Employees a Key Component of Mallory Paint Store’s Rapid Growth Track

Jim Mallory, founder and owner, purchased his first store in 2006. Now, with continued growth on the horizon, he’s well positioned to get there. He’s developing a strong set of leaders and a workforce focused on providing an exceptional customer experience.

Rapid expansion requires having managers Mallory Paint Store can trust, which is why employee development has been a central component of Mallory’s strategy. Employee engagement at every level of the operation is a part of the culture at the company. 

“Jim prides himself on promoting from within,” says Sarah Ross, company brand manager. “It’s one of the ways that we really like to strengthen our workforce and make sure we have great expertise and the people who understand our customers really well.”

A culture of engagement among the employees has resulted in many long-term staff members, which in turn helps create loyal, long-term customers. The team does more than just make sales transactions; they form relationships with customers, get to know them by name, get to know their kids by name and build trust. As a result, Mallory Paint Store has a tight hold on the paint market in the areas it serves. 

A good example was in 2020 when many businesses shut down or slowed because of the pandemic. Mallory Paint Store, instead, invested in an ecommerce platform to better serve customers and he was able to maintain inventory levels. Sales jumped over the next couple of years. 

“We really bring this old-school customer service where a handshake means something, your word means something,” says Ross. “That matters a lot to Jim and it shows in the way his businesses run and in the way his people perform. Employee retention has been such a big issue with a lot of retailers across the board, but we’ve found that if you treat them well and train them for the work they need to do, they’re going to stay longer.”