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On October 18, Sherwin-Williams opened up its new location in Hammonton.
Store Manager Robert Prince said that he used to be a painter before he “realized the great culture and the great atmosphere that Sherwin-Williams had.”
“Once I actually started working for the company, I realized that there’s good benefits for working for the company, both long-term and short-term,” Prince said.
Sales Representative Brad Cesanek has been with Sherwin-Williams for five years.
“I grew up in Ocean City and worked on the boardwalk; I actually worked at a local family business. I was looking for a career—something with benefits, upward mobility—and from there started as an assistant manager and worked my way up,” Cesanek said.
Assistant Manager Steven Chis-Luca attended school for graphic design before entering the sales field, eventually joining Sherwin-Williams.
“Once I got in, I continued to progress and excel at the sales end of it. I really enjoyed that part of it, and when this opportunity came up in Hammonton, a new store is always a good opportunity to show what you can do for the company and grow and learn, so that’s why I hopped on this opportunity,” Chis-Luca said.
According to Cesanek, the chain’s district manager, Tina Johnson, noticed the need in town.
“Tina was at a restaurant nearby, and while she was there, she asked, ‘Where do you guys get paint around here?’ A couple of the employees said it was a good question ... there really isn’t a paint shop. That started the discussion in opening a store here,” Cesanek said.
Cesanek said that while all stores are corporately owned, they’re run as if they are local franchises.
“They give Rob and Steve the reins in the store to understand their local market and treat it accordingly,” Cesanek said.
Prince concurred.
“They want each store to make sure that it feels like it’s a family-operated business, even though it’s corporate. That way, the local residents have a lot more connection coming in the store. Me, personally, I’m really big about being on a first-name basis when people come in the store, just to get that small-town feel, even though we’re corporate,” Prince said.
Prince said that the main focus at Sherwin-Williams is customer service.
“You go to a big box store, you don’t get the attention to detail that we focus on when you come to our store—or our expertise. You get people that just give you paint and let you leave; that’s the main thing we focus on: customer service, and making their experience pleasant,” Prince said.
Cesanek said that the main draws of Sherwin-Williams are the quality of their paint and the variety of coatings available.
“We have other divisions as well—traffic paint, varnishes for wood furniture, we sell wallpaper—the possibilities are really endless. We also even work with third-party vendors for equipment like power washers; we’re a lot more than just a paint shop,” Cesanek said.
Prince echoed Cesanek’s sentiments.
“We sell more than just paint. I know that there’s lawnscaping businesses, and we’ll sell plastic and safety products like safety glasses and knives, stuff like that. We do a lot more than just paint; you just have to ask the right questions, and we’ll be able to help you out from there,” Prince said.
Chis-Luca said that many people “have the misconception that we’re expensive.”
“We’re a specialty store. We have programs all the time. We have special sales that run constantly, where we can help them out with coupons and different things ... we hear all the time from DIYers; once they use our paint, they don’t go back to the big box stores,” Chis-Luca said.
Cesanek said that Sherwin-Williams also offers color services.
“We even have an app online, on the phone and the iPad. You can take a photo or, in real-time, point at your walls, and paint your walls with our colors. We have a lot of color services available,” Cesanek said.
Chis-Luca noted that Sherwin-Williams also works with local contractors.
“In my old store, I always had customers asking if we could recommend somebody that we trusted. We always build those relationships with the painters, and then the customers trust us because we’re not going to give out any bad recommendations,” Chis-Luca said.
Chis-Luca said that Sherwin-Williams is looking out for its customers.
“We’re trying to do the best we can, and we’ll provide a service that we feel most people need and want. Our ultimate goal is to get along and have a great time selling paint and being in the community,” Chis-Luca said.
Sherwin-Williams is located at 40 N. White Horse Pike, Suite 2A. For more information, call (609) 561-1863.
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