Painter Spotlight: Michael Damico

We realize that we are not only in the house painting business, but we are also in the people business.  Without our team of dedicated, trained, and caring employees we are nothing.
Its these employees who work with the customers on a daily basis, in and around their homes that really make our company great.  Today we want to take a moment to shine the spotlight on one of our employees Mike Damico.

Mike has been with Arizona Painting Company for over 2 1/2 years.  Over that time we have seen him grow in both his skill, knowledge, and leadership.  Currently, Mike is leading our review board with 32 Five Star Reviews for 2016, a very impressive year so far!  Getting this many Five Star Reviews really shows that Mike has extreme dedication to his profession, his workmanship, and our customers.

We’re excited to get to sit down with Mike and ask him a few questions on what makes him tick.

Questions About You:

1. Mike, lets talk a little bit about you.  How long have you been painting for?
   I don’t think I can say for sure but, I think around 27 years.

2. Where are you from and what do you do on your free time?
   I was born here in Mesa, Arizona, but grew up in northern California in the Paso Robles area.  When I wasn’t working and learning to paint I spent all my time water skiing, riding dirt bikes, and hiking up in the nearby mountains.

3. How long have you lived in Arizona?
   I came here to Arizona because of the large demand for painters in the state about 20 years ago and it’s hard to believe that the painting industry is still going strong.

4. Do you have any hidden talents?
   Well, I was a tool and die Machinist for 6 years, I play the drums professionally, and I also own and operate online “live” broadcasting network.

Questions About Painting:

1. Mike, lets talk a bit about painting.  Why did you choose to pursue a career in the painting industry, and what is the most rewarding part?
   Well, like I mentioned before I was working in a machine shop for a lot of years and I really enjoyed the day to day challenge that my job offered but being confined inside the same building all day long everyday was driving me crazy. A neighbor of mine named Larry asked me on my day off if I wanted to earn some extra cash and help him paint a bedroom for one of his customers. We transformed that old bedroom into a masterpiece in just a few hours and it turned out I was pretty good as a painter. The rewarding feeling I got when the homeowner came home and saw what we did was amazing. I still get that feeling every time I finish a job.

2. Working in the summer heat has to be incredibly rigorous and, at times, just plain exhausting. What do you do to get through the 100 degree days?
   Me and my helper Luis who has been with me for almost 2 years now get up very early in the mornings sometimes starting at 4:30 am to unload and set up all our equipment so when the sun comes up we are ready to go and hopefully be headed home before the peak heat of the day actually hits. Also when the summer heat begins we basically have to change our normal system and start on the sides that get the direct sun first getting those parts done early. But drinking a lot of water day and night…. taking short breaks are necessary.

3. Does working through monsoon season present any challenges?
   Definitely, you have to keep yourself posted on the weather reports all day long, you just never know how fast things can change. we have had some close calls as far as paint being dry in time for rain and dust storms but we have been pretty lucky I guess.

4. What is one tip you can give a homeowner who is about to get their home painted?
   I have to say reviews are very important.  Always ask estimators what they are doing that other companies are not as far as weather proofing, prep work…and I don’t recommend going with the lower grade paints.

5. What is your favorite part of a paint job and why?
   The final walk with the happy customer is always satisfying, it’s a good feeling knowing you did a great job and all the hard work all seems worth it in the end.
6. How do you feel about working for The Arizona Painting Company, and what do you believe the company offers its customers that other companies in the Valley can’t or simply won’t?
   Oh, I love my job here with Arizona painting company. I’m not bragging when I say I can just about work for anyone but I choose not to even consider it. What a great company owned by great people that have accomplished so much. They stand behind anything and everything they say they are going to do. We as painters are given jobs to do and are supplied with everything we need to do a great job. We are treated with respect and we are reminded all the time that our hard work is appreciated. I have searched for a lot of years looking to grow with a company that actually cares about the customers and employees as much. I’m pretty sure I found a home.

We would like to thank Mike for sitting down with us today and for being such a great asset to Arizona Painting Company.  If you are interested in getting a estimate to paint your home you can request a quote today.  If you want us to schedule Mike to be your foreman, just ask!