GRAFTON – Gemme Painting has operated for over 100 years, spans four generations and has accumulated thousands of satisfied customers over the decades.
Yet the family-owned, Grafton-based company has achieved this longevity by focusing on one basic principle: quality.
First started in 1907 by Paul Gemme, the company has a storied history. After returning from military service in 1945, Ernest W. Gemme – the company’s namesake – took over the business, eventually handing the reins to his son, Roger Gemme, in 1965.
The company incorporated in 1980, and shortly after, Rene Gemme – the fourth generation of Gemme family ownership – started working summers for the business, painting fences, sheds, and learning the trade. After graduating high school, he joined the company full time in 1993, and in 2020, Rene Gemme became the company’s new president.
The family has high-quality painting, power-washing, and carpentry services.
“When we enter the house, we’re expected to bring quality. With our company being older and the people we have, people just expect quality when we enter and when we leave. We don’t cut corners, we use quality material. We stay with the same values we have been working with for 100 years,” Rene Gemme told the Community Advocate in an interview at the company’s Grafton office.
The company uses top-notch materials – including oil-based primer – for painting jobs, and every project comes with the guarantee of world-class workmanship that generations have come to depend on. E.W. Gemme attracted customers that became dissatisfied with the level of service at other companies.
Impressed with the work – and reassured by the company’s focus on quality from prep work to painting – many repeat customers ask the company back to work on other projects. Cheapest is not always the best, said Gemme. It’s as the company writes on its website: “It costs less to get it done right the first time.”
The commitment to quality is also reflected in how E.W. Gemme treats its workers. The company attracts top-tier talent by offering employees vacation time and benefits. Employees are happy with their jobs, and it reflects in the work. The company “takes care of its men,” Gemme said.
With carpentry – including wall and ceiling repairs, window replacement, and more – power washing and painting experience, E.W. Gemme is able to offer a convenient, one-stop home-improvement option. Jason Gemme, the head foreman and Roger Gemme’s nephew, also helps the fully insured family business.
“We’re full-service home improvement. They don’t have to call a carpenter. They don’t have to call a painter. I do it all, and that’s what customers like. The more you can do for your customer, the better it is for them,” Gemme said.
In addition to focusing on quality, Gemme said the business is built on trust.
“I want customers to trust us. We’re honest with them, so they trust us. You have to be respectful to the customer. A lot of the time customers will say, ‘Oh, I didn’t even hear you guys here. You were so quiet!’ I love to hear that. That’s part of being courteous – the family is happy with us and their experience,” he said.
For more information on E.W. Gemme and Sons Co., Inc., please visit the company’s website: https://www.ewgemmeandsons.com/. For a quote, please call (508) 839-4775 (Grafton) or (508) 757-5239 (Worcester). The company services every town in the Community Advocate coverage area.
