One van.
A garage.
A decision to build a painting and coating company with less distance between the customer and the person responsible for the work.
The Gardiner story
Built to make the work personal again.
Gardiner Custom Coatings began with one van, a garage, and Samson Gardiner’s belief that customers deserved continuity, accountability, and real attention from estimate to final walkthrough.
The growth story
One van.
Six vans.
Six crews.
A 2,000-square-foot facility and established relationships with local facilities, companies, and customers who return.
Mississippi
Gulf Coast.
A developing regional operation grounded in the same standards that shaped the company in Colorado.
The founder
Samson C. Gardiner
Born and raised in Colorado Springs, Sam attended St. Mary’s and CU Boulder. While in college, he operated a property-management company—his first introduction to painting.
After leadership work that included fire mitigation, he spent approximately eight years as a painting project manager and estimator. At larger companies, he saw customers absorb more overhead without always getting personal attention or continuity. He founded Gardiner in fall 2022 to put clear responsibility back into the relationship and build a company customers would return to.
With roughly 12 years of painting and project-management experience, Sam still stays close to the work. He remains involved in large and complex projects, coordinating trades, solving problems, and making sure customers always know who is accountable for the job.
“We always choose to do the hard right instead of the easy wrong.”
Integrity. Attention to detail. Accountability.
Community
A tangible way to thank veterans.
In a military community like Colorado Springs, giving back means more when the result is something a family can see and enjoy every day. Gardiner has donated residential painting work to support local veterans, bringing its crew together to make a direct difference for a veteran homeowner.
The company is now developing a more formal program with the goal of providing a free residential painting project after every 20 residential jobs.
Where Gardiner is going
A new chapter on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Gardiner Custom Coatings is beginning its expansion to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, bringing the same emphasis on preparation, communication, and quality that has driven the company’s growth in Colorado.
The expansion is being developed in partnership with Jacob Curbow, who is helping establish Gardiner’s local operations, customer relationships, and growth strategy in the region.
The goal is to build the Gulf Coast operation through strong relationships, quality work, accountability, and repeat business.
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