Varsity Painting Company Profile

ay Area viewers of Dream Home with Lisa Quinn (Saturdays at 4:30 on ABC-7) already know Roland Thoms of Varsity Painting in Walnut Creek CA. As the resident paint expert and a leader in custom color makeovers, Roland contributes regular weekly segments on everything from painting your home for resale to adding accent walls to using low-VOC paints (low volatile organic compound paints, good for chemically sensitive people, children, pets, and the environment). As a Bay Area painter, Roland has also had the fun of creating color makeovers for the grand old "Painted Lady" Victorians of Alameda and San Francisco. But most importantly, as a painting professional with 20 years of experience, Roland has built Varsity Painting into strong and versatile company with a large percentage of word-of mouth referrals and repeat business from satisfied clients.

The Varsity Peace-of-Mind Painting Experience™
Varsity Painting offers clients a full-service painting experience, from the initial consultation, where your exterior project will undergo a digital color review so that you can see two to three different color combinations digitally painted on a photo of your house or building. If your project is interior, your color consultation will include test patches that you can live with for a while to see if your chosen colors really work in your home. Each step of your project will be clearly outlined, and you'll know exactly what to do, what to expect, and how long your project will take. Additionally, on your interior projects, Varsity Painting uses Benjamin Moore EcoSpec (a low VOC and low odor paint), so you won't be overpowered by paint fumes.

At each step of your project, you'll have access to your own production manager, and to the Varsity customer service department. And when your project is completed, your production manager will walk the project with you to make sure everything was done right. Roland Thoms' philosophy is that quality has to come first, so you can experience "simple painting with peace of mind."

Roland's interest in business started early, and he always saw himself owning his own company. He grew up in Ontario, Canada, and worked as a painter for five years before emigrating to the U.S., where he saw the opportunity to grow a business in a great environment. Roland started Varsity Painting in 1993, and the "Varsity" part of the title is a reference to a business opportunity Roland created for college students to learn business and marketing. The Varsity Internship Challenge is now a yearly program that invites six high-achieving college students to compete for paid internships as Varsity marketing and promotion managers. The Princeton Review Internship Bible rates Varsity's program as "one of the most selective and highly compensated internships in the country."

Embracing Color
Roland Thoms is a quiet, calm, steady person, but when asked about the best part of his work, he lights up, "My favorite thing is to help people embrace color and then work to exceed their expectations. You can completely transform your home with color, and there's no limit to what you can do. I love to help people perform color makeovers on their projects, and to really have fun with having their house painted!"

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