A Willamette Valley painting and construction company that employs more than 80 full-time painters instead of subcontractors is the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce's latest business spotlight.

Fitzpatrick Painting & Construction, founded in 1994 by Tim Fitzpatrick while he was a student at Oregon State University, has grown from a one-person operation in Linn and Benton counties into a firm with more than 80 painters and 10 carpenters serving Salem, Keizer, Albany, Corvallis, Eugene and Portland. The Chamber published the spotlight on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

The company's distinguishing feature is its staffing model. Where many painting contractors rely on subcontractors hired job by job, Fitzpatrick keeps its crews on payroll year-round with full workers' compensation and liability coverage. The approach, according to the Chamber spotlight, lets the company maintain consistent training and quality control across projects.

That model stands out as the broader construction industry scrambles for workers. The Associated Builders and Contractors estimated in January that the industry needs 349,000 net new workers nationally in 2026, with retirements driving most of the demand. ABC chief economist Anirban Basu warned that failing to attract those workers "will worsen labor shortages, especially in certain occupations and regions, placing further upward pressure on labor costs."

Retention tells the story. Jesse Howell, now an estimator, started as a painter's apprentice 16 years ago. Estimator Alphie Pantle has been with the company more than 11 years. Tim Fitzpatrick's son Devon works as a project consultant after studying business at Biola University.

Tim Fitzpatrick moved to Oregon in 1993 after a family friend told him he could make $200 a day painting houses. He stepped back from field work in 2004 to run operations. The company has since accumulated more than 1,000 customer reviews and earned EPA Lead-Safe certification, Painting Contractors Association accreditation, BBB accreditation and a spot on an Oregon "100 Best Companies to Work For" list.

The firm also offers a lifetime written warranty on exterior residential paint jobs, a commitment the Chamber noted alongside the company's commercial client roster, which includes the YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, Red Robin and Roloff Farms.

Matt Roloff, the Helvetia-area farmer and TV personality, said in a testimonial on the company's website: "Tim and his team have a lot of integrity. They came in, they did what they said — and that kind of integrity is hard to find in this day and age."

Fitzpatrick's headquarters is in Albany, but the company lists Salem and Keizer among its primary service areas. Its Oregon Construction Contractors Board license is CCB #169134. Residents can request a free estimate at the company's website.