Painting Contractors in the
Blankenship Paint & Glass has grown from a rich tradition of dedication and quality, passed down from expert to expert, and many times, from father to son.
In The Late 1940s
Otho “Chick” Blankenship and Harold Meier worked for a painting contractor in South Sioux City, NE. In 1950, they decided to go into business together, and started Blankenship Meier Painting.
Shortly thereafter, however, they were both drafted into the Korean War. Because the soldiers returned home from war at different times, they were forced to go their separate ways, creating two new painting companies: Chick Blankenship Painting and Harold Meier Painting.
Richard “Tiny” Stroup (current owner Mike Blankenship’s great uncle) played a large part in starting Chick Blankenship Painting before deciding to move to Arizona in the mid-’50s. The company enjoyed progress and growth for two decades, and became somewhat of a household name in the area.
In The Late 1970s
Chick Blankenship Painting was renamed Blankenship Painting and Decorating. Having been an established company for so many years already, the Blankenship Painting and Decorating vans were widely known across Siouxland as the “maroon Ford vans.” The memorable logo showed a paint brush applying paint in an arc across the van above the slogan, “Grime Doesn’t Pay.”
Chick owned and operated the business until he passed away in 1985, when his son, Richard “Rich” Blankenship, took over. He maintained Blankenship’s high quality and service as owner until August of 2000, when he passed away suddenly of heart failure. After this, Rich’s wife, Maureen, attempted to run the business for a few months while their son, Mike, pursued a college degree.
Maureen ended up selling to a local businessman in October of 2000, and in 2001, Gene Meier, the son of none other than Harold Meier, was brought onto the Blankenship team.
This is when the business name came full circle, and was returned to BlankenshipMeier Painting.
In 2003
John Stevens purchased the company, which he owned and operated until 2022. Under the mentorship of Gene Meier, John orchestrated multiple acquisitions, formed strategic partnerships, and expanded product and service offerings. This all resulted in steady, sustainable growth.
John became friends with Mike Blankenship in the early 2010s, and began talking about finding a way to get Mike back into the business. This led the duo to purchasing Burnight Glass together from Dennis Burnight in December of 2018.
Another established Siouxland company with a history of excellence, Burnight Glass was started by Dennis’ dad, Pat, in 1952. The company started in Pat’s garage, grew to a crew size of up to 20 field men and 8-10 office employees, and eventually downsized considerably between 2014 and 2018.
Dennis still stops in occasionally to help if he’s needed, and even shares a cup of coffee with the team from time to time, just to chat and catch up.
John Stevens and Mike Blankenship purchased Burnight Glass with the end goal of Mike buying BlankenshipMeier Painting from John within 3-5 years. John and Mike had exceptional growth in the first three years of Burnight Glass, growing the revenue by 4-5 times more than when they bought it.
By combining the two companies, Blankenship Paint & Glass represents generations of industry experience, and established trust.