“About twenty years ago, I decided to take a leap of faith and open my own business with little more than a bucket, a brush, a rusty old van, and two great role models,” says Kevin McVicker, owner and director of operations at McMaster Painting and Decorating, Inc.

 

Growing up in Chicago’s south suburbs, Kevin’s two great role models were his parents: his mom, an interior designer, and his stepdad, a union paint contractor. After earning his bachelor’s in environmental biology from Eastern Illinois University, Kevin worked as a research scientist at Abbott Labs for five years. But ultimately, he felt the pull to go back into the real estate industry he had experienced so much as a kid.

 

“It wasn’t until I was well-into my science career that I realized my true calling was to work for myself in an industry I not only felt comfortable in, but one I also had a passion for,” says Kevin. 

 

Over the past two decades, Kevin has built McMaster Painting into a full-service home improvement company with specialties in many facets of painting, refinishing, and other aesthetic improvements.

 

“While ‘painting’ is in our name, our firm offers so much more than that,” he affirms. “We have spent years perfecting the variety of other services we provide.”

 

Along with expert interior and exterior painting, McMaster Painting can handle everything from wallpaper removal and installation to drywall and plaster repairs; deck and fence refinishing; brick and block sealing; wrought iron prep and painting, power washing, staining, varnishing; and even light carpentry. Over the years, they’ve also become experts in cabinet and vanity refinishing, which has earned them a reputation from REALTORSⓇ as a go-to resource for helping revitalize homes. 

 

“We help clean up properties so they sell faster and for top dollar,” Kevin says. “Specifically with our cabinet refinishing solutions, we have been able to help brokers and homeowners create that ‘wow’ effect and help their property stand apart from other listings. We also assist buyers by giving their new property and investment the facelift and ambiance they envision.”

 

“Our tagline is ‘Vision Becomes Reality’ because we are able to take our customers’ aspirations and bring them to life,” adds Kevin. “We pride ourselves on our superior customer service, unparalleled quality craftsmanship, and 100 percent customer satisfaction—from first call to finished product.” Clients can also rest assure that McMaster Painting is fully insured (general liability and workers’ compensation).  

 

Since opening his business in the early 2000s, Kevin has seen many changes in his processes and techniques. The biggest shift was the adoption of more environmentally friendly products and practices. It’s a change that was difficult to adjust to for many in his line of work; however, Kevin, thanks to his training in biology, embraced the challenge head-on and has now integrated these practices into his everyday jobs with better results.

 

“Illinois was one of the first states to embrace green practices, and for a few years, figuring out what environmentally safe products would perform as well as others proved to be very difficult,” he says. “This is where my science background and my passion for a greener earth made me experiment with different processes and products until I felt comfortable using them on projects. We now know, regarding all substrates and circumstances, which processes and paint systems will deliver on our standards of exceptional craftsmanship.”

 

Like many other sectors of real estate, Kevin continues to adapt to the evolving needs of the market and the expectations of customers. The company’s biggest evolution came when Kevin grew from a entrepreneur to a thriving business owner. He now realizes that the rewards of leading a team are exponential compared to succeeding by himself.

 

“When I was younger I thought success was earning a good income.” says Kevin. “I now define success by the number of people I can positively affect and empower. As a parent and a boss, it gives me tremendous satisfaction to watch my children and staff grow mentally and spiritually.”

 

“It’s very rewarding to see all the people we have created beautiful spaces for and to see how thankful they are toward our crews and staff,” he adds. “After twenty years of being in this business, what now fulfills me most is building and empowering our staff to become the best versions of themselves. Watching them blossom and knowing that that helps their families, too, gives me great satisfaction. I always wanted to be a coach, and owning, growing, and operating this business has allowed me to feel fulfilled in that way.”