ABC Painting and Drywall recently moved from a warehouse to a office storefront, not just for nicer digs but also because owner Joe Solis Jr. wanted a whole new approach to doing business. He also wanted a comfortable, welcoming environment for his customers as they work with him on estimates and details for their individual projects.
“This is different than any other painter in Corpus Christi,” Solis told Corpus Christi Business News. “Most painters work out of their homes, but my wife is an innovator. She came up with this. This is a whole new concept.”
Solis works out his estimates for each project by computer. He can do that over the phone with emailed photos or by working closely with his clients in an office, where he will have work and paint samples on display.
“We’re going to be an 8-to-5 office,” he said. “We’re not there yet, but we will be soon.”
Moving from his warehouse location on Ayers Street to a new site at 2033 Airline Road in the Windchase Shopping Center also puts him in the middle of his client base. Most of his customers live on the Southside, making the move a logistic as well as strategic change.
Solis has been in the painting and drywall business in Corpus Christi for 30 years. He regularly attends conventions and workshops to keep up with the latest products and processes in the business.
“I’m serious about my industry,” he said.
He puts that same kind of care from his job into supporting his community. ABC Painting and Drywall sponsors Paint It Forward, a nonprofit that paints the exterior of a local home or business in need. The deadline to apply for the second annual Paint It Forward event was Sept. 30. A winner will be announced in October, and the house or business painted in November.
As of the middle of September, about 50 applications had already been turned in, and Solis expected more. Last year, the first time Paint It Forward was held in Corpus Christi, the total was 50.
A panel of four people will go over the applications, winnowing them down to three or four. Those finalists will be interviewed before a winner is chosen.
ABC Painting and Drywall is located at 2033 Airline Road in the Windchase Shopping Center. Call (361) 334-0408 to talk about your next paint job or visit abcpaintinganddrywall.com.