Founded by Danis Ojeda who resides in the east side of Saint Paul. After being a drywall hanger for 6 years and being entirely dedicated to his only source of income, working 12 to 16 hours shifts, working weeks and weekends, sometimes not having work at all for weeks and even occasionally experiencing paycheck cuts by some of his bosses; he decided it was time for a change. In 2011 Danis was invited by a friend to work as a painter. He dedicated a couple of years painting apartment complexes. This was a good start. By then, Danis had developed a passion for painting. He started to put himself in situations where he continuously had to keep experimenting with new products and experiencing more upscale painting and drywall projects. Danis was able to implement more efficient working systems and was able to pass them onto his team. Once a team and a work system was established; a new opportunity arrived. Danis started subcontracting for several drywall and painting companies. New construction as well as high end projects were the areas where the crew worked for a few years. Attributed to dedication and results, the team started to continuously be recognized by contractors and customers. This kept growing until some customers and a couple of

contractors figured out a way to allow Danis and his guys to work directly with customers; something that Danis thought was impossible. This was a positive turnaround for the company. Now Danis and his team had the opportunity to contact a few individuals such as builders, remodelers, and high end and very prestigious brands in the industry, which had personally been contacting Danis in a need for help with their projects. New and very close relationships were developed. The support and advice from all of those individuals and companies have been crucial to continuing Ojeda Drywall and painting’s expansion. Some key elements in making Danis and his company become stable and continue to develop are: Effort, dedication, passion to keep learning and teaching, but mainly; the support from his wife and children as well as relatives and friends. Today, Ojeda Drywall and Painting LLC performs about 200-250 projects per year; partners with about 12 small and large building and remodeling companies, and directly and indirectly provides income to about 25 families. Danis believes his journey has just begun, and alongside his family and team, things will definitely keep improving.