The craft of line painting is more intricate than just applying paint to asphalt. This is a business that blends artistry with safety, and in the case of Dan Oliver, family values. In an insightful conversation with this seasoned line painter, we peel back the layers of a seemingly straightforward industry to reveal a world of entrepreneurial spirit driven by government auctions.
Family Ties in Business: Bonding Over Paint Lines
Dan’s journey into the line painting world began with a summer job in his teenage years. He enjoyed the work so much that he kept it up through part of his adulthood. Since then he has ventured off and now runs a family business, assisted by his daughter.
“It was just a summer job, but I ended up liking it, and did it through my adult years to where I ended up working for the town of Mansfield, which was a municipality, for almost 20 years. And then I left there to do traffic circles for a private company.” - Dan Oliver
For Dan, work with his daughter is as much about painting lines as it is about meticulous attention to detail. He wants her to cherish the satisfaction of a job well done and the value of hard work.
“It was just a weekend thing to spend time with her doing over the summer, and we still do it to this day. And it's been 10 years now, I think, I've had the machine. And me and her have been doing it for the past five.” - Dan Oliver
Parents looking to involve their children in a family business should take notes. Dan emphasizes the importance of letting kids try different things and the value of building memories while working together.
Dan Oliver's daughter line painting
Industry Evolution: Paints and Practices
The materials in line painting have drastically evolved from when he was a teenager. Paint has become safer for people, for the environment, and is much easier to apply to the ground.
“It used to be, when I first started, an oil base, rubbery paint. And now they have some really great latex pants which are environmentally safer. And I think that that is a huge outcome. Fast dry is another one, it's just paint literally that can dry within moments of putting it down…And then the retroreflectivity of paint that they've added for the nighttime and wetness, rainy days, kind of safety stuff. I think that would be the big impacts I’ve seen since I started way back when.” - Dan Oliver
Dan Oliver
The Strategy of Government Auctions: Procuring with Precision
For small businesses, government auctions present opportunities to acquire well-maintained municipal equipment without the steep costs of buying new. Dan’s success as a line painter was marked by such a purchase.
“Back when I worked for the town of Mansfield, they used Municibid to sell equipment. That's where I found out about it and that's when I got on and I started looking at equipment and then saw the striping equipment and I think I bought a blower as well. I bought a few things since then, but those are the two big purchases for me on Municibid."
“You can do parking lots, you can do basketball courts, or you can do full roadways. I mean, there's just so much you can do.” - Dan Oliver
The Road Ahead: Reflections and Realizations
If you’re looking to get into government auctions, Dan suggests being informed with what you’re bidding on, and to be both present and active in the final moments of the bid. If you win, you can win big, for your family and for your small business. Dan’s still creating his own legacy, one of hard work, and a legacy he gets to share with his daughter.
“You can find some really good quality equipment that might not be that far out, and obtainable for you, versus buying brand new. Usually, too, with that being a municipality, they're well maintained and not so much beat up like if you were buying them from a rental company or getting something that's not been maintained.” - Dan Oliver
