Think of it as a welcoming committee.
The folks at Sherwin-Williams are always looking for ways to better serve painting contractors. A perfect example is their new Latino Pro Shows.
For years, savvy contractors have looked forward to attending the Sherwin-Williams Pro Shows held in their areas. They know that Pro Shows are a great way to learn about the latest coatings products and application tools, and to find excellent deals and stock up on the paint equipment and supplies they use every day.
Now there are Latino Pro Shows catering specifically to the Spanish-speaking paint pro.
Catering to a growing demographic
Hispanic-owned businesses are growing at twice the national rate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and Hispanic contractors are the fastest growing segment of the painting industry. So the new Latino Pro Shows are a natural evolution in the steps that Sherwin-Williams has been taking to better serve the Hispanic painting community.
Jason Cordero is Vice President of the Sherwin-Williams Hispanic Resource Group in Phoenix, Arizona, where two Latino Pro Shows have been held.
“One of the main reasons we decided to host these events is that a large majority of our customers in the Phoenix area are of Hispanic descent, so we decided to host the Latino Pro Show to connect with our customer’s identity,” he says. “It was important that we create a positive experience, earn trust and drive a positive word of mouth from our Hispanic painters in the Phoenix area.”
Along with Spanish-language product literature and bilingual representatives from both Sherwin-Williams and its vendors on hand to answer questions, the event included appearances by other local organizations focused on helping Hispanic company owners grow and improve their business operations.
“Chicanos Por La Causa is one local organization we are working with, and they were a big part of our recent Latino Pro Show,” Cordero says. “They offer small business lending through CPLC Préstamos, business consulting services and investment opportunities in the area.”
Latin music was also played during the event – all part of the mission to break down language barriers and make Hispanic customers feel welcome.
Hispanic contractors in Milwaukee and Phoenix got a chance to connect with Spanish-speaking Sherwin-Williams reps at the Latino Pro Shows. Above, Sherwin-Williams Phoenix Sales Rep Aldo Ayala speaks with his customer Jose Carlos of JC Painting. Below, Oscar Narvaez, owner of ONM Painting of Milwaukee, with Sherwin-Williams Sales Rep Karina Robles.
A fun and educational experience
“The Latino Pro Shows have not only been a fun experience for our painters, but we have also made it very educating as well,” Cordero says. “Contractors have had nothing but positive feedback about our two shows. In fact, we doubled our attendance on our second Latino Pro Show and expect to have more attendees year after year.”
The situation was similar in Wisconsin, where Sherwin-Williams hosted its first Milwaukee Latino Pro Show earlier this summer.
“Our goal was to get 150 people, and we had more than 300 people show up,” says Jason Jadczak, Sherwin-Williams Milwaukee District Sales Manager. “We exceeded our expectations and will be looking for a larger venue next year.”
Spanish-speaking Sherwin-Williams sales rep Karina Robles and transitions manager Melissa Martin were instrumental in setting up the event, he says. “We supported each vendor by having bilingual representation at each booth to help communicate with our Spanish speaking customers. Each bi-lingual employee wore a green Sherwin-Williams polo which made it is easier for our customers to identify the employees who spoke Spanish.”
Along with special sales promotions, more than 10 product vendors were on hand to answer contractor questions as well as other local business experts to offer advice on everything from marketing and contracts to setting up an LLC. A guest speaker from the Painting Contractors Association (PCA) also held a workshop on best practices for estimating jobs.
Due to the success of these events, Sherwin-Williams is planning to host more Latino Pro Shows in other cities across the country. “We hope that the Latino Pro Shows gain momentum and become more prevalent throughout the company – it also presents an opportunity for districts to conduct targeted Pro Shows to their respective demographics” says Steven Alvarez, Phoenix District City Manager.
“This is just another way to make our Hispanic customers feel more welcome,” says Gabby Torres, Sherwin-Williams Marketing Director of Pro Contractor Programs at Sherwin-Williams. “They were able to communicate with us, and that makes them feel at home.”
This story was published in the Summer 2023 issue of Pintor Pro. ©2023 Randall Reilly. Story by Mike Starling, Pintor Pro editorial director. Photos courtesy Sherwin-Williams. Read more stories about building and improving your painting business in the Pintor Pro magazine archive.
