From Summer Jobs to Business Ownership: Partnership Painting

Established in 1984 by Scott Penn and Brad Cage, Partnership Painting’s team has grown to 20 professional painters and a skilled administrative staff. – Courtesy photo / Partnership Painting

By Emily G. Peters

It’s highly likely that you’ve seen the fruit of Partnership Painting’s labor around town. From Cal Tech to Westridge School to Vroman’s Bookstore, owners and best friends Scott Penn and Brad Cage have kept our neighborhoods gleaming for decades.

“We learned how to paint houses from my father Gary Penn who was an industrial arts teacher at South Pasadena High School,” said Penn. “Every summer through high school and college, Brad and I would help my dad paint about 12 houses each summer. This is where we got our training.”

So it’s no surprise that the pair, who met in second grade, would ultimately land on “Partnership Painting” as their business name: the embodiment of their work approach. The company (now grown significantly beyond just Penn and Cage) handles residential, commercial, interior, and exterior painting projects across Los Angeles, fueled by a team of men and women with some serious expertise under their belts.

“We have a very experienced, conscientious crew of 20 painters, with our eight lead foremen working for our company on average more than 12 years. Our operations manager, Becky Ramirez, has worked with us for over 22 years and our office assistant Monica has been with us for four years. They all provide excellent service,” said Penn.

Partnership Painting tackles complex painting projects across Los Angeles, including commercial, residential, interior and exterior projects. Their motto: “to paint each project as if it were our own.” – Courtesy photo

That hyper-focus on service stems in part from the fact that Penn and Cage have committed their entire professional careers to the craft.

“We have never had any other employment experience in adult life besides working for ourselves,” he explained. “It’s been Partnership Painting since 1984.”

Like so many independently owned businesses, their repeat/referral game is strong. About 70 percent of their business comes from word of mouth or come-back customers—making it highly likely that you probably know someone who has hired the Partnership Painting team for a project.

“We have more than 1,000 references all over San Gabriel Valley,” said Penn. “I love driving through town and pointing out places we have painted.”

This longevity is also based on their ability to deliver on complex painting projects. As Penn observed, the logistics can be daunting and most people are hesitant to tackle the prep work involved with getting the painting right. Coming in to provide that expertise is the ultimate high for the Partnership Painting crew.

“Executing a large, complex job and seeing it through as you planned it is the most satisfying to us and to our customers. They rely on our expertise to get the job done right, the first time, without additional changes and charges,” he said. And just as Penn’s dad was the impetus to get Partnership Painting started, his words continue to influence the company’s work ethic today.

“The best advice I ever received was from my dad,” said Penn. “‘Paint every house, school, room or project as if it were your own.’”

Partnership Painting is located at 25 Fulton Ave in Pasadena. Learn more at www.partnershippainting.com | 626-449-4047 and follow their latest on Instagram and Facebook @partnershippainting and Twitter @partnerspaint.

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