Stephen Peek Draws on Navy Training to Build Successful Fresh Coat Franchise

When Stephen Peek left the Navy after eight years of service, his post-military plan was unlike what most do upon entering back into civilian life: he was dead set on opening a Texas-style dance hall in Mississippi. Born and raised in Texas, Peek is a lover of both country music and dancing and felt this was the best next step for him.

Very quickly, he realized that such a business would cost him a lot more than he had anticipated, so he went back to the drawing board. Peek eventually took a job that required a lot of travel, keeping him away from his family for long periods of time. He knew he wanted a change, but he wasn’t sure what to do next. Looking back on his time in the Navy, Peek realized he had gained valuable experience in leading teams, working hard and maintaining structure -- he just needed to find the right opportunity to repurpose these hard-earned skills.

“I saw an ad for Fresh Coat* Painters franchise on a website for veterans so I reached out and as soon as I hung up, I was sold,” said Peek. “I felt an immediate connection to the brand and was really excited about the proven systems and level of support the brand offers its franchisees.”

Peek didn’t need to look into any other franchise brands. He immediately called his friend to tell him about Fresh Coat.

“I couldn’t get it out of my head – I knew this was going to be my next opportunity and I told him that, sink or swim, I was going to make this happen,” said Peek.

America's #1 trusted painting company, Fresh Coat offers commercial and residential painting services to its clients and a home-based, turnkey business opportunity to its franchisees. The brand encourages veterans to join the system by offering a $2,000 discount on the franchise fee through VetFran, as well as offering ongoing training and operations support. Today, nearly 25 percent of Fresh Coat’s franchisees come from a military background.

It took Peek a year to get financing together and he officially opened Fresh Coat Painters of The Woodlands in May of 2016. Since then, he’s grown his monthly sales from $1,000 to a projected $20,000 for August.

Peek credits his initial success to his military background and Fresh Coat’s commitment to supporting its franchisees every step of the way. His years spent in the Navy provided him with solid experience in running teams and sticking to a schedule, and following Fresh Coat’s successful systems gave him the foundation he needed to build his own business.

“Being on time and doing what I say I’m going to do are important to me, and that helps me run my business on a day-to-day basis. One of Fresh Coat’s mottos is ‘on time, every time,’ which aligns perfectly with how I live my life,” he said. “The support I’ve received from corporate and the initial success I’ve seen in less than three months of being open make me eager to grow my business and buy more territories. I fully plan on making Fresh Coat a family business.”