint quality technology and environmental responsibility at industry trade shows, including the annual Paint and Coatings Exposition.

Revnew is the professional whom members of the media turn to when they need to consult a specialist while writing articles and stories related to the latest paint trends and the most recent innovations in paint technology.

Revnew’s marketing skills enable him to make sure customers are aware of the particular Sherwin-Williams products that suit their individual needs. Moreover, because he is perceptive about what builders want, he understands that builders require exterior coatings that can be applied anywhere and are durable enough to last a long time. He has provided his insight and countless trade and consumer articles on behalf of Sherwin-Williams.

In his local community, Revnew is active, serving on his church’s parish council, and he is a volunteer with several local community organizations, including Habitat for Humanity.

WHO’S WHO HONORABLE MENTIONS