Trade Names: 89-Paint wants professional finish

JOAN TUPPONCE - SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT @ Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: June 1, 2009

No one at 89-Paint winced when Helen Riley Anderson made a last-minute decision to change the colors she had chosen for each of the rooms in her three-story house.

"They were so cooperative and very understanding," she said. "They even put up test patches for me."

Anderson, who lives in Lower Tuckahoe in Goochland County, had the company paint the interior and exterior of her six-bedroom home.

"89-Paint was under a deadline to get it done" for me, she said. "I have never had a company that did such a professional job as well as such a beautiful job. The crew was just fabulous. They couldn't have been nicer."

Ethan Wirt started 89-Paint in June 2006. The Chesterfield County-based company is a full-service painting contractor, providing residential and commercial services.

He chose the company's name for convenience.

"I wanted to come up with a name that was easy to remember," said Wirt, who graduated from Collegiate School in 2001.

"89-Paint is our phone number" -- 897-2468.

Wirt, 26, got involved in the painting industry when one of his classmates at the University of Virginia told him about a paid internship program at College Works Painting that teaches students how to run a painting business.

"They gave us incredible training," he said. "They really taught us how to run a business."

During his first summer in 2002, Wirt painted 30 houses. He interned with the company for the duration of his college years, progressing to general manager during his fourth year at U.Va.

"My second year with the company, I oversaw other students and my fourth year, I oversaw the district managers," he said.

After graduating from U.Va. in 2005, Wirt worked as a relationship manager for Henrico County-based Vero Consulting, an executive compensation and benefits consulting firm.

"I used to call on community bank presidents," he said. "After a year in the corporate world, I decided I wanted to lose the tie and go back to being an entrepreneur. I wanted to go out on my own."

Starting a painting company at the beginning of the summer, when homeowners typically spruce up their homes, was a boon for Wirt. Within 12 months, he had about 15 full-time employees and was providing a full-range of painting services, from power washing to faux painting.

"We set out to professionalize a market that isn't known for be ing a professional market," he said.

In 2008, Wirt scaled back his full-time work force to improve quality control but continued to work with select contract painters.

"We want painters with an ownership mentality," he said. "We found that some of the best painters have taken the initiative to get a business license and insurance. We find these great painters and match them to our projects."

Susan Fleming, vice president of Kitchen Crafters & Bath in Chesterfield, uses 89-Paint for many of the company's client-based projects. Some of the projects are very detailed.

"Their work is wonderful," she said. "They are better than any other painter that I have used. We work well together."

Even though Wirt markets his company throughout central Virginia, he has clients as far east as Newport News. His work is divided evenly between residential and commercial projects.

"We work with interior designers, Realtors and remodeling contractors," he said. "We also do disaster-restoration work as the result of frozen pipes, fire or smoke damage. It's a specialty niche."

Andy Bahen, owner of the Servpro franchise in Chesterfield, Tri-Cities and Newport News, said he uses 89-Paint for some of his jobs. The company specializes in cleanup and restoration of properties after fire, smoke or water damage.

"They are experienced with that type of work," he said. "It's been a good working relationship."

Since 2006, 89-Paint's sales have grown about 10 percent each year.

"We get a lot of business from networking, referrals and repeat business," Wirt said.

Someday, he would like to replicate his business model elsewhere.

"My hope is to continue to perfect our model in Richmond with the goal of expanding it outside of the area," he said. "It may be franchising or a business expansion."

If you are looking for a Richmond painter, please call us today at (804) 897-2468 or complete our online request form.