Second-Generation Painter Puts His Father's Lesson on Every Wall, Opens Fresh Coat Painters of New Bedford, Massachusetts

Paul Marrone was nine years old when his father handed him a brush and let him paint an entire room. His dad, a plasterer, painter and bricklayer, showed his son how to cut in clean lines and keep a wet edge, then walked the finished room with him and pointed out what went well and what could be better. He left Marrone with a lesson he has carried ever since: Your name is on every wall you paint.

Decades later, that commitment to the work had become part of what was holding Marrone’s business back. He had run his own painting company off and on for more than 15 years, but he was still spending his days on job sites. He struggled to trust anyone else with the painting, leaving little time to market the business or focus on growth. Marrone had been eyeing franchises for years without pulling the trigger. And then he found Fresh Coat* Painters.

“I can make a living, but I’m not able to grow without doing any form of marketing,” Marrone said. “I have to get out there, and I can’t do that when I’m holding a brush.”

Marrone, 55, opened Fresh Coat Painters of New Bedford in Massachusetts on Aug. 1, 2026. In his first two months, he said the new business generated more than half of what his previous painting company had brought in over a full year. The transition has also allowed him to spend less time doing the painting himself and more time with his family.

1851 Franchise spoke with Marrone about why he turned to franchising after more than 15 years in the painting business and how Fresh Coat has changed the way he approaches ownership. Here’s what he had to say.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story in one sentence.

Paul Marrone: Originally, I wanted to paint because of my dad, but recently I decided that I wanted to paint for my community.

1851: What was happening in your life that made you realize it was time to make a change?

Marrone: I’ve owned a painting company off and on for about 15-plus years. But I was on the jobs all day, so by the time I got home, I didn’t have time to do the marketing I wanted to do. It was really hard for me to let go of the reins and trust that somebody else could paint as well as I could. Finally, I said, I can make a living, but I’m not able to grow without doing any form of marketing. I have to get out there, and I can’t do that when I’m holding a brush.

1851: Why did you choose this franchise over every other opportunity?

Marrone: I looked into Fresh Coat and CertaPro and One Day Painting. It seemed that CertaPro and Fresh Coat were pretty much the same when it came to helping their clients get the most out of their money. But the big difference was CertaPro was like $129,000 for a franchise fee and Fresh Coat was $49,999, and that included retail, commercial and residential. That’s a significant difference for the same type of marketing.

When I took the first call with Megan, I liked what they said immediately. They’re not just selling me a business; they are making me basically part of the family. I felt like I fit in right away. They have a great support system, and after doing my research, I realized it was all true and that I would be able to spend more time with my family.

1851: What is it really like owning a Fresh Coat franchise?

Marrone: It’s still a little bit scary, wondering if the amount of traffic that I need is going to come through. But so far, in the last two months, I’ve done more than half my yearly revenue. They did prepare me that the first 90 days were going to be a little slower than I thought, which is right on point to what they said.

I’ve never had so much backing from a company as I have with Fresh Coat. Any question I have, they answer it. They set up meetings for me immediately, and they try to point me in the direction that I need to go right away.

1851: How has owning this franchise changed your life?

Marrone: It’s made me feel more responsible. Now I’m actually going to the gym, so I’m doing things that I kind of slacked on before. My family’s getting more attention. I’m able to spend a little more time at dinner with the family. Owning my franchise has allowed me to have more time with my family.

My dad taught me that a painter doesn’t just work in a town; he belongs to it. The people whose homes he painted were his neighbors. He saw them at the hardware store, at ball games and at church. I run Fresh Coat today the same way. When you hire us, you’re hiring a local business owner who lives here, cares about this place and wants to see you around town and know you’re happy with your home. We support local causes, hire people from our community and earn our business one neighbor at a time.

1851: If your best friend had enough money to buy this franchise tomorrow, what would you tell them?

Marrone: I would tell him that statistically it's a great business, but you have to be the one who is on top of everything. They're not going to do it all for you. It's not a magic moneymaker, which I didn't think in the beginning. But when it comes to support, as long as you're doing your job, it's going to work out.

1851: What's the one thing you wish someone had told you before you bought this franchise?

Marrone: That I should have done it sooner. People had talked to me, saying, "Oh, why don't you get a franchise?" And I'm like, I don't know about that. It's a lot of money, $130,000. I think if someone had said, hey, there's another company out there, Fresh Coat, that's less than half the money for the same type of backing, and pushed me for it, I wish somebody would have pushed me.

ABOUT FRESH COAT PAINTERS

Fresh Coat Painters, the residential and commercial painting franchise under the Strategic Franchising Systems umbrella, offers a low-cost, high-margin business model that gives entrepreneurs from all walks of life the chance to become successful business owners in the communities they serve. Since starting in 2004, Fresh Coat has expanded to over 190 franchise locations nationwide. Thanks to its unparalleled professionalism and affordable business model, it has become one of the leading concepts in the booming residential and commercial painting segment. With continued year-over-year growth, Fresh Coat is well on its way to achieving its overall goal of becoming a truly iconic painting brand.