The Great Franchisee: Tom Vess, 360° Painting, Jacksonville, FL

Tom Vess built a thriving career in the beverage industry, working for years in distribution before becoming the CEO of a brewery in Georgia. But even as an executive, Vess says he always wanted to open his own business. Now, Vess is fulfilling that dream as one of the newest franchisees with 360° Painting, the premier residential and commercial painting franchise

Vess’s location opened on April 12, 2021. Looking ahead, Vess says he plans to expand his portfolio with more franchise brands from 360° Painting’s multi-brand franchisor, Premium Service Brands.

We spoke to Vess to learn more about his career and plans for the future.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Tom Vess: Prior to purchasing my 360° Painting franchise, I was in the beverage industry for 34 years. I spent 32 of those years working in distribution and the past two years working as the CEO of a brewery in Georgia called Pretoria Fields. During COVID, we actually flipped the brewery to offer hand sanitizer to locals in the community when there was shortage and expand this opportunity to service others throughout the United States.

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?

Vess: I’ve had other business interests over the years. My wife and I made the decision to move back to Jacksonville and get out of the beverage industry to go into business for ourselves. We worked with a franchise consultant who helped us find 360° Painting and determined that it was the most scalable option.

1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?

Vess: Most of our family and friends lives in Jacksonville, and we knew we wanted to move back to be close to them. I got tired of making other owners and investors wealthy and wanted to leave the beverage industry to start something for myself.

1851: How did you perform your research?

Vess: My wife and I did our own research on different businesses, but we also worked with a consultant to help us find the perfect business to match our wants and needs.

1851: Why did you pick 360° Painting? What excited you most about the potential?

Vess: I looked at the marketplace in Jacksonville and soon noticed it was growing really quickly. After researching the competition, I realized there was an opportunity to really excel here as their customer service was not up to 360° Painting’s standards. In addition, the 360° Painting corporate team offers franchisees plenty of support from the onboarding phase and beyond with their continued education program.

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Vess: Since 360° Painting is part of Premium Service Brands, my goal is to continue adding more of their brands to my portfolio after establishing my geographic footprint with 360 Painting.

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Vess: You need to do your due diligence and understand the business from start to finish. Also, be prepared to make a commitment with your time and money. You’ll be working a lot of hours to get your business off the ground, but in the end, it’ll be worth it.

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Vess: I love spending time with my family. Moving back to Jacksonville has allowed me to get back to my passion of offshore fishing with my friends, while enjoying a cold beer. The North Florida area provides an abundance of activates that delivers a foundation for a great life.  

ABOUT 360° PAINTING:

Charlottesville, VA-based 360° Painting is one of the nation’s fastest-growing residential and commercial painting franchises offering comprehensive and personalized painting services with an approach founded on quality, responsiveness and customer experience. Founded in 2005 by parent company Premium Service Brands, 360° Painting has received major industry recognition by Entrepreneur magazine’s 40th Annual Franchise 500 list as No. 1 in the painting category for three consecutive years. 360° Painting has also placed on Franchise Times’ Top 200 list, which recognizes brands for their growth over the past 18 months. Since it began franchising in 2006, the brand has grown to over 120 units nationwide with plans to award 30 more locations by the end of this year. For more information about franchising opportunities with 360° Painting, please visit: https://www.premiumservicebrands.com/360-painting/