A Look at the Secrets Behind Chewelah Painting’s Success.

Mike Bellevue feature

Every month we feature a contractor, business, or success story. Learning from others in the biz is the best kind of learning. Today, Mike Bellevue shares a few of the inside secrets to Chewelah Painting’s success.

This month, we are featuring Mike Bellevue. Mike owns Chewelah Painting in Washington and has recently brought his log home finishing knowledge to Roe Paint in Idaho. Summer busyness is in full swing, so we’re grateful for the insights that Mike was willing to share about his business in the Pacific Northwest. 

How’d you get started in the log home finishing business? 

I am a carpenter by trade. I had every intention of working as a carpenter in Washington but was pulled into paint. We work in an area with a large number of log homes, and it wasn’t long before we worked on our first log home. The home came out great, but refinishing it was extremely tedious. Fortunately, I stumbled across Zero Failures and was blown away. Hands down the best training out there. I immediately bought a blaster and started marketing log home services. Three years later log homes became the majority of our work. 

How big is your crew now?  

We have five crews putting on coatings and working with several subcontractors.  Our sub-contractors are vetted and are a part of the team.  

What advice would you give to a newbie?  

Attend Zero Failures training and pay attention…then go back the next year and learn more. Pay attention in the classroom, but also pay attention to your work. You will learn something on every job and refine your process.  

What do you love most about log home refinishing? 

We are artists, but not in the traditional sense. We take a work of art and make it beautiful again. Each log blasts and stains differently depending on species, exposure, and a number of other factors. We learn something on every job. 

Mike, thanks for sharing a bit about your business. Feel free to look him up and pick his brain!