ABC Painting and Drywall paints it forward

At 12 years old, Joe Solis helped his father paint each and every brick of their home without getting any paint on the mortar. He swore then he would never be a painter. Today, he has been in the painting business for 36 years and has owned his own company, ABC Painting and Drywall, for 28 years. He not only loves what he does, he likes to pay it forward. Recently, he donated an exterior paint job to someone in need as a thank you to the community for his success. 
“This is my way to give back to the community,” Solis said. “But it’s not just me. A lot of the guys are doing this. We are all volunteers.” 
Solis is the only Paint It Forward representative in the state of Texas, a fact of which he is proud, though he doesn’t like to brag about his community work. To find out more, this reporter turned to Solis’ wife, Angela Debbie Hoffman-Solis, a social worker at Driscoll Children’s Hospital. 
“My husband is a wonderful and awesome man,” she said. “He came from humble beginnings as a first-generation American. I think he may have failed to mention some of his great qualities and the good his company does for Corpus Christi.”
ABC Painting and Drywall recently sponsored the Cystic Fibrosis Walk “Great Strides,” which helped raise $10,000 locally for the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. And all those pink chairs you see around town each October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Most of those are done by Solis and his painters for the annual Operation Empty Pink Chair event sponsored by the American Cancer Society and Radiology Associates. The chairs raise awareness, but are also sold at auction to raise money for breast cancer research.
Solis also sponsors numerous organizations in the city, including the Corpus Christi Ballet’s annual “Nutcracker” performance. 
“Joe may have a big heart, but he is also very shrewd when it comes to running his company,” Hoffman-Solis said. “I can describe him as astute, sharp-witted, business-smart, intelligent, clever, canny, perceptive, and when it comes to his workmanship, he is meticulous, professional, careful, conscientious, diligent and painstakingly accurate. He has a great work ethic that he instills in all his employees.” 
That’s not just a wife bragging. ABC Painting was awarded the Angie’s List Super Services Award several years in a row. He is also a proud member of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America, which holds classes and conferences that he attends regularly to keep up with an ever-changing industry.
While Solis won’t talk about himself, he has no problem talking about his business and, especially, paint. 
“I dream it, I talk it, it’s all about the paint,” Solis said with a laugh. “If you draw out blood from me, it’s probably going to turn out blue.” 
Solis prides himself on doing the best job for his clients. His work is not the cheapest in the business, but he strives to make it the best, using the best paint available for each job and providing insurance and workman’s comp protections for his clients. 
“I can’t compete against painters who don’t have insurance or workman’s comp, but I won’t do it any other way,” he said. “I use super paints for my clientele. I give them the best.” 
He keeps himself and a crew busy year-round, specializing in interior paint and drywall.
The Corpus Christi native enjoys marketing his company as much as he enjoys the craft and science of paint. He wants to know how to best boost his business as well as learn the newest trends and mixes of paints. He designs his own logos, recently upgrading to a more modern look from his traditional yellow stars on black. The logo upgrade goes hand in hand with his move into a bigger space at his Ayers Street location. 
He obtained his marketing skills the old-fashioned way — by doing it, then later, as the industry went high-tech, studying it. His first experience came when he called the local yellow pages to list his newly formed company. When the sales rep asked him for the company name, he said he didn’t have one yet. She advised something that would put him at the top of the phonebook listings under painters.
“How about ABC Paint?” she asked. 
And that was it. He has since learned how to keep his company name at the top of search engine results by utilizing good reviews of his work and staying active on social media.
Always quick on his feet, he said that one day someone asked what the ABC stood for. 
“A better company,” he replied in a flash. 
And that is what he has successfully built in his hometown of Corpus Christi. 

ABC Painting and Drywall is located at 4531 Ayers St., Suite 112, in Corpus Christi. Call (361) 334-0408  to talk about your next paint job. Or check out the company at abcpaintinganddrywall.com.