THE inPAINT ® INTERVIEW ROPE-ACCESS COMMERCIAL PAINTER
The sky’s the limit Highly specialized rope-access painting company takes on new heights BY MEGHANN FINN SEPULVEDA You could say Rich Purnell was meant to get into the rope-access painting industry. A former professional ice climber, he always yearned for adventure. But, his desire to become a business owner trumped his passion for ice climbing, and in 2007 sparked the idea to launch BASE Painters, a highly specialized rope-access painting company. Today, Rich and his crew of experienced ropeaccess painters travel all over the country painting stadiums, roller coasters, towers, high-rise buildings and monuments while maintaining safety, precision and a commitment to protecting and preserving those iconic structures. 26
inPAINT | May/Jun 2019
Q
How did you get into this specialized painting business?
As a young teenager, I assisted my dad on his homeremodeling jobs and would help him paint. After I graduated from high school, I moved from Indiana to Colorado to pursue an art history degree. That’s where I discovered ice climbing in the early ’90s. I would climb four or five times a week and go to school. It started as a recreational hobby, but then I began entering iceclimbing competitions and it turned into a profession. In the early to mid-2000s, I realized I needed more financial stability and wanted a change of pace. I thought about painting towers because I had a painting background and was comfortable with heights, but didn’t know how to get into the market. So I went around the Denver area, identifying structures that needed paint and sent letters offering my services. The new business exploded that first year.
Q
What types of projects do you take on?
Our scope of work is specialized and includes coating services for high-rise buildings, lighthouses, water towers, radio antennas, stadiums, historical monuments and amusement parks. We also offer maintenance height services like caulking and hand-painted logos, banners and signage. Our clients include municipalities, general contractors, the Armed Forces, religious organizations and wireless carriers. We typically have two or three jobs going simultaneously and all are generally planned out a year in advance.
