In 2001, Juan and Wendy Zarazua relocated to Durham, North Carolina with three goals in mind: to raise their family, to own their own home, and to create a successful painting business. Today, Zarazua Painting, Inc. is one of the busiest and most respected painting companies in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle area. We sat down with Juan to learn how he has achieved and surpassed his ambitious goals, while always giving back to the community.
How did you get started in the painting industry?
I was born in Mexico and raised on the West Coast in California. I had relatives who lived on the opposite side of the U.S. and I decided shortly after turning 20 in 2003 that I wanted to move and start a new life for myself and my future family. I started out working weekend jobs with a family friend. After helping on jobs and doing more work I knew I wanted to stick with painting and make something out of it in Durham, North Carolina.
My wife, Wendy, has played a vital role in our company since day one and I could not have done it without her or her support.
What was the path to starting your own company?
One day at a local Sherwin-Williams store, I overheard a contractor looking for subcontractors to repaint a nearby apartment complex. I jumped at the opportunity, hiring a friend to help me, and together we painted 40 units. That job was a crash course in the pace of work and level of detail required to pull off a large painting project.
From there, I continued taking on subcontracted work and made as many connections as possible. One afternoon at the local dump I saw something that changed my trajectory – a gleaming, spotless truck with a company logo displayed boldly on all sides. It was the nicest work truck I had ever seen. In that moment I knew that to learn how the best do business, l had to work for that painting company. A few months later that vision became a reality. The owner quickly recognized my commitment to quality and attention to detail. He valued my drive and told me “You’re going to have your own business one day.” He believed in me, and eventually I believed in myself. In 2008, I founded Zarazua Painting Inc. and bought my first of many fully branded work trucks.
What was your initial goal and how has the company grown over the years?
I think the goal from the beginning was to always provide the highest quality work possible. I’m a people person and have always thrived on the relationships I build with my clients – past and present. I also love to empower the people I employ while simultaneously giving our customers a quality job.
The owner of the company I worked for before starting Zarazua Painting told me something I will never forget and still use to this day: “Think of every single client as your last client, your last paint job, the last chance you will get to provide the level of work you offer and are truly proud of at the end of the job.”
A pivotal point for us was the large rebranding investment that we made in 2016. We rebranded the entire company along with all vehicles, logos and work vans. This new branding was jet fuel, so to say, in the next few months and years to come. We put our logo “Z” on EVERYTHING! Zarazua Painting is a local family-owned business with community at the forefront. The goal has always been the same and remains constant today.
What kind of work do you do most often?
We do all types of paint work, but residential jobs have proven to be the heart and driving force for our business over the years. We love engaging with homeowners and making connections with them that almost always last forever. Those connections I’ve made are what keep me going every day and keep me motivated. The residential clients that appreciate attention to detail and take notice to our end goal fit our outlook overall.
What are your preferred paint products, and how do they help you provide the best quality for your customers?
Sherwin-Williams coatings have been our preferred choice for interior and exterior work since Zarazua Painting was established in 2008. For interior work we prefer Cashmere® or Duration Home® due to the durability, washability, and overall look of the finished product. These coatings give our customers the most longevity and durability for years to come. For exterior work we prefer to use Duration® and do recommend Emerald® Rain Refresh™ on some jobs as well. We pride ourselves on using products that give our customers the most benefits over the longest amount of time – our clients continue to appreciate this.
Do you have any advice for young people who are new to the industry, or who may be thinking about becoming a professional painting contractor?
I have three main pieces of advice. The first is to stay in school. An education is so important in today’s world for any kind of entrepreneur.
The second is to keep yourself humble and work hard. Everyone must start somewhere, and most of the time the path to success is not the short or easy one. Give yourself grace when it’s needed, but never lose your motivation or work ethic.
Recently, I started a consulting business with a colleague called Z&M Consulting Group. We focus on helping painters who are just starting out or painters who have maybe hit a lull in their own market. We have guided different companies from all over the U.S. and plan to continue helping these companies grow to reach the success level they are happy with.
The last piece of advice I have is to network like your life depends on it. Keep your contact list growing ALWAYS. Focus on relationships with your current and past clients – you never know what the future pay-off could be for your past hard work.
RELATED: Read more stories about successful painting companies in our contractor profile archive
Giving back to the community is a big part of Zarazua Painting. Can you tell us about that?
Coming from not having much when I started my career, I know how hard it can be. I’m a firm believer that any successful company is only as good as what they do for their own community in return. We’ve supported many nonprofits over the years. Some of the most influential ones have been Families Moving Forward, which serves homeless families and gives support and tools needed.
We are also heavily involved in helping our community during the holidays. We just had our sixth year of choosing several local families down on their luck and providing a full Thanksgiving meal to them. It’s something that we look forward to every year and take immense pride in. Life Skills is another non-profit we are involved with. They support young people aging out of foster care and homeless youth. Giving back to my community is probably the most fulfilling thing I have ever done and will ever do.
This article was originally published in the Spring 2025 issue of PPC/Pintor Pro magazine. Juan Zarazua was interviewed by PPC/Pintor Pro editor Mike Starling. Photos courtesy Zarazua Painting. ©2025 Fusable.
