Student paint crew leaders brush up on their business skills (Is there one in your community?)

When Dave Ecklund took his first summer painting job two years ago, it beat working in the sawmill back home. This summer, Ecklund is running his own Tuition Painters franchise, with a goal of earning enough to pay his tuition at Penn State University.

By Dan Lewerenz
Associated Press

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0406210012jun21,1,985026.story?coll=chi-business-hed

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This sounds like an excellent University/Business program. If you know of one in your community, please add the contact info in the comments section below or send it to us and we’ll post it. If there isn’t one in your university community, hopefully this will help one get started. Thanks, Russ

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Thousands of college students will work as painters this summer, many employed by fellow students like Ecklund, franchise managers for corporations that have turned student paint crews into an institution.

"Looking back on it, it’s the next best thing to my degree," said Ecklund, who started as a painter in 2002 on a Tuition Painters crew, then managed the State College, Pa., franchise last year.

"Last summer, I ran a company with 13 people and did $137,000 worth of work. We painted around 86 homes last year," said Ecklund, who is six months away from graduation. "It might be the most impressive thing on my resume."

From coast to coast and into Canada, if there’s a college nearby, there is probably a painting franchise.

College Pro http://www.collegepro.com/ , the largest operator, with more than 300 franchises across the United States and in Canada, and College Works Painting both operate in more than a dozen states.

There are a handful of regional players, such as Tuition Painters on the East Coast, College Craft in the Midwest and Student Painters in the Ohio Valley region.

There are some differences, but all work essentially the same way: In the fall, they recruit a student in each market to be the franchise manager. Over the winter, that manager learns the details of the business, from paint chemistry and technology to developing a marketing plan. During the spring and summer each manager is responsible for hiring a crew, buying supplies, and scheduling and performing each job.

Brian Honeyman, president of College Pro’s U.S. East division, said the average College Pro franchise did $80,000 in sales last summer, with five franchises topping $200,000.

"The learning curve is phenomenal," said Honeyman, who was a College Pro painter and franchisee while studying at the University of Calgary in Alberta in the 1980s. "The students who come back and continue, compared with their peer group they’ve really developed a tremendous set of skills. They’re ready to run a big business."

Ecklund’s franchise set a Tuition Painters record last summer with $137,000 in sales, including work on some commercial properties, from an apartment complex to a bed and breakfast. With a year of management under his belt and a crew of 18, he hopes to top that this year.

Paul Flick, a former College Works Painting franchisee and the founder and chief executive of Tuition Painters, said a variety of college students come into the program, but most are business majors or business-minded students.

Ecklund, who is majoring in management, information systems and international business, said the experience would help him open his own business when he graduates.

"I think that when the program is managed responsibly at the corporate level, it’s a great environment for a student to be challenged and excel, and to deliver a great product for the homeowner," Honeyman said.

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