TEAMWORK: “Greenleaf Painters works closely with you to ensure your satisfaction. We use high performance paint that is good for you and for the environment. You can count on excellent results.” Shown, from left, are members of the Greenleaf team: Ryan Munn, operations manager; Sean Carty and Frank Danser, project managers; and Jonathan Shenk, president and owner.

By Jean Stratton

Jonathan Shenk, owner of Greenleaf Painters, LLC, isn’t only “a painter for all seasons,” he is “a man for all seasons.” His unique background sets him apart in many ways.

The son of Mennonite missionaries, Jonathan was born in Somalia, and also lived in Kenya. He later moved with his family to the Lancaster, Pa., area.

As a young man, he taught English literature at a high school in the South Bronx in New York, and later studied at the Union Theological Seminary, also in New York. After ordination as a minister, he was posted to a Presbyterian church in Princeton Junction as an associate pastor.

After six years, he decided to head in a new direction, and established his own painting company. Greenleaf Painters, LLC came into existence, and a new adventure began.

Pastoring and Painting

“I would still have relationships with people. And there would be immediate satisfaction seeing the results of the painting,” Shenk explains. “Pastoring and painting both have a relationship with people, and you have the opportunity to help individuals in different ways.”

Opening the company in 2006, he had an underlying concept and plan of operation in mind. “I didn’t want a business that focuses on profit at the expense of relationships. I established a company culture that emphasized a triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit, in that order.”

Painting was not new to Shenk. He had painted houses during summers in high school, and enjoyed the experience. “I opened Greenleaf on my own,” he reports, “and I chose the name because it indicates something young and fresh, and good for the environment.”

As the company grew (now with 16 full-time employees, including three project managers), it moved to its current headquarters at 9C Princess Road in Lawrenceville. As Shenk points out, “As we have grown, we have emphasized better and better, not bigger and bigger.”

He adds, too, that many employees have been with the company from the early years. Operations manager Ryan Munn joined Greenleaf 10 years ago, and others have been associated even longer.

“We have an environment where our employees want to come to work,” Shenk says. “It is very important for me to establish a work site where our employees take pride in their work. They can make suggestions, share their opinions, and feel they are a real part of the operation.

Three-Legged Stool

“Also,” Shenk continues, “when we interview prospective employees, there is a three-legged stool: attitude, integrity, ability. They need all three. It is very important that everyone works well together.”

Greenleaf focuses on residential, commercial, and historic restoration projects, and covers all of Mercer County, as well as Yardley and New Hope, among other locations, in Bucks County, Pa. The company also works with builders, realtors, and interior designers.

Houses of all sizes, schools, houses of worship, offices, businesses,  institutions, etc. have all been painted by the Greenleaf experts. Many projects are with repeat and regular customers.

“We have had ongoing relationships with Kingston Presbyterian Church, Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church, and the Governors Lane houses in Princeton,” says Shenk. “We have also painted numerous other homes —both historic and modern — in the area.”

Princeton and the surrounding area are filled with history dating to the American Revolution and even earlier. The region abounds with structures from long ago.

“In New Hope, we worked on a barn house that George Washington had visited,” reports Munn. “Another time,” adds Shenk, “we were working on a 200-year-old house, and when we removed the wallpaper, we found graffiti from World War I.”

Historic Restoration

“We are fans of history, and we strive to preserve it throughout our historic restoration projects,” says Shenk. “We aim to maintain the original aesthetic of the building so it can appear timeless. With skilled craftsmen and top quality materials, we ensure that the buildings are properly cared for.”

Greenleaf historic restoration projects have included Trenton Friends Meeting House, the Historical Society of Princeton’s Updike Farmstead, the 1867 Sanctuary (formerly Ewing Presbyterian Church), and Bainbridge House in Princeton, among others. The company has also received the Historic Residential Restoration Award for an historic restoration in Lawrenceville.

Exterior and interior projects are equally important, and Greenleaf is very busy with both. A lead-safe certified company, it uses top-of-the-line Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams paint.

Exterior painting usually begins the end of April, and it is a good idea to contact Greenleaf now for a project. “We usually have four or five projects going on at the same time,” reports Shenk.

With expert painters and the use of high quality paint, depending on weather conditions, an exterior paint job can last eight to 10 years, he adds.

Color tastes are very individual, of course, but popular exteriors include variations of sage, slate, and yellow.

DINING IN: This elegant dining room in Pennington is a project Greenleaf Painters worked on with designer Ellen Maranca from EZM Interiors. “We love this blend of simplicity and sophistication,” says Greenleaf owner Jonathan Shenk.

Award-Winning

Another thing that is very important is the preparation. “We spend most of the time preparing before painting,” points out Shenk. “The prep time depends on how well the structure has been maintained. We thoroughly scrape off any loose paint, and prime bare wood with an oil-based primer. Our focus is to preserve your investment for years to come. We also have several carpenters/painters on our crew who will skillfully replace any rotting boards.”

Greenleaf is an award-winning interior painting company. For nine years, it has won the Best of Houzz Award for Customer Service, among other awards. As Shenk reports, “Each interior painting project comes with an extra level of customer care that ensures your safety and peace of mind. We work closely with customers to address scheduling and work flow. We exercise care when moving furniture and artwork. We cover furniture and doorways with clear plastic to control dust, and we fix cracks and nail pops. We also sand and caulk trim. Every care is taken.”

Interior colors vary with customer preference, and currently neutrals and muted shades of cream, beige, blue, and gray are favored. Munn points out that the open concept design can be a factor. “With this format, clients often like various shades of the same color to flow throughout the rooms.

“On the other hand, accent colors can be really bold. Interior designers often suggest this to add a real pop of color. Also, in the case of children’s rooms, many parents let the kids have input in color choices.”

If people are considering selling their house, they will usually select a neutral palate for the interior, he adds. For many home owners, staging is also favored when selling their house, and Greenleaf has been involved in such projects when painting is needed.

Whether the assignment is indoors or outdoors, or an old or historic house or one that is brand new, Greenleaf’s work is efficient and timely throughout, says Shenk. “We establish a trusting relationship with clients. We do our best to let them know what to expect as to timing and work routine. A project manager visits the job site every day, and many clients say they look forward to our coming and miss us when the projects are completed.”

Family Dog

Everyone becomes part of the daily activities, it seems. “On one of our projects, the family dog ran around the yard with some of our supplies, which he assumed were his new toys,” says Shenk, with a smile.

Paint products have improved over the years, and this is important for homeowners to know as they decide on the appropriate siding for their house. A number of people today are opting for vinyl or aluminum siding instead of paint.

As Munn points out, however, “A couple of advantages of painting versus replacing siding are that painting maintains the aesthetic quality of the current siding, retaining a historical look, and no construction has to take place. Also, if they are just doing a refresh of the same color, they might even save a little on price.

“Vinyl siding can also be painted if the customer is looking to do a color change,” he adds. “They just need to be vinyl safe colors, which we typically purchase from Sherwin Williams.”

Prospective clients receive a free estimate from Greenleaf, and pricing is competitive, says Shenk. “Although we don’t promise the lowest price, we do promise the highest value.”

Also, points out Munn, “Some people choose to have the work done in phases. This can help with the budget.”

Teamwork

Indeed, whether it is a powder room or an entire house, customers can count on the Greenleaf expertise.

“We are a small business,” notes Jonathan Shenk. “We have to work together as a team to problem-solve, and this engages us in important ways. We look forward to making each point of contact with the client an excellent experience, and we always try to see things from the client’s point of view.”

“I especially enjoy the fact that in my role, every day is different,” adds Ryan Munn. “It can involve planning, setting up a schedule, and more. It gets very busy in the spring and summer, and then the challenge — and opportunity — becomes putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.”

“And what everyone at Greenleaf Painters looks forward to,” emphasizes Shenk, “is having the chance to become even better, to strengthen our work force, and continue to improve in every way for the benefit of our clients.”

In addition, he points out that a priority for the company is giving back to the community. “This is very important to us, and we make regular contributions, including a portion of our sales, to Habitat for Humanity, and we also sponsor the West Windsor Community Farmers Market.”

For further information, call (609) 750-0030. Visit the website at greenleafpainters.com.