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Volume 22, No. 7, Section A
July 2022
A Continued Commitment to Customer Service HHHHH
CertaPro SERVICES:
The team at CertaPro Painters of East Tennessee is excited to be the most trusted and referred house painters in the entire Knoxville area. They are committed to delivering extraordinary experiences and customer care at every stage of your residential or commercial painting project.
L
ongtime owners of CertaPro Painters of East Tennessee, Jeff and Joann Brown, have passed the torch on to Devin Taylor, President, and Ben Johnson, Vice President. Devin and Ben’s combined experience of more than 20 years in the “paint business” and being a part of the CertaPro family made them the logical choice to take over the operations of the most trusted and referred painters in the Knoxville area. We got the chance to catch up with the new co-owners, Ben and Devin, to discuss their backgrounds, business models, and where they see their company, CertaPro Painters, headed in the future. MV: You were both employees of CertaPro long before you became the owners; when did each of you begin your career, and what have you learned? Devin: I started in the painting industry in 2004 when I was still attending the University of Tennessee. After graduation, I began my career with CertaPro Painters.
» CertaPro Services: » Interior and Exterior Painting and Staining » Kitchen Cabinet Painting » Interior Trim and Crown Molding » Drywall Repair » Carpentry Repair » Deck Construction » Re-Screen Porches » Wallpaper Removal » Re-texturing Drywall and Ceilings » Stripping/Refinishing Wood
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Devin Taylor, President, and Ben Johnson, Vice President
In these 11 years, I have learned more skills than I could ever imagine such as project management, estimating, finance, leadership, emotional intelligence, and many others that come with running a business. After college, I wasn’t sure if I would continue my career with a painting company. However, CertaPro Painters is so much more than a painting company - we
r See ou n o e l artic e pag 15A
are a customer service organization. By focusing on people in all aspects of our organization; from our customers to our painters to our management team, we’ve learned that building a team that takes pride in their work will translate into an organization that strives for excellence in customer service. We continue to focus on putting solid processes in place for our projects and having a high sense of
urgency around our customers’ needs. Ben: After attending UT, I worked in my family’s business that owned and operated 19 restaurants. My parents have always taught my sister and me the value of hard work, so it was no surprise that I had to start from the bottom, cleaning lobbies and bathrooms, and work my way up. It was an invaluable experience I have carried with me my whole career. My family sold that business in 2016, and I was able to join the CertaPro Painters team as a Residential Service Manager. I was immediately attracted to the culture of this company. CertaPro emphasized excellent customer service, and I fell in love with the CertaPro culture of developing people. I didn’t know much about painting, but my experience in management, leadership, and customer service allowed me to grow my career here. MV: Why did you decide to take over ownership of CertaPro when the Browns stepped down? Ben: When the opportunity came to purchase the business from Jeff and Joann, Devin and I knew we could not pass up the chance to own the business together. Continued on page 2A ...