ARTICLES
Intern to Entrepreneur
One man’s desire to pursue his dream…
Meet David Mark of Mark Decor Painting and Staining. Mark began painting nine years ago while working his way through Mansfield University to achieve a Bachelor Degree in Business and Communications. He began doing side jobs for the college faculty and eventually landed an internship at Sherwin Williams in Bloomsburg. The dream began when Mark picked up a paint brush. He realized his talent and enjoyed it tremendously. “Something as simple as paint in a can can have such a dramatic effect on a room,” says Mark. After completing his internship with Sherwin Williams, Mark was offered an assistant manager position at another location. Unfortunately, Mark’s grandmother became ill and he declined the offer to care for her. Mark began working for a marketing firm in Williamsport only to discover his passion for painting was being neglected. Therefore, he began working for a contractor as a painter for over a year. With the support of the contractor, family and friends, Mark initiated his own business to pursue his dream.
The business specializes in painting, staining and historical preservation which includes exterior and interior painting of residential and light commercial businesses. Mark Decor strips and primers, has the ability to spray, and uses epoxies to repair damaged or rotted wood. Mark restores old doors, shutters, baseboards, etc. For example: Mark recently worked for a customer in Williamsport restoring a solid wood door that had been chewed heavily by the owner’s dog. With careful preparation and restoration using special epoxies, the door now looks brand new. “Certain steps to achieve a perfect paint job are often ignored” says Mark. 75% of a good paint job is the proper preparation work and the other 25% is knowing how to paint. That is what makes a good job.
While interviewing with Mark on the job, I had the opportunity to speak with the house owner, Mike of Lewisburg. He was quoted as saying “David is on his way to fame.” Mark was honest in showing Mike how deteriorating his current soffit is and how advantageous it would be to replace it with vinyl soffit rather than creating future concerns. Mike was pleased with Mark’s honesty and rates his work with a four star.
Mark would like to thank Gary Stutzman, Denny Landis, his parents, and the Central PA Chamber of Commerce.
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