Good Neighbor Podcast: Auburn and Opelika

Ep#69: Behind the Scenes of Professional Painting with Todd Durham

• Susannah Hodges at Village Centre Press

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Todd Durham brings nearly 40 years of construction experience to his locally owned Five Star Painting franchise in Auburn and Opelika. His technical expertise and dedication to proper surface preparation allow him to offer a two-year warranty on all painting projects.

• Started in construction at age 16, gaining experience across multiple trades before focusing on painting
• Emphasizes that proper surface preparation is critical for quality results, not just paint application
• Assigns a dedicated project manager to each client to ensure seamless communication throughout the project
• Provides 24/7 scheduling options for free estimates through their website or by phone
• Overcame significant career challenges during the 2008 economic downturn, including relocating to Colorado and temporarily separating from his family
• Returned to Auburn after 11 years away to establish his business and reconnect with the community
• Auburn University alum who enjoys Auburn sports and occasional golf

To connect with Todd, visit five-starpainting.com/auburn-opelika, find them on Facebook at Five Star Painting Auburn-Opelika, or on Instagram at 5 Star Painting Auburn_Opelika.


Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Susanna Hodges.

Speaker 2:

Welcome With me today is Todd Durham. He is the owner of Five Star Painting in Auburn and Opelika. Welcome, Todd. It's a pleasure to have you today.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much for having me today, susanna. It's a pleasure to have you today. Thank you so much for having me today, susanna. It's a pleasure to be on your podcast.

Speaker 2:

Well, thank you. Tell me a little bit about five star painting. How did you get into that business?

Speaker 3:

well, I have been in the construction industry since I was 16 years old. I had a neighbor well, I was mowing all the neighbors yards, saw that I had a good work ethic and pulled me to the side one day and asked me if I'd like to learn a trade or learn something other than taking care of lawns. Originally, and I worked for multiple different trades as a laborer on a multifamily development, and that's how I started my career in the construction industry, and it has been almost 40 years since then.

Speaker 2:

Wow, and now you have your own business here. How long have you been with Five Star Painting?

Speaker 3:

Five Star Painting of Auburn Opelika was established in 2023.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so what sets you apart from other painting services?

Speaker 3:

Well, we are a locally owned and operated franchise. I'm part of a network of 19 different brand names of service industry professionals that all go about the marketplace with some of the same avenues. I would I guess you would say it's an integrity thing. So we can service anything in the industry. I just happen to be the painting side of it. But we can take care of lawns, spray for your mosquitoes, et cetera, and I, because of my background of construction in framing, drywall, finishing, acoustical insulation and painting, decided to pursue the painting aspect of the franchise.

Speaker 2:

Okay, well, you've been in the business for a long time. I'm sure you have run into some misconceptions that people have about what you do. What are some of those things?

Speaker 3:

Well, that's a very poignant question. It's funny as I go through my work day every day. Most people feel that painting is an easy process but, quite honestly, application not preparing the surface properly to accept the coatings that you're putting on. So you know, that's where we bring the expertise to our customer base. Having the experience that I do and the backing of major manufacturers in the industry, we make sure that we're properly preparing your substrates, applying the product properly, so much so that one thing that differentiates us from your normal fellow that might be showing up in a pickup truck is I'll warrant my applications for two years.

Speaker 2:

Well, that's good. You know, if you've ever tried to paint yourself, I completely understand. I have tried to do it myself and it is hard, it's labor intensive and just the prep work to make sure you don't paint somewhere you don't want it it is something that's worth hiring somebody to do you don't want it, it is.

Speaker 3:

It is something that's worth hiring somebody to do. Well, and there's actually. You know, professionals learn tricks of the trade over a period of time to minimize or completely eliminate the issues that can arise when someone who's not familiar with painting will end with a proper result. We do things such as what they call laying off a roller to minimize any kind of flashing, which flashing is where, as you apply it, if you're not overlapping the paint and you allow it to dry, then you'll see lines as the critical light comes through your bedroom or even on the exterior of a home, and you can see the lap marks of where it is. The ultimate goal is to put on the coatings in such a way that it's seamless and you don't see any differentiations in the mill thickness of the product on the wall.

Speaker 2:

Right, you don't want to see the brush marks, right. You want it to look absolutely smooth and beautiful. So what's one thing that you wish people knew about your business that they may not realize?

Speaker 3:

Well, we pride ourselves in being easy to work with throughout the entire process.

Speaker 3:

Anybody that's been involved with any type of construction project know that it can be frustrating.

Speaker 3:

The scheduling, the material deliveries, things of that nature specialize in is to make sure.

Speaker 3:

Once we're in contract with somebody in a painting project, we then assign a project manager that you will deal with one individual all the way through, from start to finish.

Speaker 3:

So, instead of hiring somebody and you personally having to deal with and wondering whether the crew is going to show up, whether they've got the right materials that were quoted for the project, whether it's the right material for the application, once we have gone under contract with somebody to paint their home or business, then that project manager will communicate with that individual that is, uh, contracted us to do the work directly throughout the project and we will communicate with you every day to know, uh, things such as, okay, we had an issue arise and it may be an extra day, or hey, we're ahead of schedule and we're going to end up, um, you know, finishing um prior to what we thought we were because conditions allowed for the material to dry a little quicker, things of that nature. So the homeowner or the business owner is actually only communicating daily with one individual and is not having to worry about whether the crew's showing up and it's a communication piece.

Speaker 2:

And that's so important for customer service, because you're either in their home and kind of disrupted their space for a time. So having that communication, I think, is excellent, because you don't you don't want to be worried about it and having one person to talk to is obviously better than three or four people.

Speaker 3:

And we start that process directly from the beginning. We, we, we can schedule a free estimate for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether it be through our website, which shows when our estimators are available, and you can then schedule it without having to speak to somebody personally, or, if you want that personal touch, to talk to somebody, we actually have folks that answer the phone 24 hours a day to set that schedule for you.

Speaker 2:

All right. Well, you know you've been in the business for a while and part of the reason that I do this podcast is encourage people to go, you know, follow their dreams and take that step into entrepreneurship. And that's something you've done and I'd like to have you say or talk about, maybe something, a challenge in your business or maybe in your personal life that made you better or made your business better, so that people can get an idea of yeah, going into business for yourself can be tough, but it's also rewarding as well. I understand.

Speaker 3:

Thanks for the question, you know. One that comes to mind for me is the construction industry can be very volatile. It does drive some main portions of our GDP. As the economy fluctuates, you go sometimes from being wide open and projects and work is sometimes from being wide open and projects and work is very available to then having to be creative in how you survive in the construction industry. For me, back when we had our last downturn in the economy in 2000, late 2008, 2009, 10, I was working in the commercial industry in the atlanta market and it literally uh, turned off.

Speaker 3:

It was like a water faucet yeah so at that point in time, after being in the atlanta market for somewhere in the area of 20 years, I had to make a decision to move and get out of that and find, uh something that would be able to, uh would be able to take care of my family. And I moved to Colorado for 11 years and I ended up in that initial move having to leave my family behind for an eight month period of time, while I sold my home in a very bad economy and fortunately I have a very strong family, uh, family and life behind me at all times and it's been with me for 35 years.

Speaker 2:

Oh, that's wonderful.

Speaker 3:

And she took care of um, showing the home, selling the home and that as I established our new life out in the Colorado market.

Speaker 3:

That was a very difficult thing for me to do. Um, I have two daughters and a wife that I love dearly and are very I'm very close with, and that was a tough ride across the country to go and make that move, but it strengthened the entire family. Uh, and fortunately, during that time it was, it turned out to be a very good thing for us and, uh, it strengthened my daughters, it strengthened my wife and it led us back to Auburn. And so we moved back to Auburn after 11 years, just at the end of the pandemic, and we'd always wanted to come back here and never thought that it was really. You know, one of those dreams, but you never were sure that it was going to happen. And here we are. We're back in Auburnurn. We love this town, we love the university. My entire family are all alums of auburn university and it gave me an opportunity to financially start my business and I'd always believe that my experience would allow me to create a business that could support the community and make an impact.

Speaker 2:

Well, I tell you what. Yes, living here in Auburn Opelika, you hear that all the time. People love being here and they always end up coming back after they've left for a while. So, so happy you made yourself back to Auburn Opelika. Well, outside of your business, when you're not painting, what are you doing for fun?

Speaker 3:

Well, like most Auburn alum, anything Auburn sports and of course we've got a big evening this evening that will hopefully come out well for us but anything Auburn sports, anything involved with the university. And then I love to play a little golf when I get an opportunity.

Speaker 2:

Excellent. Well, how can people get in touch with you? How do they find you?

Speaker 3:

It's very easy on the web. Go to five-starpaintingcom backslash Auburn Opelika, or you can find us on Facebook at five Star Painting Auburn hyphen Opelika, or on Instagram at 5 Star Painting Auburn underscore Opelika.

Speaker 2:

Well, thanks so much for being with me, todd, it's been a pleasure talking to you.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much for having me, susanna, and you have a great afternoon.

Speaker 2:

You too.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast, auburn. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpauburncom. That's gnpauburncom, or call 334-429-7404.