Some franchise owners come to Fresh Coat Painters looking for a first business. Ken Sandy came looking for a second act.
After 35 years as a technology manager with McDonald's Corporation, Sandy retired last year and realized something was missing — despite a long, successful career, he'd never built something that was truly his own. A longtime painting enthusiast with a hands-on streak (he's restored eight custom cars, including a 1966 Ford F-100 he rebuilt from the frame up), he decided it was time to put that same detail-oriented mindset to work as a business owner.
Drawing on years spent working alongside both franchisees and franchisors, Sandy understood firsthand how much strong systems and support matter. So he didn't rush the decision — he spent four months researching nine different franchise brands before choosing Fresh Coat Painters for its structure, organization, and hands-on backing. It wasn't the cheapest option on the table, but it was the most organized.
Now launching his business in Klein, Texas with his family behind him, Sandy's ambitions go beyond a single location. He's planning to open one or two additional territories within two to three years, build partnerships with brands like Sherwin-Williams, and help develop the next generation of contractors — all while making Fresh Coat the standard-setting paint company in his community.
His advice for future franchisees: talk to average-performing owners, not just the top performers a franchisor puts forward, to get a realistic read on what ownership looks like — and go in with a clear understanding of what a franchisor does and doesn't provide.
It's exactly the kind of grounded, research-first mindset Fresh Coat looks for in the people who join our network.