Featured Business
Kentco Paintco
By Virginia Bruce

Kent Richards is one of those lucky people who figured out what he wanted to do when he was a kid. He started helping neighbors with painting projects in the 70’s while he was attending Cedar Park Middle School. He continued during summers in high school at Sunset, and during his college years at Oregon State, where he studied marketing, and at the University of Portland where he earned an MBA.

Although he employs three full-time painters, and several on-call part-time workers, he says, “Fortunately, I still get the opportunity to paint while managing logistics, work flow, materials handling, and sales.”

Most of his jobs come through referrals. “I was just awarded an exterior paint job in the West Hills. The customer called and said they were looking forward to having us do the work. This will be the final house on their street that we at Kentco Paintco will have painted. They have all been referrals.”

He and his team work on both exterior and interior projects, and while much of the work is residential, customers often call them to work on commercial projects when they need it. “We have been primarily in the repaint business, yet on occasion we find our skills take us to a remodeler to help tie the new construction in with the old —making for good continuity.”

Some customers know exactly what they want, and have all the colors and finishes picked out when they call him. But he is happy to work with his clients to select colors and finishes. Because of his thirty years in the business, he is able to select the right paint for the job. There may be two or more paints with the same color and sheen, but one may be the best because of various qualities, like mold resistance, or being good for wood surfaces. “Color and finishes are always fun for me. Making something look nice is our core competency. We are set up to help with all levels of selection of product and manufacture grades. Working with a decorator’s touch is always appreciated. It is nice to see their talents at work,” he says.

Using paint colors and finishes to tie rooms together creates a harmonious environment

He says that flexibility is one of the keys to his success. “There is no standard way for a job to go.” He says some customers want an estimate, and some just know they want his company to do the work. Some people want to go away on vacation while they get the job done, and some want them to work on one room at a time, and take a few days to regroup and then have them back to do another room. “I start out by asking the customer how they want the job to go,” he says. “We can adjust to whatever they need.”

He has a shop nearby so that he can do doors, furniture, and other items that can be removed easily. “Being able to do some of the work offsite creates less mess for the customer, and can get the job done faster in some cases.”

He’s finding that more customers are requesting the use of Low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) materials. “They have gotten a lot better in the last few years,” he explains. “When they were first introduced, there were some problems with application and with durability. Now there are some very good ones out there.” People often choose them for children’s rooms and areas where food is prepared. One advantage is that there is almost no odor even right after the paint is applied.

The “faux finishes” on these kitchen cabinets are one of Kentco’s specialties

He maintains his “licensed and bonded” status by taking continuing education classes, offered by materials suppliers and by professional training companies. These include courses on safety, material handling, and other topics. Richards notes, “The requirements by the state help keep people aware of who is and who is not legal to make improvements on a home. The liability and risk exposure to a homeowner is very high if they choose to use an unlicensed person at their home or business.”

He grew up here, and lives in the area with his family. His daughter, a pre-med student at OSU, helps out in the business during the summer. His wife, who works full-time, helps with the company bookkeeping and other paperwork.

Contact them if you need their services, at 503-645-5571, or visit their website at kentcopaintco.com.

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