A Brief History of James Stone Painting

A young man contemplating the future of possibility

Early Beginnings

My days of painting full-time started when I was 17 years old in Austin, Texas. I was in need of work and I remembered a neighbor down the street had a truck with painting equipment in it and it appealed to me. So I knocked on his door and introduced myself and told him if he ever needed any help to let me know. I learned his name was John and he said he would keep me in mind.

Two weeks later John asked if I was still interested, and the next day we were off to a painting project. I then met Roger, his painter. With the knowledge Roger and John bestowed upon me, I was painting like a pro in no time.

Residential Painting On the Job

I learned how to prep for spraying, which involved lots of masking skills, caulking, brushing straight lines and rolling walls like a champ. At my age, I was making good money, so I continued without any thought of doing something else.

By the time I was almost 21, Roger suffered from a unfortunate situation and was no longer with us. That was a tough time. Soon after, John mentioned that he and his family were moving to Colorado and asked if I was interested in taking over his company. I wasn't expecting the offer at all. After some thought, I realized I had gotten to know all of the clients really well over the last five years and maybe if I took everything I learned from John and Roger, maybe I could succeed with enough hard work. And that's when James Stone Painting was born.

Me working my magic

The Company Begins

I hired two painters of my own and the journey began. It's one thing to learn how to become a good painter, but it's another thing to run a painting company as a business. Boy, did I learn really fast what people expect. Customer satisfaction has always been a top priority for me, so I concentrated on areas that I noticed customers struggled with from other contractors and made sure I did not repeat the same behaviors. I always returned phone calls promptly, gave estimates in a timely manner, gave customers a start date, showed up to the job prepared with all the materials and tools, and completed the projects within the estimated timeline.

Soon my name spread to all my clients' friends and family and business was good. With time, my family and I were ready for our next transition in life. I handed off my clients to my painters in Austin and we moved to a great town in East Tennessee known as Knoxville. It didn't take long, and using the same techniques I had honed in Austin, business in Knoxville grew rapidly.

Painting in Knoxville and Beyond

I'm still a single-crew operation with four painters that work for me. I enjoy staying this size and doing one project at a time. It really allows us to maintain quality work and provide great service. Not many successful companies operate like that anymore, but that's what separates us from the others.

I have now been serving the Knoxville area for eleven years. So what are you waiting for? Maybe it's time you give us a try. You can be a part of our story, and we can be a grateful part of yours.