Publicly? Privately? Doesn't Matter. It's Who We Are.

Privacy.

 I sat pondering this topic for the better part of 30 minutes during my lunch break today. Ironically, my lack of blossoming ideas was on full display for any passerby. My cursor blinked lethargically at me, almost mocking me, while a flood of nothing came to my mind. Already having posted an earlier rendition of this week's Let's Blog Off topic on my personal blog, Life as an Experiment, I wondered... perhaps aloud, do I have anything more to say?

If that notion weren't crippling enough, by nature of this being the blog for our company, I felt compelled to someway sew in, at bare minimum, a thread of sustainability even if the creative capacity to sprinkle in nuggets of information about our premium, eco-friendly paints eluded me.

Is this too great of a task to tackle for a Tuesday afternoon? Surely, forgiveness is conceivable if I fail to produce anything value. I mean will Nick or Paul really be surprised if I don't contribute this week? Doubtful as I haven't participated in Let's Blog Off on this blog for more months than I care to recount. I was on the precipice of giving up... but wait...

.....like a can of paint tied to a rope swinging over a bannister like in Home Alone, it hit me.

Privacy can be defined as anonymity. To remain anonymous protects one's privacy; however, at Eco-Protective Products, we do not hide behind a corporate veil. We are a privately held company but one that exposes its identity. We are individuals; we are composed of independent distributors, sales persons, advisors, and hard working entrepreneurs. We do our best to make ourselves available to any customer, supplier, or business partner day and night, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (maybe with the exception of during Georgia football games).

So while I disclose who we are, perhaps I'd be better suited to describe that which we are not.

We are not a company riding the coat tails of the sustainable building movement in order to turn a quick profit. In fact, our roots trace back to the early 1990's, and the decision then to utilize the highest performing raw materials in order to deliver the highest quality paint to consumers still holds true. Our paints, although Green in composition, are of premium quality, ensuring long-term customer satisfaction via enhanced durability, superior color retention, and  excellent overall performance.

We are not snake oil salesmen. Although, now that I think about it, I'm not sure what SNAKE OIL was ever used for...ah... according to Wikipedia, it was primarily utilized for joint pain before becoming the infamous underperforming elixir for any and all ailments. But I digress. Many smaller paint manufacturers make outrageous claims regarding the performance of their products, and as a result of an undereducated marketplace, many consumers fall victim to paying exuberant rates for products that fail to live up to the marketing promises. That is something we are not. All of our claims are substantiated with repeated testing in the laboratory and more importantly, in the real world. (Although if anyone can get me some snake oil, let me know. I'm 26 and my joints already ache - thanks to 20+ years of competitive sports).

We are not a huge company. You won't find our paints on the shelves at Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware or even Wal-Mart. We neither have a multi-million dollar marketing budget nor a Hollywood celebrity to endorse us. And to my knowledge, we have a clean record dealing with governments of all sizes, offering zero bribes and receiving zero handouts. We earn our living the old fashioned way. So you will not see me on Fox News anytime soon refuting nefarious dealings with any bureaucrat, public official, or corporate big wig... and although the reasons are many, not least of which is the fact that I probably have a face better suited for radio.

We are an honest American business. Through tireless networking and an unfatiguing sales force, we've experienced yearly growth since our inception in 2008. We may never become a Sherwin Williams or Pittsburgh Paints, but that is not our goal. Each day when we arise, whether we are donning our work boots or power ties, we strive to connect with building owners, project developers, architects, and homeowners (among others) to provide them an alternative solution to their painting needs; a solution that not only yields the long-term value they require but also the eco-conscious design they desire.

Publicly. Privately. This is who we are. We are proud of it and pray that through the ups and the downs, this is who we remain.