Corporate America Converts. Former Senior-Level Execs Trade the Boardroom for Brushes.

By: CertaPro Painters | 7 Shares 232 Reads

(Glen Head, NY)---After spending over 30 years in the corporate world as a senior level executive with positions ranging from vice president of sales at Cuisinart, executive vice president at DeLonghi and president of International China, Lou Federico felt it was time for a change. Juggling worldwide travel, meetings with key U.S. retailers, and conference calls for the better part of his day just wasn't for him anymore. Lou's wife, Sherri, an IT professional for PeopleSoft, echoed her husband's sentiments: she knew something more was out there, but there was just the matter of finding it. Early last year, they broke free from the clutches of corporate America for the world of entrepreneurship.
"We had hit that point in our careers where we had achieved a lot and had senior responsibilities but we wanted something that we could really call our own," said Lou. "We'd considered starting a business on our own, buying a franchise and doing consulting in our respective industries, but our decision was also contingent on the area we wanted to live in. At the time we began our search, we were living in the Annapolis area and we wanted to move back to New York. CertaPro had everything we were looking for – a great concept, ownership and prime location – so our decision was pretty much made."
CertaPro allowed the Federico's to return to Long Island, NY, close to where Lou grew up. Though both Lou and Sherri entered the venture with extensive corporate backgrounds, Lou's family background proved even more helpful. His father was a painting contractor, so Lou spent his summers and many weekends helping out and paid his way through college and graduate school with the money he earned. For a new CertaPro owner, this experience is invaluable.
"It was definitely a positive knowing how the industry works, but even without that knowledge, CertaPro is there to answer any questions we may have. Their support has been a phenomenal part of our success," said Lou.
CertaPro Painters is the largest residential painting company in North America and the only large-scale, full-time, franchised commercial and residential painting business in the home improvement industry. CertaPro provides superior interior, exterior and special painting services to residential and commercial customers. CertaPro franchisees establish large-scale, regional painting companies backed by CertaPro's proven track record as the "Brand of Certainty" and a customer referral rate that exceeds 95 percent. The Federicos currently service the northwest corner of Nassau County, including Great Neck, Port Washington, Mineola, Manhasset and Roslyn, but may expand their territory in the future since the market is ripe for their services.
"Older, larger homes need regular maintenance in general. Put those homes near the water, as they are here on the North Shore, and things tend to break down much faster and need more attention, especially when it comes to painting," said Lou. "Most people don't realize that in addition to enhancing the home's appearance, painting is also a protective step. With the housing market somewhat soft, many of my clients have elected not to sell their homes, but to improve them instead. A fresh paint job makes the house look great and prevents damage, so if they decide to sell later, they will have a leg up on the selling market."
Though corporate America was the Federico's home for much of their professional lives, Lou and Sherri are finding business ownership much more rewarding.
"So many times, large companies will make extravagant promises and then fail to deliver. That's not the right way to do business, so I refuse to offer anything but the best to our clients," said Lou. "We make a guarantee and follow through until the job is complete, making sure each detail is up to their expectations. We know we're giving 100 percent every time and seeing a client pleased with our commitment and results beats the conference room or waiting in airport lounges any day."

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