Dean Baldwin Painting Soars in Macon, GA

Family-owned businesses aren't reserved to Main Street, America - especially when your growing company needs space to accommodate a Boeing 767. For Dean Baldwin Painting, the Middle Georgia Regional Airport made perfect sense for their next location. Not only would the growing regional airport provide the space needed to build a state-of-the-art facility, but it also landed them close to their customers.

Barbara Baldwin- McNulty is the CEO, CFO, and owner of Dean Baldwin Painting Company, a family-owned, 57-year-old aircraft strip and paint company with operations in five states. This female, minority-owned business decided to expand into Macon when their other facilities were near capacity.

"Knowing that we needed more space, we started searching for a site. And we decided on Macon, Georgia. Like they say in real estate, location, location, location. Lots of airlines go up and down the East Coast. You have Atlanta very close by with major airline hubs. After meeting with Macon-Bibb officials, like Dwight Jones and Stephen Adams, about the weather, population, cost of living, all of the above - we knew that Macon would be the best location for us," says Baldwin. "Everyone contributed to a very warm welcome and partnership which has continued. Macon-Bibb county continually stays in touch and offers assistance in our hiring and training. It's so important for businesses to succeed - when a community opens the doors, and then we go from there."

Dean Baldwin Painting was founded in 1965 and operated for many years as a small operation, managing paint jobs in one location. Things began to change for Dean Baldwin Painting when Barbara and Larry Baldwin purchased the business from her in-laws and founders in 1975. In 1978 the company had 25 employees and $140,000 in annual sales.

As a co-owner, Barbara had the opportunity to evaluate the operations and begin writing a strategy to enter new markets and gain new customers. By 1999, she began to lead a series of expansions that would help the painting firm soar towards exponential growth.

Part of the expansion strategy included pursuing larger contracts across the Country. To stand apart from the competition, Barbara went through the process of certifying Dean Baldwin as a minority-owned business.

Baldwin’s expansion strategy transformed the company from a small family business into one of North America’s most well-respected independent aircraft painting companies, with 400 employees and over $30 million in annual sales.

Learn more about Dean Baldwin Painting.

Getting Started with Certifications

As the success of Dean Baldwin Painting demonstrates, certifications and special designations can be powerful tools for growing your business and adding new customers. For example, about 10% of all federal contract dollars are awarded to Small Disadvantaged Businesses each year. At the same time, many large corporations have annual goals around partnering with small and minority-based firms.

Certifying your business and registering with the appropriate agencies is only part of winning awards. Your business’s past performance, financial standing, and other factors will contribute to your success in winning contracts as well.

It's also important to understand the types of products and services that large companies and government agencies are seeking to purchase. This information can help you decide if your business can take advantage of certifications and should pursue a strategy for bidding on contracts. You can start exploring the products and services that are in demand by visiting:

• The Georgia Procurement Registry which lets you search for bidding opportunities offered by the State of Georgia
• Supplier-Diversity Programs with Fortune 500 firms in Georgia

Statewide there are resources to help you get started - help you get certified, register with agencies, and search for contract opportunities, these include:

• UGA’s Small Business Development Centers
• Georgia Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
• Georgia Tech’s Procurement Assistance Center

If you'd like to speak with someone at Georgia Power about the local resources to help grow your business, our team of Community Managers are ready to help. Find your region's manager and start the conversation today.