Conor McClorey Painting & Decorating Company Profile

f the outcome of your paint job doesn't matter to you, then you might be willing to take your chances on any unknown amateur with a brush. But when you're in the market for a truly good, reliable painter—someone who can provide not just a lasting interior or exterior paint job, but even create faux finishes, or apply fine fabrics to your walls, or expertly refinish your cabinets—how do you choose between all the painters available?

One woman recently called Conor McClorey of Conor McClorey Painting & Decorating in San Francisco with a problem: Unfortunately, she had hired a low-bid painter for her house, and just two years later, her paint was flaking and her bargain painter was nowhere to be found. Conor took on the job of repairing that other painter's bad paint job and got her house back in shape, but he hears from this kind of customer far too often for his comfort, "It's clear that these guys don't know how to prepare a surface, or how to prime, or how to choose paint. It's like throwing your money into the wind," Conor continues, "I could do a really cheap painting job, too—anyone can. But I'd rather do it right and put the money into the house so there are no headaches for anyone."

Learning the Trade from a Master
Painting began as a summer job for Conor McClorey. As a young man in County Down, Northern Ireland, Conor was lucky enough to work for his cousin, a master painter who took him on as an apprentice for four years. As an apprentice, Conor didn't just learn to apply paint to walls: He learned to create faux finishes, marbleized finishes, wood-grained finishes and Venetian plastering—and he learned the arts of applying wall coverings like silks and other fine fabrics.

When his apprenticeship ended, Conor traveled the world and eventually made it to San Francisco, where he started Conor McClorey Painting & Decorating in 1995. He's become an expert in cabinet refinishing, and now he and his crew offer full service paint and decorating services.

Adaptable, Approachable and Trustworthy
If you've ever had expert craftsmen work for you, you may have felt like an outsider, even in your own home. So you might think that a master painter like Conor McClorey would be sort of lofty and distant, but nothing could be further from the truth, "I want my customers to be happy with every detail of the work, so I like to keep them informed all along the way. I have them sign off on each phase of the project, and I won't go forward until they're happy. I let them be as hands-on as they like. Other contractors say they're customer oriented, but they wouldn't even consider letting customers in on the work. For me, it's just good business."

Other contractors also talk about being trustworthy, but Conor McClorey actually has something to back up his talk: He's a created a great crew, all of whom are paint professionals who have been with him for a minimum of five years. Conor pays his crew union wages and protects the homeowner by providing Workers' Compensation, which means that his workers stay with him. Conor also keeps his crews small so that you can be guaranteed that either Conor or his foreman will be on the job at least 90 percent of the time. Conor says, "The men who work for me need to be treated well—they need to be happy, because happy people do the best work. They're kind to others, they can laugh and have a joke, and you can trust them. And for me to be happy, all of our jobs need to be done perfectly. If they're not perfect, they're not worth doing. My men know I'm going the extra mile for them, and they always go the extra mile for our customers." Conor wants his crews to share in the pride he feels when he drives past one of the many buildings they've painted, so they can say, "I did that." As customer John from San Francisco says, "Their painting is great, but it's the patch work and final touches that make them stand out. They are exceptional."

As you can imagine, Conor McClorey Painting & Decorating should not be the lowest bidder, "I'm competing against guys who get their crews at paint store parking lots, and I have to say that I'm often called out when those cheap paint jobs fail. Also, you've got to think about who you're letting into your house. Are their workers covered if someone gets hurt? Are their workers fairly paid? And will they be able to help if something goes wrong?" But that doesn't mean Conor McClorey is always highest priced. Lori, a customer from Daly City says, "I've always found them to be easy to work with, and for higher end work, they have very competitive pricing."

All in a Good Day's Work
Honesty and integrity are extremely important to Conor McClorey, "I pride myself on it. If I tell you I'm gonna do something, you can rest assured that it will be done.' Conor wryly recalls a saying from his Irish childhood, "A clear conscience is the softest pillow."

---Karla Rutherford
Staff Writer
The Prime Buyer's Report