Kirk Thibodeaux is the winner of a new truck in the 2022 ScotchBlue® Pro Painter’s Tape Sweepstakes co-sponsored by 3M and Sherwin-Williams. He’s pictured at left in the photo above with his new Ram 1500 Rebel at the Sherwin-Williams Baton Rouge Nicholson Drive store with his sales rep Joey St. Pierre.

Here’s the story behind his win, plus details on how to enter this year’s sweepstakes for a chance to win a new Ram truck of your own.

The time was right

It’s said that timing is everything. In the case of Kirk Thibodeaux, a general contractor based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that is definitely true.

Every Thursday, Thibodeaux takes time from his busy work schedule to volunteer and help feed the less fortunate in Baton Rouge. He uses his work truck to support a local nonprofit, Travail 633 Inc., in their transport and distribution of food to the community. But his old truck had just broken down, so winning the sweepstakes couldn’t have come at a better time.

“It was a true blessing,” he says. “It was perfect timing as we were in need of something that could pull a trailer for our pantry that distributes to the community.”

When Thibodeaux entered the sweepstakes at his local Sherwin-Williams store, he never expected that he’d actually win.

“I was in the store one day and they had an entry pad near the counter,” he says. “I had never heard of the sweepstakes before. I asked about it while I was waiting for paint and just filled it out.”

The limited-edition Ram truck is the first new vehicle he has ever owned.

Never give up

When asked about the most important reasons behind his success in business, he says it comes down to one word: perseverance.

“Without the grace of God, I would not have been able to do so,” says Thibodeaux, who has gone from being homeless to stepping up into the entrepreneurial world and building a solid business.

“My first company launched in 2013 and the current one was started in support of Hurricane Ida,” he says. “It was an opportunity to serve a community in need during the last couple of years.”

Another key to his success, he says, is the support and encouragement of his wife, Rhonda Thibodeaux. It’s also a plus that he loves running his own company.

“It gives me the ability to have a flexible schedule with life and work balance,” he says. For young people who might be thinking about entering the painting trade, he says: “Go for it! You will never know what awaits you if you don’t invest in yourself.”

When investing in coatings and painting equipment, he highly recommends Sherwin-Williams.

“The paint quality has been excellent and durable for our uses,” he says. “Our service rep Joey has been diligent on following up with us to make sure the company has fulfilled our needs.”

Here’s how you could win a truck in 2023

Once again, 3M and Sherwin-Williams are teaming up to give a customer a chance to win a new truck.

This year’s ScotchBlue® Pro Painter’s Tape Sweepstakes begins on July 1, 2023, and ends on October 31, 2023. The grand prize is a 2023 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4×4.

Visit the counter card/displays at Sherwin-Williams paint stores to learn more and enter.

Or enter online at 3M.com/ProPainterSweeps.

This article was published in the Summer 2023 issue of PPC magazine. ©2023 Randall Reilly. Story by Mike Starling, PPC Editor. Photography courtesy 3M and Sherwin-Williams. Read more stories about running your painting business in the PPC magazine archive.