Track Record

WORK WITH SOMEONE WHO'S GENERATED
EXCELLENT RESULTS, YEAR AFTER YEAR.

Hoyt H. (Larry) Larison developed his business skills and management theories at Columbia Paint & Coatings, Inc., where he served as President and CEO from 1976 to 2007.

Columbia Paint & Coatings, Inc. was founded in 1947. Having become CEO in 1976, by 2007 Mr. Larison’s leadership had grown the company to 10 times its 1976 sales level with improved profit margins and into a very profitable and well-respected enterprise with 41 distribution centers in eight western states, including Alaska. It was sold in 2007 to a multi-national coatings company for the highest price ever paid for a business of its kind as a multiple of sales, net profit; or of EBITDA.

Prior to the sale in 2007, Columbia was not publicly traded but had never had a majority shareholder or a majority of ownership on the payroll and was operated like a public company with a Board of Directors elected annually by the Shareholders and corporate officers elected annually by the Board of Directors.

Columbia officers were re-elected annually based strictly on their ability to contribute to profitably growing the business while maintaining balance sheet strength and integrity. Fifty percent of after-tax profit was paid to Shareholders as dividend.

The excellent rate of growth and the ultimate sale of Columbia Paint & Coatings, Inc. is largely attributed to Mr. Larison’s practice and application of eight Key Points of Focus and eight Organizational Protocols. Additionally, many organizations for which Mr. Larison served as Director, President and Chairman have successfully employed these focus points and protocols to their advantage. We’ve listed a few below:

For Profit

  • Director & Chairman of the Board – American Chemet Corporation, Chicago, Illinois (Zinc and Copper powder producer with international sales)
  • Managing Partner – Columbia Real Estate Holdings LLC – real estate investment group
  • Managing Partner – Lyndale Partnerships/LLC’s – real estate investment group
  • Managing Partner – Shareholder Representative LLC – managing escrowed fund investments and related transactions for former Columbia Paint & Coatings shareholders
  • Board of Advisors – Finnaren & Haley, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (architectural and industrial paint and coatings manufacturer)

Not For Profit

  • Director – Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Seattle Branch
  • Director, Vice Chairman of the Board & Chairman of the Board, Member – Executive Committee, Member and Vice Chairman Architectural Coatings Committee – National Paint & Coatings Association
  • Director and Trustee – National Federation of Independent Business – Largest legislative and regulatory advocacy business organization in U.S.; over 600,000 members
  • President – Color Guild Incorporated, International Association of paint manufacturing firms for the development of color marketing programs
  • Chairman – Northwest Paint Council (legislative/regulatory interface in Washington and Oregon) for National Paint & Coatings Association
  • Board of Directors, President & Vice President – Guild CPO International raw material buying group for regional paint manufacturers
  • President – Spokane Country Club
  • Presidential appointee to White House Conference on Small Business
  • Member – Young President’s Organization – International organization of corporate executives who became president of their corporation prior to age 39
  • Chairman of the Republican National Committee’s Small Business Advisory Council – developed Small Business platform positions for second Reagan Presidential election

"Give employees input and influence over setting goals, plans and policy...provide incentives for goal achIevement and watch your profitable growth accelerate!"
-Larry Larison