From Humble Beginnings

Edward Ray Cherry was a painting contractor who started his own business. His wife Louis Cherry was his business partner, elevating the operations side of the business. Louis managed all the accounting and day-to-day operations while Edward managed the field and new business development. At the time they specialized in residential painting, particularly in suburban households for people getting out of military service.

A Company Forms

Edward’s children – Pat and Jan Cherry – joined the family business in the early 1960s, working with their parents at the age of 22 and 24 respectively. The family business transitioned from working on single family homes to apartment complexes and a few shopping centers.

Edward instilled a strong work ethic into his children, letting them manage their own projects from a young age. “If you want to get ahead in life, don’t ever work for someone else,” he would tell them.

In 1968 Pat and Jan started the Cherry Painting Company. “One of the reasons we worked so well together is because we balance each other out […] Jan’s role was the quarterback managing the office and accounting side, and I was the receiver managing the field staff, clients, and sales,” says Pat Cherry.

Growth and Trailblazing

The 1970s offered many opportunities for Cherry Painting. Pat and Jan grew their business, boosted by a large demand in maintenance coatings for apartments from the 1950s. Once competitors started copying their business model they knew they had to pivot, leading them into commercial projects.

“We went from two-to-three person crews to fifteen-to-twenty-five guys per project […] What really mattered to us was having a good reputation and treating our employees well,” says Pat.

Cherry Painting was a trailblazer in its field, paying union wages or higher, being the first to provide their field crews with 2-way radios, and even owning a computer in the late 1970s – something unfathomable for the construction industry at the time.

Pivoting in Adversity

The start of the 1980s brought larger and larger projects, including high rises across Interstate 75 and LBJ Freeway in Dallas. The work crews grew, and at a certain point the company was working on 20 high rises at the same time– each 30-50 stories tall.

The mid 1980s saw sharp economic decline across the country. With the economy slowing down, so did the pipeline of work for Cherry Painting. Although work in Dallas was drying up, Florida was booming.

From the mid-to-late 1980s Cherry Painting focused its operations in South and East Florida. Starting with 5 employees, Jan Cherry grew the business into the biggest painting company in the area within two years.

A Return to Texas

In the early 1990s Cherry Painting was right in the middle of the Florida construction boom. During this time Cherry worked for Disney and helped paint South Florida in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew swept the peninsula.

Eventually work started picking up again in Dallas, so Jan returned to Texas to rebuild Cherry’s client base and reputation, together with his brother Pat. From there, business boomed – Cherry worked on City Tower, Thanksgiving Tower, Bank of America Tower, Four Seasons, and many more iconic buildings in Dallas.

The New Generation

The 2000s brought many changes to Cherry Painting.

In 2004 the third generation of Cherrys got involved in the business: after working for the company during summer and winter breaks, Zack Cherry joined the company after finishing college.

In 2008 Cherry Painting opened a second office located in Austin, Texas. “The decision to expand in Texas and open a second office in Austin was a logical step in our business growth strategy,” says Zack Cherry, “it is critical that we are where our clients are building to service them most effectively.”

In 2009 Zack’s brother, Rocky Cherry, joined the family business after retiring from Major League Baseball. Together they continued to grow the business – Zack focusing on managing in-house accounting, personnel, and operations teams, and Rocky managing estimating, marketing, and business development.

Moving Forward

By the 2010s the third generation of Cherrys was actively managing the company.

“After serving as President of Cherry Painting for 25 years, I felt it was time for change and for the third generation to take the helm. Both Zack and Rocky grew up working with my brother Jan and I who taught them about the painting business, the work ethic, and knowing that our company is only as good as the people we have in business,” says Pat Cherry, who still works as a Project Manager and mentor.

In 2017 Cherry Painting became Cherry Coatings. The name change reflects the company’s broader expertise, and its mission to innovate within the industry.

In 2018 Cherry Coatings opened a new office located in Houston, Texas. “Opening an office in Houston in addition to our presence in Austin further strengthens our service capabilities in the fast-growing markets in Texas,” said Rocky Cherry, Vice President.

Growing Amidst Challenges

The 2020s have brought challenges across the industry and the company. From overcoming supply chain obstacles to ensuring employee safety during a global pandemic, Cherry Coatings has had to adapt in several facets.

Despite the challenges, Cherry Coatings has continued to grow: new offices in San Antonio, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; and Phoenix, Arizona have all contributed to the company’s success.