The Bid Blog

Monday, October 8, 2012

10 Candles, 1 Million Leads

On Sept. 9, 2002, Technology Publishing Company launched a new venture: Paint BidTracker.  The first handful of reports that we published that day were over two years in the making, and we’ve covered thousands of painting opportunities since. 

It all began at the SSPC conference in 2000.  Our CEO, Harold Hower, was presented with a vision by Lou Lyras of Corcon.  Lou wanted a simpler way to find painting contracts—and not just some of the publicly funded painting bids, but a comprehensive listing. 

Neglected Niche

So Harold, being the entrepreneur that he is, went to work.  We started exploring the construction reporting market as a whole, and were pleased to see that the painting and protective coatings industry was not being fully served by the available builders’ exchanges and big-box general construction reporters. 

Paint BidTracker’s 10-year anniversary includes a photo contest for project shutterbugs.

Now, over 10 years later, we’ve come a long way.  We’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone, and indebted to you, our audience, for confirming the need for a construction reporting service devoted to paint and coatings. 

Birthday Bash

We’ve got a few events planned to mark this occasion, and we’d like you to take part. 

First, we’re currently running a photo contest. We’d love to see your photos of job sites and painted structures, and the winner will receive some cool stuff, like a camera that can be dropped off the top of a water tower. 

We’re also planning a special section in the November issue of JPCL.  This supplement will include a look back at some of the biggest and best jobs of the past 10 years and how we’ve grown as a service, as well as some of the numbers from our full archive of bid reports.

So if you’re curious what brand of paint has been specified the most (over 10,000 times!) or who won the biggest bridge painting contract ($168M!), we’ve got you covered.

Buy You a Drink?

Last, we want to buy you a drink.  And some snacks.  And spend some time with you at this year’s SSPC conference in San Antonio.  We’ll be holding an anniversary party at 4 p.m. Jan. 16. We’ll be set up right outside the exhibit hall, and you’re all invited. 

Once again, thanks for being a part of our success.  Our service has come a long way, mainly as a result of your feedback.  If you’d like to see one of your best projects featured in JPCL, give us a shout.  If you want to show off your photos, sign in to our Project Showcase and compete for a camera and SSPC admission tickets.  Or if you just want to share your opinions about us, we’re always glad to receive testimonials.   

P.S. – Apparently it’s been a while since I wrote a blog entry. Spring, summer, and early fall are for painting, and our coverage of the bids for that work is where my focus has been.  If you’d like to blog for us (and pick up my slack), don’t hesitate to ask.  The standards are almost as low as the pay (nothing), so it’s a great venue to express your opinions should you be so inclined.  Shoot me an email – [email protected]