By Christopher Manson
“I’ve worked with tons of painting companies in the past and by far, Karlina’s was the best . . , outstanding! ‘On point’ every step of the way!”
—Stacey W.
Since June 1990, Karlina’s Painting has brought craftmanship, expertise and customer satisfaction to Shalimar and surrounding areas in Northwest Florida. The company specializes in residential and commercial painting.
Chad Quick recently took ownership of Karlina’s, while the long-running business’ namesake (and founder) continues to look over projects, price projects, and make crucial decisions. “Karlina is still 100 percent involved,” says Quick.
Karlina Neubauer relocated from the Chicago area in early 1989 to work as an officer for the Fort Walton Beach Police Department. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that I needed to supplement my income,” she says.
She found additional employment with a lawn service that catered to VA “repo” homes in Okaloosa and Escambia counties. “A gentleman asked if I knew how to paint, and we got something going at one of the houses.” This led to the founding of Karlina’s Painting. “Thirty years ago, it was unheard of for a female to own and operate this type of business,” says Neubauer. She hung on to most of the core team members almost from the get-go; Quick came on board about three years after the company’s launch.
Quick says the day-to-day business “hasn’t changed too much.” He continues to build relationships with customers and make decisions vital to the success of Karlina’s. “This job has supported my family for a long time.”
Karlina’s specializes in interior and exterior painting – full patios, concrete roofs, and metal roofs for starters. “We’ve done quite a few concrete roofs, power washing and repainting, and it’s very important to do that in this area. It’s much better, and a lot less expensive than replacing them,” says Neubauer.
Karlina’s serves Okaloosa County and the Navarre area, and the crew is willing to travel to Pensacola and Panama City for certain commercial painting jobs. “It was a much smaller community when I moved here,” says Neubauer. “The growth was bound to happen. You can’t stop progress and, really, why would you want to? Every place will grow until it can’t grow anymore.”
Quick started working with Karlina at age 22 and at some point between then and his early 50s he met, dated and married Karlina’s niece. They’re one big happy family “if there is such a thing,” calling Shalimar home with their two daughters and half a dozen dogs. “I love giving something new life,” Quick says of his work. “When you paint a room (or anything), it’s brand new again.” When he’s not running Karlina’s Painting, Quick likes to head out on his boat to “people watch” on Crab Island. He and his wife also operate the Little Learning Academy, a child care center in Fort Walton Beach that will celebrate its one-year anniversary this month.
Despite the ownership shift on the painting front, Quick assures the community that Karlina’s Painting’s customers can continue to expect the same treatment they’ve come to expect for the past three decades – “timeliness, cleanliness, and professionalism.”
Karlina’s Painting is accredited by the Better Business Bureau. Discover more, view the company’s projects gallery, and get your free estimate at karlinaspainting.com. Call 850.585.7717 to speak to a member of the Karlina’s team.
