Arnold Painting – A Family Affair

MICAH ARNOLD didn’t wander into the commercial painting business. After more than 60 years in business, Arnold Painting LLC has earned its reputation as one of the best commercial painting companies in the region.

Arnold’s great-grandfather started a wood-floor refinishing business after the 1937 Ohio River flood. His grandfather worked in the business for a while before launching his own company – a painting business – in 1959. Arnold’s own father worked in the business after a military tour in Vietnam, eventually taking it over himself.

“I started working when I was about eight years old,” Micah says. “I would help my dad out in the summers folding drop cloths, filling up paint buckets and basically doing whatever needed to be done.”

After graduating from Purdue University, Micah returned to the family business and in 2003, he took partial ownership of the business. By 2010, he fully owned the painting company after his father retired.

Today, Arnold Painting LLC is a leader in commercial paint projects; roughly 90 percent of his clientele stems from local businesses. A team of 10 full-time painters serves Kentuckiana from Lexington to Seymour, Indiana, both large and small projects. The company owns its own fleet of equipment to ensure it can complete both interior and exterior jobs.

“I’ve been taught from an early age to treat the customer right,” Micah says. “I’ve never taken payment for a job before the job is complete because I want to make sure the customer is satisfied first. Our name speaks for itself. We’ve been around for 60 years. I think that says a lot. You can trust us.”

Not everyone who owns a brush and roller can consider themselves a professional painter. “Nine times out of ten, if I have to come back and redo somebody’s work, it takes longer to correct.”

Micah cautions business and homeowners to think about how long they’re going to be in a building before having it painted. “I recommend higher-quality paints,” he says. “They cost more money but it pays for itself in the long run. If you’re going to be in your business or a house for more than five years, I would say go ahead and spend the extra money on the paint so you’re not redoing it in three years.”

Paint, he says, is often an area where corners are cut because issues are not easily detected. “I like doing quality work that you can be proud of.” And make sure you leave at least two months for a finished project. “If you can find a painter that can get it done quickly, they’re probably not worth it. In the business right now, you should be busy!”

Article Courtesy of Extol Magazine – The Business Issue of 2019

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