ZELINSKY COMPANY
Hawaii's
Premiere Painting Contractor
PDCA Member Profile, 1995
D. Zelinsky & Sons:
A Painting Dynasty
Ken Zelinsky comes from a long line of painters. One of the oldest
companies in the United States, D. Zelinsky & Sons, Inc. is a dynasty in
the painting industry (the Golden Gate Bridge, the Treasury Department in Wash.
D.C., Disney World in Orlando, Florida). It was founded in San Francisco in
1884 by Ken Zelinsky's great uncle and has operated in the Bay Area continuously
ever since.
For Zelinsky, entering the painting business seemed like a natural choice. So,
at the age of 22 after a three year stint in the military, he began a painting
apprenticeship, working his way up to journeyman, estimator and contractor.
In 1971, seeing an opportunity in Hawaii for the company to expand, he started
D. Zelinsky & Sons of Hawaii, Inc. In 1976, he purchased the Hawaii
operations from the parent company.
D. Zelinsky & Sons of Hawaii has grown and expanded over the years. Starting
with a 350 square foot office space in the airport industrial area, the company
has expanded into a 30,000 square foot facility comprising warehouse and office
space on two acres of land in Campbell Industrial Park.
Over the years, the company has also divided responsibilities into three
distinct areas of operation: Commercial/Residential Painting Division,
Wallcovering Division and Industrial Division.
The Commercial and Wallcovering Divisions have performed painting and
wallcovering work on such projects as the Grand Hyatt Wailea, the Princeville
Resort Hotel, Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Westin Kauai Hotel and others.
The Industrial Division is involved in all types of high performance coating
systems, such as interior tank linings, high performance coatings on exterior
steel surfaces, fireproofing, abrasive and bicarbonate blasting, etc. Clients
have included PDCA, Chevron, Unocal, Hawaiian Electric, BHP Refinery/HIRI, Puna
Geothermal and ABB Power Plant.
The company is also a factory-approved applicator for many different types of
products and materials. Some of these include: Duroplex coatings, Zolotone,
Carboline coatings and fireproofing products, installation of FabriTrak
upholstered wall systems and others.
Zelinsky has assembled what he feels is a very qualified and capable group of
managers and personnel, some of whom have been with the company for over 20
years, to handle all the key areas of responsibility.
"It has often been said that in the painting business, it's the field that
makes or breaks you." Zelinsky continues, "This statement is only
partially true, because it also takes a winning estimate plus a hard fought and
shrewdly negotiated contract to get you into the ballpark to play the
game."
Although basically a commercial and industrial contracting company, D. Zelinsky
& Sons of Hawaii, Inc. has diversified with the times, tackling lead
abatement projects and residential projects, many of these in connection with
Hurricane Iniki reconstruction on Kauai.
In the business now for over 35 years, Zelinsky looks forward to retiring,
spending more time with his family (and at his resort
in California), and turning over the company to his employees who will share in
the ownership of the company. D. Zelinsky & Sons of Hawaii will, therefore,
no longer be a family business but rather an employee-owned operation within
the next five to 10 years. And this is a trend that Zelinsky sees as the wave
of the future in the traditionally family oriented/father-son painting
industry.
(Reprinted by
permission of the Painting and Decorating Contractors Association of Hawaii)