NLP Enterprises Inc. has completed thousands of commercial painting projects large and small in the greater Baltimore/DC area. Paul Blick, vice president of the company, attributes their excellent track record to a simple principle that they follow every day.
“We have a saying: ‘My word is my bond,’” says Blick, pictured above with NLP president Mark McDaniel. “You have to take care of the employees who take care of you. We treat employees like people first and workers second.
“For example, if an employee needs additional time off due to a major surgery, or needs to arrive or leave early for a personal appointment, we accommodate as much as possible to keep the employee happy at the end of the day. If you show employees you care about them, they will care about the company which hopefully leads to greater business success.”
The company also has an apprenticeship program which has helped in the training and retention of a skilled and reliable workforce.
“NLP is doing all it can to encourage interest in our trade and industry due to the labor shortage within the construction industry,” Blick says. “Our apprenticeship program gives individuals with little to no painting experience an opportunity and roadmap to a successful and long-term career in commercial painting.”
This investment has resulted in a high retention rate with an average employee tenure of 17.5 years.
A partner they can count on
Another important ingredient of NLP’s success is its relationship with its paint supplier.
“Our entire Sherwin-Williams team on the front lines, from sales rep to sales manager to district manager, is always going the extra mile with all the little problems that arise each week,” Blick says.
As one example, he cited a large, demanding project at the Great Wolf Lodge family resort in Perryville, Maryland. At the time, all paint manufacturers were experiencing significant raw material challenges.
“Epoxies were most impacted, which we needed to use in the exposed ceiling at the waterpark,” Blick says. “This made securing enough paint to meet the schedule drop dead dates a lot harder than anticipated at bid time.”
The pros at Sherwin-Williams stepped up when needed.
“Sherwin-Williams employees worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure we had everything needed to get the job done. We cannot thank them enough for everything they did for us during one of the most challenging times in the history of our company.”
©2025 Fusable. Paul Blick was interviewed by Mike Starling, PPC/Pintor Pro editor. Photo courtesy Sherwin-Williams and NLP Enterprises.
