Rolling Out A Fresh Approach
Tru Colors Contracting Enhances Properties Through Its Palette of Services
While setting out to change the perception of the painting industry may seem like a lofty goal for most people starting their own company, it’s something that the leadership of Tru Colors Contracting embraced from the beginning.
“Our mission has always been to exceed our clients’ expectations by delivering quality services on every project,” says Lori Delin, owner and General Manager of Tru Colors Contracting, a minority- and woman-owned business based in Pompano Beach, Florida. “In order to provide excellent customer service, we made a conscious decision in our early days to hire people because of their values and not necessarily because of their experience.”
Delin explains that providing in-house training, and cultivating personal growth and development have become significant components of the company’s culture. “I can find people who know how to paint, but I can’t always find people whose values are in alignment with ours. When we interview potential employees, we look for people with a good attitude, an eagerness to learn and a strong work ethic,” she says. “Teaching our employees the skills they need to be successful at their jobs is something that we take great pride in.”
Painting by Numbers
Delin’s commitment to excellence and attention to detail has paid off. “My fiancé, Paul, and I both shared a dream of owning our own business one day,” Delin says. “Paul had been in the painting industry for a long time and has a lot of experience. It was a natural step for us to venture out and start a painting company.”
When they began Tru Colors Contracting in 2010 from a home office, their only service was residential painting. Today, Tru Colors Contracting has evolved into a full-service painting provider with more than 70 employees serving residential, commercial and industrial clients throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Although Tru Colors Contracting’s roots started as a painting company, Delin estimates that painting constitutes about 50 percent of its business today. Its services include commercial and residential interior and exterior painting, industrial painting, pressure washing, vapor blasting, floor grinding, waterproofing, drywall repair, brick- and stone-paver sealing, and roof cleaning for a variety of customers throughout South Florida.
Tru Colors Contracting prides itself on the fact that all of its projects are managed and staffed by in-house employees from start to finish, including carpenters, painters and drywall professionals. It does not hire any subcontractors.
“As a family-owned business, we recognize that our employees are the heart of our company,” Delin says. “We’re fortunate to have several employees who have been with us since the beginning. We strive to create an environment where people want to come work for us and, in return, we offer them the chance to have a fulfilling and meaningful career.”
Paying It Forward
Community involvement is equally important to the Tru Colors Contracting team. In 2014, a close friend and business colleague of Delin and her fiancé was diagnosed with esophageal cancer while training to compete in the Dolphins Cancer Challenge, an annual fundraising bike ride organized by the Miami Dolphins Foundation. Since its inception in 2010, participants in the Dolphins Cancer Challenge have raised more than $22.5 million for ongoing cancer research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami.
Tru Colors Contracting first participated in the bike race in 2016 and rode with Delin and her fiancé’s friend, who was celebrating his recent cancer-free declaration. The company’s commitment to the cause hasn’t diminished over the years. For the 2018 race, Delin decided to take the company’s participation to the next level. In addition to funds raised by individual members of Team Tru Colors Contracting, the company also donated $50 for each new job that was contracted during February, the month of the event.
“Giving back to the community is a big deal to us,” Delin says. “And while the Dolphins Cancer Challenge is near and dear to many of our hearts, if any of our employees have charities or fundraisers they wish to participate in, the company helps support them with their causes.” The company has also donated its painting services to several organizations in Florida, including the Fort Lauderdale Independence Training & Education Center, a facility that helps foster care youth in Broward County successfully transition into independent living, as well as to Voices for Children of Broward County, which provides support and advocacy for abused, neglected and abandoned children in the area.
Aside from the obvious benefit of helping local communities, Delin believes that volunteering also provides leadership opportunities for her employees. “Volunteering is important for building morale, which leads to increased staff performance. Part of the company’s business plan is to encourage our employees to volunteer at sponsored events as part of our community involvement,” she says.
Painting Outside the Lines
Due to its success in the painting industry, Tru Colors Contracting created Tru Colors Grounds Care within the past year to complement its service capabilities. Tru Colors Grounds Care is a full-service landscaping entity that builds upon the familiarity of the reputation and service quality that Tru Colors Contracting has established in the area.
“This new division focuses on landscape design, grounds maintenance, pest management and fertilization for commercial clients,” Delin says. “Many of our existing painting customers are now using our expanded landscaping services. We like to think of ourselves as the ultimate beautification company for properties throughout South Florida.”