How Masterpiece Painting Sold a 50-Year Family Business with the Right CFO at the Table

"While he is an expert at the numbers and always gave us sound financial guidance, Jim was just as astute at being mindful of the human aspect of running a business. He saw us, our employees, and our clients as individuals, and that made all the difference."

—Eleni Siderias, Former Owner of Masterpiece Painting

The Situation

Masterpiece Painting is a commercial and industrial coating and decorating company that had been in operation for over 50 years when it reached out to FocusCFO in 2017. Owner Eleni Siderias and her leadership team worked with Area President Forest Bookman to identify the right fit, and in November 2017, they were matched with fractional CFO Jim Rowlands. Over the next five-plus years, the engagement would carry the company through several major decisions — and ultimately to a successful exit.

What We Did

Working alongside Masterpiece Painting's ownership and leadership team, their FocusCFO CFO:

• Clarified financial systems and quickly established himself as a trusted advisor to ownership
• Guided leadership through multiple significant business decisions over the course of the engagement
• Built relationships across the team — with owners, employees, and key stakeholders
• Provided sound financial guidance with a clear understanding of the human side of a family business
• Led the financial support work for the sale of the business in March 2023

The Result

After more than five years working together, Masterpiece Painting achieved a successful exit in March 2023 — completing the sale of a business the family had operated for over 50 years, with Jim Rowlands instrumental throughout the process.

"Bringing Jim on as our fractional CFO was an invaluable business decision. He helped us clarify systems and quickly became a trusted advisor. His expertise has been essential as we navigated several major decisions over the last few years."

— Eleni Siderias, Former Owner, Masterpiece Painting