Fresh Coat Painters Opens Franchise in SW Chicago

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Jessica Dees

Cincinnati, OH – With work slowing in the pipefitting industry, Andy Morrison of Indian Head Park, IL decided it was the perfect time to research something he’d always wanted to do—own a franchised business. The 17-year veteran with Chicago Local Union 497 considered a variety of franchises before deciding to go with Fresh Coat, one of North America’s top home-based, recession resistant franchises. Ranked in the prestigious Franchise 500 by Entrepreneur magazine, the residential and commercial painting business had just the sparks to ignite Morrison’s interest. \"I liked their proven systems, their marketing program, and the way they stress customer satisfaction. I’ve worked alongside contractors and construction workers most of my career and I had a lot of experience as a foreman on big jobs for museums, industrial sites, and hospitals,\" he says. \"I understood and liked the industry.\" Best of all, as a Fresh Coat owner, Morrison won’t be picking up a paintbrush himself. His service manager works closely with his clients and his painters do the painting while Morrison works on growing his business—not standing on a ladder painting walls.

Fresh Coat felt like the right fit for Morrison and he signed on, traveling to the Fresh Coat corporate office in Cincinnati, Ohio for five days of extensive intense training to get his business up and running. In the spring of 2010, Fresh Coat Painters of Southwest Chicago officially opened for business and it’s been non-stop ever since.

\"Even though I’m the only Fresh Coat franchisein the area, I still have competition,\" Morrison says. \"But it’s our client service that makes my company stand out.\" Fresh Coat CEO Ralph Martin concurs. \"Fresh Coat has prospered where others have not and that’s based on the simple strategy that we put our clients and our franchise owners first all the time. We offer professionalism, dependability, and affordability—things that have not always been synonymous with the painting industry.\"

With specials like $199 per room painting and the convenience of providing client quotes on site, Morrison says he’s looking forward to providing top quality service at a fair price. \"We pride ourselves on our professionalism and we do what we say we will. Fancy advertising doesn’t mean anything if you can’t show up on time and don’t do a first-class job,\" he says. \"Whether we’re painting one room or the entire interior and exterior of a large house or apartment building, it comes down to the customer’s positive experience and that’s what we’re focusing on.\"