2006 Award Recipient

Mike Beck is a 1980 graduate of Worthington High School who returned to the community after college to become an art teacher and ended up starting his own business, Think Painting, in 1989.

After receiving a degree in art education from Ohio University in 1987 (he later earned a master’s degree in arts administration from Ohio State University in 1990), Mike sought a teaching position at Worthington High School. None was available so he served as a substitute teacher and assistant swim coach. In his spare time, he did residential painting.

Later when a teaching position became available, Mike’s painting business was well established, and he was committed to the life of a small business owner.

Think Painting’s mission is to provide the best quality craftsmanship and customer service available in the custom interior and exterior residential painting trade.

In the beginning, it was just Mike, his brush and his truck, but he soon learned that his company’s capabilities were limited in the scope of work that he was able to handle.

Making the transition from doing all of the work himself to training and entrusting the work to employees was initially a challenge. But he credits much of his company’s success to the quality of his six full-time employees, and he knows that maintaining strong relationships with them is the key to providing quality work and service.

Mike has been involved in coaching community swim teams, and he and his crew have provided painting services for churches and others in need. He partnered with Owens Construction Contracting Co. in the renovation of a historic home, whose sale benefited Partners for Citizenship and Character, a broad-based community group that encourages the qualities of citizenship and character in youth and adults.