APRIL 2025 SMALL BUSINESS OF THE MONTH: GIBSON PAINTING

A family affair: Gibson Painting carries on five generations of craftsmanship

When Chadd Gibson was 18, he was hard at work priming drywall and staining doors in newly built homes, earning just $3.25 an hour. Under the eyes of his father, Larry and grandfather, Bill, Chadd was learning the trade that had been passed down through four generations.

In the Gibson family, there’s a saying: “It’s not a sin to drip paint — it’s a sin to leave it.”

“That was my grandpa’s way of saying, ‘you’re gonna make mistakes, but clean them up—that’s the difference,’” Chadd recalls.

Those early lessons stuck, and now decades later, Chadd is the fourth generation to helm Gibson Painting. Since purchasing the business from his father five years ago, Gibson Painting has grown from a tight-knit painting crew of 11 into a full-service construction and remodeling firm with 50 employees and offices in downtown Lafayette and on Mass Ave. in Indianapolis.

Gibson Painting's work can be found throughout Greater Lafayette and Indianapolis, from the sleek interiors of Franciscan Health to the creative spaces of MatchBOX Coworking Studio and The Lobby by Greyhouse. Whether it’s a small residential repaint or a large-scale healthcare facility renovation, epoxy coatings or flooring, Gibson Painting has a surprisingly diverse list of services.

But even as it has expanded, Gibson Painting remains what it has always been: a family business built on craftsmanship and the simple belief that doing things right still matters.

The Gibson family’s history with painting dates back to Burvel "Burr" Gibson, a union painter, followed by his son Bill Gibson, who founded one of the original Gibson Painting businesses in Lafayette. Bill’s son, Larry Gibson, learned the trade working for his father before branching out on his own in 1977 and founding the company we know today.

For a time, there were two Gibson Painting companies in Greater Lafayette —father and son —each carrying on the family craft in their own way. In the end, Bill joined his son’s business, finishing up his career working for Larry.

The family business now stretches into a fifth generation, with Chadd’s daughter, Paige Beery, serving as social media and marketing manager since 2016. Yet even as the business has grown, the commitment to personal connection remains central.

“Invariably, I’ll go into someone's home or business and end up hearing a story about their family or hardships they’re dealing with. It’s interesting; when you open yourself up, people just want to connect. Through that, you create a lot of friends and you see opportunities where you can give back,” Chadd says, adding that Gibson Painting supports organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Lafayette Urban Ministry

Looking back on the foundation laid by the generations before him, Chadd doesn’t hesitate when asked what he would say to them. "Thank you," he says simply. "There's been a long line of really strong people in our family who’ve gone through a lot of struggles. And yet my dad was steadfast. He stayed strong in his faith."

His philosophy today mirrors the lessons he learned standing inside those brand-new homes as a teenager. "You gotta be a good person and be encouraging all the time. People are watching. They’re listening. And every day you get up, you’ve got to be the best version of who you can be. That’s the bottom line."