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Amanda Hibberts and A&K Painting in Industry News Profile

A&K Painting Director Repaint Division Amanda Hibberts

Congratulations Amanda on being featured in yesterday’s combined individual and company profile put together by the PDCA (Painting & Decorating Contractors of America) and presented in  their member emailed news.

PDCA PAINTER’S PORTRAIT:
Amanda Hibberts, Director, Repaint Division at A&K Painting Co.

Q: How long has A&K Painting been a member of PDCA?

A: Since 1997.

Q: What inspired you to choose this profession?

A: Andy Robbins, our CEO, inspired me. When he called me out of the blue and offered me an interview with A&K 9 years ago, I was working in the commercial millwork industry. My response to him was “I don’t know anything about paint except the difference between flat and eggshell. ” His reply was “That’s all you need to know!” How can you not love someone like that! Andy is fearless, he is strong, and he inspires everyone he encounters- including me! But boy- was he wrong!

Q: What’s your favorite paint project you’ve completed?

A: In 2007, we painted the Wells Fargo Rainbow Corridor. This corridor connects two buildings in uptown Charlotte. This was a fun project because we used 38 different paint colors on each side of the corridor to essentially create a 3 dimensional fan deck.

Q: What PDCA benefit do you use most?

A: The PDCA Standards hands down have been the greatest asset and value provided by PDCA. We use them daily.

Q: Outside of work, what do you like to do?

A: Yoga, cooking, spending time with my family!

Q: Interesting/fun fact about yourself?

A: I was the first female Chair of the PDCA Commercial Forum. Oh and I like to box from time to time!

Q: What color is your kitchen?

A: My kitchen is Sherwin Williams Network Gray. My husband Michael applied Scuffmaster Solid Metal Black, with a Scuffmaster Pearl Coat on all of the cabinets and trim. Clean, sophisticated and the perfect accompaniment to my tiled back splash and stainless accents.

The Water Fountain Evolves

photograph of drinking fountain for water bottles

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, James R. Hagerty reveals a growing trend in water fountain use:  people are carrying reusable water bottles, and instead of drinking from water fountains, they just want to refill their water bottles, but the basic drinking fountain that has been a steady seller for decades isn’t working well for these people.  The problem that arises from the traditional water fountain is the awkward angle they have to hold the bottle to refill it- which results in wet shoes or clothes from the splashing water.

Keeping this new water fountain user in mind, new types of fountains, designed to refill bottles have been introduced.  According to Hagerty, “water is more popular as Americans reduce consumption of high-calorie soft drinks.  Tap and bottled water accounted for around 30% of the typical American’s liquid intake last year, up from 16% two decades before.  Nearly half of that water came from taps, including drinking fountains”.  So, this new fountain, developed specifically for refilling bottles, couldn’t have been introduced at a better time than now.  Also, with more people choosing to reuse and recycle, this water fountain provides an environmentally friendly alternative to tossing another plastic water bottle in a landfill.

This new trend is sweeping across college campuses, so Muhlenberg College began buying Elkay fountains after students campaigned against what they saw as plastic-bottle waste.  David Rabold, capital projects manager at Muhlenberg, says “sales of bottle water on campus have fallen 90% since the EZH2O fountains were installed”.  If this trend is reaching hundreds of colleges and universities, then it won’t be long before it sweeps across corporate America.  Commercial real estate investors could take advantage of this trend by offering these new bottle-filling water fountains in new construction and renovations to attract a new breed of environmentally and health conscious workers.

Raleigh Metro Area- Fastest-Growing City in America

Raleigh

According to a Forbes article, “Raleigh, North Carolina has grown 2.2% since 2011 and 47.8% since 2000” and according to census data, the Raleigh metro area is the fastest-growing city in the U.S. since 2000.  These statistics aren’t surprising to those that have lived there since the late 1990s, since they experienced the growth first-hand.  As a commercial painting contractor, A&K Painting serves the entire Raleigh metro area.

Despite this amazing growth, Raleigh still has a relatively low population density in its urban core. The city has also retained its housing affordability, with housing costs that are half or less than in “cool”, slow-growth cities, such as Boston, San Francisco or New York.  Raleigh also has the advantage of being located in the Sunbelt, so people are choosing to take advantage of the mild winters and extended summers.  Also, the cities’ population will most likely continue to grow in the future, because its child population alone has expanded 45% since 2000, compared to 2% nationally, while cities such as New York and Los Angeles had a decline in their children population.

This could be an opportune time for CRE investors to take a hard look at Raleigh, since they are experiencing exponential growth which doesn’t appear to be slowing anytime soon; especially since the outlook for commercial real estate growth is on the upswing.

What’s in a Paint Color Name?

A&K Painting and Sherwin-Williams Paint Colors

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Sanette Tanaka explains the importance of paint names, by sharing some interesting statistics from The Sherwin-Williams Co.  According to Sherwin-Williams, two word paint names, such as Wall Street and Stolen Kiss, make up approximately 61 percent of paint colors and 71 percent of gallon sales, while one word paint names only make up approximately 35 percent of paint colors and 26 percent of gallon sales.  Paint names with three words or more make up the smallest percentage with only roughly 3 percent of paint colors and 2.5 percent of gallon sales.

Jackie Jordan, the director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, creates the paint names and believes that people like to have an association with a particular color.  This is also why Sherwin-Williams chooses creative names, so that an emotional bond is formed between consumers and the paint hues.

At A&K Painting Company, we use multiple paint vendors, including Sherwin-Williams. We understand the importance of paint colors and the positive impact they provide.  Our team of employees and our vendors continually focus on providing superior customer service to assure satisfaction.

Workplace Design Helps Improve Bottom Line

A&K Painting Color Design Pros

Companies are beginning to forego the traditional cubicle style offices, and instead choosing to create open and shared spaces, since they will require much less real estate needed per worker, therefore increasing their overall profits.  Many employees that work in these types of offices believe it’s the combination of flexibility and functionality that make them work so well.  Even employees that work remotely prefer the openness of these offices to their own home and according to a Business Insider article, “72 percent of workers said that an office is the best place to interact with colleagues and access tools and technology”.  So these collaboration-driven offices are not only great for improving a company’s bottom line, but also for the well-being of the employees.

Companies do however, need someone to develop and create ideas, so that these open, airy offices can come to life.  This is where design professionals and A&K Painting Company come in; design professionals will provide ideas and sketches of how an office can potentially look and feel, and A&K Painting Company will make those ideas happen.  We have many years of repaint experience, transforming spaces from tired and old into fresh and new, and we can provide vitality and energy through custom finishes and office layouts.  A&K Painting Company can bring new life into a business environment by recreating an office space to meet a company’s particular needs.  In doing so, national award winning A&K Painting Company can positively affect the company’s bottom line and potentially improve the well-being of their employees in the process.