Finishing Chicago

What Finishing Chicago does

Finishing Chicago operates a contractor matching and representation platform serving the Chicagoland union finishing trades market. The organization connects customers with a network of 150+ union finishing contractors across five service categories: Painting, Drywall Finishing, Wallcovering, Glass Systems, and Signage & Finishers. It is institutionally affiliated with the Finishing Contractors Association of Chicago (FCAC) and Chicago Painters Union District Council 14, which provides structural backing within the regional unionized construction trades ecosystem.

The platform functions through a public-facing website search tool supplemented by a direct sales team that routes project inquiries to qualified union contractors. Beyond matching services, Finishing Chicago administers the St. Paul Painters Pre-Apprenticeship Program — a workforce development pipeline offering 3,200+ classroom hours of training with a stated 95% placement rate into union positions. The stated target customer segments include Designers, Property Managers, Architects, General Contractors, Public Works agencies, and Industrial Engineers, with additional industry associations affiliations (SSPC, IFMA, BOMA, IREM, CSI, ASPE).

The business model is anchored by its institutional relationship with FCAC and the Chicago Painters Union District Council 14, with referral services and contractor representation supported by these union bodies. The go-to-market motion combines a website search/lead form with relationship-driven sales outreach to commercial construction decision-makers. No pricing, contract terms, or revenue mechanics are disclosed in the available data, and the organization does not appear to monetize through transactional software fees.

Name

Finishing Chicago

Legal name

Finishing Chicago

Website

https://finishingchicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Finishing Chicago operates a contractor matching platform connecting Chicagoland customers with 150+ union finishing contractors across five trades, backed by the Finishing Contractors Association of Chicago and Chicago Painters Union District Council 14.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Contractor Matching Services

NAICS

Painting and Wall Covering Contractors (23832), Drywall and Insulation Contractors (238310), Building Finishing Contractors (2383)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAPAIAL

Shop Finishing & Surface Treatment (Staining, Painting, Lacquer)

Home & Personal Services/Residential Renovation Services/Cabinetry, Countertops & Millwork

SECONDARYIMAFANAJ

Joinery, Millwork & Casework Installation (Cabinetry, Built-Ins)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Construction & Civil Engineering/Interior Fit-Out & Finishing Contractors

Keywords

• Contractor matching services
• Union finishing trades
• Commercial painting services
• Drywall finishing contractors
• Construction workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Westchester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Contractor Referral/Matching Service: Revenue appears to be generated through representing and connecting customers with union finishing contractors. The organization markets services of contractors who are part of the Finishing Contractors Association of Chicago (FCAC) collective bargaining unit.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Finishing Chicago is a contractor matching and marketing organization that connects customers with pre-qualified, licensed, bonded, and drug-tested union finishing contractors across the Chicagoland area. Its core offering spans five service categories—Painting, Drywall Finishing, Wallcovering, Glass Systems, and Signage—delivered through a web-based search directory and supported by a three-year apprenticeship training pipeline backed by 100+ years of combined field expertise.

Product overview

Finishing Chicago is a contractor matching platform and service directory that connects customers with skilled finishing trade contractors in the Chicagoland area. The platform offers access to over 150 union contractors providing five core service categories: Painting, Drywall Finishing, Wallcovering, Glass Systems, and Signage & Finishers. The company represents pre-qualified, licensed, bonded, and insured contractors who specialize in commercial, industrial, and residential projects. Services span from basic rolling and brushing to specialized applications including electrostatic spraying, gold leaf, concrete coatings, and epoxy floors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Painting Services Professional painting services for commercial, industrial, and residential properties delivered by pre-qualified union contractors, including rolling, brushing, industrial spraying, electrostatic spraying, fine decorative finishes, gold leaf, and concrete coatings.
• Drywall Finishing Professional drywall finishing services for commercial and residential construction projects delivered by union contractors with three years of classroom and on-the-job training.
• Wallcovering Wallcovering installation services for commercial and residential interiors delivered by union contractors, with testing support from major manufacturers at the Finishing Chicago training facility.
• Glass Systems Glass systems installation services including commercial building glazing delivered by union glaziers in the Chicagoland area.
• Signage & Finishers Signage installation and finishing services for commercial properties delivered by union sign and finisher contractors.
• Contractor Matching Platform Directory and matching platform that connects customers with pre-qualified, licensed, and bonded union finishing contractors across painting, drywall finishing, wallcovering, glass systems, and signage in the Chicagoland area.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% placement rate for St. Paul Painters Pre-Apprenticeship Program graduates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• All-Tech Decorating, Inc.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 August 2025Founded in 1979, All-Tech is one of Chicagoland's largest commercial union painting contractors, headquartered in Romeoville, IL. Hired graduates from the St. Paul Painters Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
• Ascher BrothersmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 August 2025Provider of painting and finishing services to Chicagoland, Midwest, and across the U.S. since 1979. Hired graduates from the St. Paul Painters Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
• Era Valdivia Contractors, Inc.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 August 2025Award-winning family-owned highway construction and maintenance contractor founded in 1987, specializing in highway construction, industrial coatings, water treatment plants, and concrete restoration. Hired graduates from the St. Paul Painters Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
• St. Paul Community Development MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Paul Ministries partners with Chicago Painters Union District Council 14 to run the St. Paul Painters Pre-Apprenticeship Program, a twelve-week training program preparing young people for careers in construction trades. Pastor Kevin Anthony Ford serves as President of St. Paul Church of God in Christ Community Development Ministries.
• Finishing Contractors Association of Chicago (FCAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCAC is the official collective bargaining representative for finishing trade contractors in Chicagoland, negotiating labor agreements with Painters' District Council No. 14. Miles Beatty serves as Executive Director.
• Finishing Trades Institute of DC14 ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining institute where Labor and Management work together to develop Apprentice Trainees into skilled professional Painting/Decorating, Industrial Coating, and Drywall Finishing Journeypersons. Dan Penski Jr. serves as Director of Apprenticeship & Training.
• Chicago Painters Union District Council 14coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPainters District Council 14 (PDC 14) is a union representing painters, drywall finishers, glaziers, and related trades across Chicagoland. Part of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).
• SSPCminorOthersIndustry association partnership displayed on Finishing Chicago's website.
• Chicago Women in TradesminorOthersIndustry association promoting women in construction trades.
• IFMAminorOthersInternational Facility Management Association partnership.
• Chicago Building CongressminorOthersChicago Building Congress partnership.
• Illinois Hotel & Lodging AssociationminorOthersIHLA partnership supporting hospitality industry connections.
• ALAminorOthersAssociated Builders and Contractors association partnership.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Angi (formerly Angie's List / HomeAdvisor): National consumer-facing contractor matching platform covering painting, drywall, and a wide range of home services. Comparable as a competing marketplace funnel for finishing-trade contractor leads, though lacking union-specific positioning.
• Thumbtack: Online marketplace connecting customers with local professionals across hundreds of service categories including painting and drywall. Operates as a technology-led alternative to association-based contractor matching.
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT): National parent union of Chicago Painters District Council 14, with which Finishing Chicago is directly affiliated. IUPAT provides the labor framework, training infrastructure, and collective bargaining apparatus that underpins Finishing Chicago's union contractor network.
• Houzz Pro: Platform serving design professionals and remodeling contractors, including a marketplace and project management tools. Comparable in targeting the architect/designer-to-contractor workflow that Finishing Chicago also serves.

Others

• Sherwin-Williams: Largest U.S. paint and coatings manufacturer and supplier to many of Finishing Chicago's network contractors. Comparable as a key ecosystem participant: the Director of Marketing previously worked there, and the contractors depend on its products for industrial coating, decorative, and finishing work.

Emerging players

• BuildZoom: Data-driven marketplace matching homeowners and developers with vetted general and specialty contractors. Comparable as an alternative contractor-discovery channel that competes for the same end-customer attention as Finishing Chicago's search tool.

Direct peers

• Finishing Trades Institute (FTI): National IUPAT-affiliated training organization for finishing trades. Directly comparable as the training-infrastructure counterpart that supplies the apprenticeship pipeline Finishing Chicago leverages; the FTI's DC14 Chicago chapter is one of Finishing Chicago's core partners.
• PDCA (Painting and Decorating Contractors of America): National trade association for painting and decorating contractors, including both union and open-shop firms. Comparable as a competing association-led credentialing, training, and contractor-promotion model serving the same end customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FinishingChicago

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Finishing Chicago