Why This Army Veteran Chose Fresh Coat Franchise Ownership as His Next Mission

Fresh Coat Painters, the residential and commercial painting franchise under the Strategic Franchising Systems umbrella, offers a low-cost, high-margin business model that trains franchisees on how to find and unite all painters, hire them as employees and provide customers with the security and professionalism they deserve. Since starting in 2004, Fresh Coat has expanded to over 170 franchise locations nationwide and is well on its way to becoming a truly iconic painting brand thanks to dedicated franchisees like Gilbert “Gil” Perez, the owner of Fresh Coat Painters in McAllen, Texas.

Perez was born and raised in Texas. He served in the Army for 20 years and retired from Active Duty in 2015. After attending school and spending a few years thinking about his next steps, Perez started working as a contractor in Kuwait. Then, COVID hit.

“I had planned to work in Kuwait for two years, but after four months of being in lockdown, I knew I needed a change,” Perez said. “For 20 years, I did what everyone else was telling me to do. I wanted to work for myself, and I had always wanted to be a business owner. So I was looking at franchise opportunities through a veterans’ website when I found Fresh Coat Painters.”

Why Perez Chose Fresh Coat

Right away, Perez says the concept’s low overhead costs and lack of a brick-and-mortar space really appealed to him. Fresh Coat is one of the most affordable painting franchises available. Franchisees’ operating costs are significantly lower, and their potential profits are much higher, with a competitively low franchise fee, small branding and technology fees, royalty minimums and no training fees. For that lower investment, Fresh Coat franchisees don’t need to be painting experts or focused on reinventing the wheel — the team provides the business model, trusted brand name and support so they can be successful with Fresh Coat.

“The business plan, coaching, mentoring, the support — I knew I wouldn’t be alone,” said Perez. “The more I looked into the concept, the more I liked it. I contacted the Fresh Coat team, and they started walking me through the process. I actually started the process in Kuwait, and by the time I got back home, I was ready to launch.”

Perez officially opened his Fresh Coat operation in April of 2021. Since then, he says he has already recognized the scalability and simplicity of the business model.

“My background is in the military, where everything is about having a path to success,” said Perez. “In order to be successful, there had to be a road map in place to accomplish the mission. Fresh Coat provides that blueprint. They make sure that you are going the right way. Once I was involved with Fresh Coat, I had people who could help me out, not only with the corporate team but also with other franchisees throughout the country. That was a big help.”

Launching His Franchise

So far, Perez says he has doubled his sales every year of Fresh Coat ownership. This year, for example, a major part of that was thanks to an exciting commercial painting project secured with Coca-Cola.

“The general contractor for the Coca-Cola distribution warehouse out of Missouri reached out and asked us to come in and provide a quote,” said Perez. “This was out of our service area, but I still went and took a look at it. When I got there, I realized that it was a massive project — a complete 180º on the look of the space. Fresh Coat has a national account with Sherwin Williams, so I met with a representative, and we put together the interior/exterior quote. A few weeks later, we found out we were chosen to do the work. It was a major project for us, but when it was over, everybody was happy, and it felt like a huge win for the business.”

Fueled by this momentum, Perez says his long-term goal is to become the premium painting company in his area.

“We are a customer-based company focused on 100% satisfaction,” Perez said. “We provide the results and the quality and the value the clients are looking for. We are insured and bonded, and we take care of our customers. I also take care of my staff — this is a male-dominated profession, but I make sure to have a lot of females on the team, for example. Overall, Fresh Coat Painters allows me to use my leadership skills to build a business that can create local jobs and provide a much-needed service to the community. I’m very proud of that.”

Get Started With Fresh Coat Painters

Now, the Fresh Coat team is looking to help more passionate and qualified entrepreneurs like Perez to achieve their goals while expanding the brand’s footprint across the country. The Fresh Coat team has identified several markets that are primed for franchise development, including Florida, California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Missouri.

Fresh Coat wants to be an industry leader in their customer service, franchise system, and business model. With help from the right franchisees like Gilbert Perez, they hope to be the number-one painting company in the U.S. The time has never been better to join the Fresh Coat team and expand their footprint to provide essential services in new communities.