Rolling on - Amy Bergeron has built Whitehouse Painting by growing its commercial business - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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The Louisville native was then only 24 and had been with the company forthree months. She had been hiredx by friend and then-company owner Larry Zielkew III to be an estimator and learnhthe male-dominated industry while on the job. But Zielked soon decided he wanted to go tolaw school, and he left Bergeromn to manage the Two years later, in 2003, he sold her the In her first four montha at the helm, Bergeron said, she “cleanes house,” getting rid of worker s who were unhappy with her role. Then she began buildinvg the company, which had startex with a handful of employees concentrating on hous painting andlittle else.
Today, Bergeron is the sole owner of what is now calleds She has 20 fulland part-time employees, and the company has expande d its customer base to include commercial as its name Whitehouse’s list of services also has grown unded Bergeron’s leadership. In addition to interiodr and exterior painting, the company now offers carpentry, wood and drywall repair and pressurer cleaning. Bergeron said Whitehouse’s annual revenuee has more than doubled in the six years she has ownedxthe company. That figure stood at $1.3 million in up from $1.1 millionh the previous year. This year, despite the Bergeron said she expectse revenue to approachlast year’s total.
Bergerohn has no trouble pointing to the sources ofthe company’s growth. Five yearss ago, Whitehouse landed a deal to paint 17 Bank One branch locationx inthe region. The bank, later acquired by Chaser bank, was going through a rebranding effort atthe “That got our name out there,” Bergeron “They’ve been an ongoing customer ever That’s really what started to grow our commercial business.” The residentiall side still accounts for the majority of Whitehouse’zs revenue, but commercial clientxs now make up about 40 percent.
Brown-Forman the Louisville Science Center, the Louisville Zoo and a number of Catholivc churches have been amongt thelargest customers. Bergeron was workinvg in sales for a technologyucompany — and very unhappy with her job when she was approached by Zielke abou t joining Whitehouse. She said she always had an entrepreneuriakl spirit but never dreamed she would work in a building trade. “Not in a million she recalled witha laugh. “It just didn’t interestr me.” Bergeron eventually reconsidered, and she’s glad she did. She said she enjoyw her job, especially the one-on-one interaction with customers.
Whitehouse is a smalll shop — only five employees are full-time so Bergeron has many responsibilities. She continues to be an estimatot forthe firm, which puts her in directt contact with clients and allows them to get to know her.