The Great Falls Current - 1996
University Painters: A Textbook Example – College Student Runs Great Falls Business
By Ross S. Szwed
Staff writer
While many college students are hunting for summer internships or going to work in their parents’ companies, Virginia Tech senior David Zier is hiring other college students to work for him.
As owner of the Great Falls / McLean franchise of University Painters, the enterprising 22-year-old is calling all the shots.
“As far as experience goes,” says Zier, “I don’t think I could ask for anything better.”
University Painters is a residential exterior painting business that currently employs 10 college students who double as professional house painters.
Zier, who has been in the house-painting business five years, got his start helping his father build their Great Falls home. The two did all the work, including the interior and exterior painting.
Then Zier worked odd painting jobs and for contracting companies. It was in Virginia Tech’s career-planning office that he got a lead on opening a University Painters franchise.
“I’ve always wanted to own my own business,” says the management-science and finance double major. University Painters may be a good practice run for the fast-food franchise Zier hopes to purchase upon his graduation but for now the company keeps him busy up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week.
The company’s red, white and blue signs can be seen around town, indicating painting sites and the company’s success.
Zier says it’s easier for his company to give lower rates because he receives paint and supply discounts from Duron and Sherwin-Williams. His labor rate is also cheaper than most contractors, he says.
He pays between $6 and $7 an hour, depending on the experience and job performance of the employee. All his painters have previous experience, and they receive additional training from the paint manufacturers.
Whenever Zier is not visiting job sites to oversee his workers, he is pounding the pavement knocking on doors. “It’s a lot of hard work,” he says.
He relies mainly on word-of-mouth to spread news about his University Painters business. “That’s how we get the bulk of our business – referrals from other people,” he says.
Zier says he gets a lot of satisfaction out of owning his own business, but more from providing service to the community. “It’s a pretty good feeling providing quality service and knowing our customers are happy,” he says.
