Profile: Ryan McKnight

BUSINESS PROFILE – RYAN MCKNIGHT A love for Anglesea

By Jenna Crawford

If having a love for the town you grew up and live in qualifies you to be a successful tradesperson, then Ryan McKnight from McKnights Painting and Decorating has passed with flying colours.

Ryan is the third generation of his family to call Anglesea home. His grandfather was in a car business in Colac and then retired to Anglesea. His father, who was born in Colac, but went on to manage the Australia Post office in Torquay, finished up buying land in Anglesea and building a house to occupy in his retirement.

Ryan has been inspired with the history of Anglesea since completing a project as a 12-year-old at Anglesea Primary School. His project saw him produce a book comparing past Anglesea scenes with the present ones. It was motivated by a book called ‘A Street Through Time’. Since then, he has developed a really keen interest in Anglesea's history and natural beauty. He is a member of the

Anglesea painter, Ryan McKnight Anglesea Historical Society, taking photographs for them and interviewing townsfolk who have lived in the town for a long time and are happy to discuss the differences they have witnessed over those years. Mrs Butterworth and Mr Hickford are just two he has interviewed. He collects old photos and gets them professionally copied by his neighbour who is a forensic photographer, so they can be saved forever. He even showed me a photo enlargement of the street in which I live, taken in 1970 when it was barely inhabited. Ryan's desire to remain in Anglesea and build his business has emanated from his love of history and the natural environment. He wants to grow old here. He has always had a love of houses. His first word was ‘house’ and his first drawing was that of a house. He thought he could fulfil his love by becoming a carpenter. He went to a

technical school and completed two years of a carpentry apprenticeship, but found it unfulfilling. His parents suggested that painting may fulfil his dream through the beautification of houses. He completed a four-year apprenticeship and worked with W.P. Painters before deciding to register McKnights Painting and Decorating as a business.

Initially he completed some jobs around the town, free of charge until his talents were recognised. He now employs two full-time painters, one of whom is completing his apprenticeship, and a part-time painter. He has successfully completed some big jobs around the town, such as the Anglesea Resort, Anglesea Golf Club (inside and outside) the inside of Anglesea IGA and the Aireys Inlet Primary School, as well as many individual houses around the town.

Ryan's priorities in his painting business are to communicate with his clients, often using before and after photographs, and he is obsessed with client satisfaction.

If he has made an error he is happy to admit it and correct it. Punctuality is also important to Ryan, so he likes to keep customers in the picture. His friendliness allows him to get along with a variety of clients, and he must be confident he can successfully complete the task in hand. Trust is something else he values highly, as he and his team are often working in unoccupied houses.

Ryan claims that he is a preferred tradesperson because of his good reputation and his ability to recommend local tradespeople to complete other tasks that need attention. Referrals are the best form of advertising and he wants to give back to his community. He employs locals and wants to beautify streetscapes through his house painting.

I spoke recently to Christine and Geoffrey Warren, who have recently used McKnights Painting and Decorating. They kindly wrote this glowing appraisal. ‘In March 2021, Ryan was employed to complete an external paint job on our house and the experience could not have been better. He instilled confidence in his expertise right from the initial meeting to discuss types of paint and a suitable colour. ‘His wide experience is what steered us away from a colour that we think would not have been as successful as our final choice. He communicated thoroughly at all times so we knew what was happening and when. ‘He and his team were always friendly and considerate. Nothing appeared to be too much trouble. Ryan's well chosen workers were polite and easy to have around. The work was completed ahead of schedule in just under two weeks with excellent attention to detail. The diligent work ethic and high standards resulted in a very happy outcome for us.’