— Interview with Sean Gillespie —
R&R: Where are you based? How long have you been in business?
Sean Gillespie: We are headquartered in Villa Rica, Georgia, approximately 30 miles west of Atlanta. We have divisional offices in Destin/Ft. Walton, Florida; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Orlando, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Tampa, Florida, and have been in business since 1995.
R&R: What is your title, and how long have you been with HCC?
Gillespie: Director | Strategic Alliances/Marketing and I’ve been with HCC for 8 years.
R&R: What trades/services do you offer retailers and restaurants?
Gillespie: We predominantly provide commercial repaint services such as national multi-site, regional and local repaint programs to maintain image and branding. Additionally, we also have a new construction division providing painting for ground-up builds and remodels. We have a Facility Maintenance division that works alongside our national multi-site repainting providing reactive break-fix repairs to include electrical, plumbing & backflow, lot sealing & striping, locksmith, etc.). We are always happy to consult on establishing a repaint/cycle program to enhance and maintain your facility.
R&R: In what regions of the country do you conduct most of your business, or are you nationwide?
Gillespie: We work locally, regionally and nationally across our multi-site repainting and facility maintenance services with new construction painting primarily across the southern U.S. (Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas).
R&R: What makes your company’s “signature service” stand out?
Gillespie: People know HCC because of our bright red color. But for us, it’s more than just our color, it represents our Reliable, Experienced and Diligent (RED) culture. So, what does that mean? At the heart, it’s our desire to set the benchmark in our industry as the best painters to work with. We want to build relationships that lead to a deeper understanding of our customers’ needs and not simply a wider share of their business. “Reliability” is doing what we say we will do. “Experience” is consistently reviewing our work and applying our knowledge, and “Diligence” is our uncompromising spirit to see it through. Even when problems arise, we don’t quit.
R&R: What kind of feedback do you receive from clients?
Gillespie: We try to create open, honest and direct conversations with our customers that drive engagement and accountability. This is where we feel we add the most value. We’re not expecting a pat on the back, but it’s always greatly appreciated when we do. Our typical mindset is how we can improve even when things are working. We don’t want to become complacent!
R&R: Why should owner/operators choose your company to be their next vendor partner?
Gillespie: We have spent decades building a reputation that centers on safely delivering what we say we’ll do. We differentiate with a clean/professional image, logistical capability and four core values (image, diligence, responsibility and uncompromising) that focus on providing positive customer experiences. Our heartbeat is to be more than just your painter, we want to be your partner!
R&R: How many retail/restaurant clients do you have, and is that sector growing for you? Would you like to name any of your clients?
Gillespie: We worked diligently to build relationships with multiple retailers over our three decades in business. RR facility members across the country who have multiple locations in their fleet have been an ongoing growth opportunity.Over our history many well-known brands have trusted our services including Walmart, Outback, Bass Pro Shops, Best Buy, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Sams, The Home Depot, AutoZone, Publix, Lowe’s, Floor & Décor, Advance Auto Parts, PetSmart, Gap Inc., Kroger, Bucee’s, Vuori, Office Depot and more.
R&R: Tell me about 2-3 recent projects you are most proud of.
Gillespie: (1) We recently completed a nationwide repaint for a vision provider for over 100 sites and 120 exam rooms in just 6 weeks.
(2) Our new construction teams partnered with CIM group to complete the newest COSM location at Centennial Yards in downtown Atlanta. With only a few locations nationwide, COSM combines cutting-edge technology and massive dome displays to create an immersive experience that puts guests right in the middle of the action (https://www.cosm.com/the-experience).
(3) We are also particularly proud of completing our repaint of one of the most iconic and photographed landmarks at one of the world’s most visited theme parks.
R&R: What are some of the latest trends you see in the FM industry?
Gillespie: Finding continuity and consistency in cycle-programs is a key trend we hope to see continuing across the retail/restaurant sector. Presently, AI continues to make inroads into to construction/trades industry — some good ways and some bad. That means companies like ours need to focus effort on better communication and expertise-sharing with our clients to provide reality and efficiency amidst the virtuality of an AI influence. Deferred maintenance continues to be a factor, but keeping repaint programs running and infusing some routine maintenance along the repaint cycle can ensure service provider efficiency and curb appeal for extended years.
R&R: What predictions do you have for the rest of 2026 and 2027?
Gillespie: Retailers/owners will continue to invest in asset preservation and brand consistency despite some of the current global economic uncertainty. Contractors that can combine nationwide scale, technology, speed and maintenance capabilities should be able to stay on the leading edge of succeeding. I do believe that Harrison Contracting is well positioned to grow through our expanding nationwide logistical capabilities and operational acumen. I know that our spirit for doing what we say we’ll do and working to be the benchmark for our clients will only become stronger moving into the future.
— Sean Gillespie is director | strategic alliances / marketing of Harrison Contracting Company. This Q&A originally was published in the June/July 2026 Goldbook issue of Retail & Restaurant Facility Business magazine. For more information in having your company profiled in a future Signature Vendor Spotlight, please contact Scott Royal at sroyal@francemediainc.com.