Hoffman Painting & Finishing History

From 1922 Into The Fourth Generation

1st Generation

1922

George Martin Hoffman Sr.
Hoffman Painting and Finishing had its beginnings as a Baltimore-based residential painting and wallpapering company founded by George Hoffman Sr. in 1922. Known for high-quality workmanship, the company offered painting, plastering and wallpapering services. Hoffman is shown here after returning from his military service in France in WW1.

Early Years

1930's

Hoffman Painting Gets Established
3318 Dupont Ave was home base for the business, known as “George M. Hoffman Painting and Papering”, and for George Sr. and family. George was fun, kind and civic-minded, and his sincere and friendly personality guaranteed the success of the service-oriented family business. You could find Hoffman rounding up the neighbors at the Christmas season for a night of old fashioned caroling. Four children were born to the Hoffmans, with George Jr joining the family in 1927. They were a lively, happy family and lived at this address over 3 decades.

Middle Years

1940's

Military Loyalties
Hoffman's ongoing devotion to the U.S. Armed Forces motivated him to play a prominent role in organizing Baltimore Post No. 1 of the 29th division, and he became the Post Commander for many years. His family was also active in service, with his wife, Mrs. Goldie Hoffman, serving as the National President of the ladies branch of the division. George and Goldie were active in the American Legion-Post 100 for many years, and 10 years later, Hoffman’s sons joined the parade. George Jr., or Marty, shown in the foreground, served in WWII from 1945-47. To Marty's right is his brother Bucky, who served during the Korean War.

New Beginnings

1950's

George Sr. and company made ends meet during those difficult war years, and shortly after Marty returned from his tour of duty in 1948, he joined forces with his Dad in the family business. This began his 15 year run of developing his skills working in the company as a plasterer and wallpaper installer. After marrying Louise Smith in 1951, the couple moved to this comfortable home in Randallstown, which would become the base of operations for the company in the 2nd generation.

A New Line

1950's

Commercial
In the 1950s, Sr. and Jr. partnered to branch out from their residential focus and added Veterans Administration work to their repertoire. While the VA was founded in 1930, it was after WWII that this branch of the government developed significantly by seeking to provide housing for returning soldiers, and Hoffman Painting was proud to be called upon to refurbish homes in this program. This marked Hoffman Paintings' turn from providing strictly residential services to now including commercial work in its scope.

2nd Generation

1962

George Martin Hoffman Jr
George Sr “retired” in 1962 - thus began the 2nd generation. As Marty took the reins after his father’s 40-year run, Sr stepped back into an advisory role. George Jr’s knack for the business, charismatic personality, and desire for expansion led to contracts with Baltimore restaurant chains such as the White Coffee Pot and Junior’s Doughnuts, which is still in operation today! Pictured is Marty’s business card as new owner, as well as his original MHIC license. From the use of the Lasting Protection paint line in the ‘50s and ‘60s to the Duron brand of the ‘70s, the company has always backed up superior service with superior products. Today, Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams are our suppliers of choice to insure the lasting results of our workmanship.

Rising to Prominence

1960's

Hoffman Painting Under George Jr
Hoffman Painting also achieved the distinction of being the recommended contractor for National Wallpaper Company and Plymouth Wallpaper. The late ‘60s and early ‘70s saw more government work through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as renovation and redecorating services for projects such as the Belvedere and Lord Baltimore Hotels, and the Martins East and West venues. (Pictured above is The Belvedere Hotel grand ballroom at the time of Hoffman Jr's wallpapering services!)

The Crews

1960's

All of these opportunities were made possible by skillful teams of men, led by George Jr., pictured here with the seven men who comprised the “George M. Hoffman Painting and Papering” company in 1967. In the center is Marty in a blue suit during his years building on his father’s contracting work for the government through HUD and the Veterans Administration. Hoffman Painting served a number of realty companies, notably the Otis Warren Group, which is still in business today!

Father and Son

1970's

Early Days
In 1975, another George Hoffman entered the company scene when George III began working summers for his father. From a young age, George had been involved in the customer relations aspect of the business, answering calls on the family business line, and eventually joining the business full-time in 1977.

George continued with the company through the 80's as a crew leader for his dad. As a testament to the necessity of "earning your stripes," he is shown here working in the early 80's on projects in Bel Air and Columbia.

3rd Generation

1988

George Martin Hoffman III
In 1988, George III took over the business from his father Marty. His legacy in the early years of his new business ownership included working for the retail families of Hecht, (pictured top), Hutzler, and Gutman, all prominent Baltimore retail families residing in Pikesville. After moving to Montgomery County in 1990, George spent the next 6 years solo or using temporary help until 1996. He maintained the Panagos Potomac estate for 12 years, in addition to Howard County’s Wayside Inn, (pictured bottom), along with developing a clientele that now stretched from Baltimore to the DC suburbs. Equipping himself to continue the tradition of full service to higher-end clientele with interior decorating and exterior repaint into the 3rd generation, George attended The New Jersey Wallpapering School in 1991.

Our Invaluable Team

1990's

Meet Early Players
Manuel Marias, or "Manny", seated facing us in the blue chair in this early 2000's photo, began working full time with Hoffman Painting in 1996. Manny played a key role in the prosperous operations of the company from 1996 to 2011. Also pictured are Carlos Cea, in the blue chair, back facing camera, whose skillful services we enjoyed for about 5 years. 2 seats to his right, is a young Mauricio - who has a 19 years tenure with us, and is an artisan extraordinaire. We are grateful to have Carlos' son, "Junior” with us, an invaluable part of our team, having been with us for close to 15 years! Please see the website "about us" page for descriptions of our current team, the treasured heart of our company.

Our Invaluable Partners

Partners

Two Top Clients
1994 marked the beginning of an ongoing 28-year run as the painting subcontractor of choice for Hope Builders Inc., a remodeling and maintenance company in the mid-Atlantic region. For almost 3 decades, Hoffman Painting has successfully upheld the standard of excellence for a prominent national coffee company, and restaurant chains such as Olive Garden and Chick Fil A. During these years, Hoffman Painting also enjoyed a 15-year alliance with Case Design, serving their Bethesda Kitchen & Bath division, and likewise serving the needs of Case’s Chantilly office.

Overview

2022

Through today…
George continues to lead the newly branded Hoffman Painting & Finishing, and has maintained the family legacy of commitment to high standards of service for residential and commercial clientele. His dedication to provide steady work and a healthy environment for his crew has resulted in a loyal team featuring a diversity of talent and skill, with almost half of the team members having a tenure of over a decade. In 2021, Hoffman Painting and Finishing expanded into the 4th generation with the addition of Samuel Hoffman, son, along with his wife Taylor, and daughter Christene Marie, as partners, and are confident of good things ahead as we move into the future together!

Hoffman Painting and Finishing had its beginnings as a Baltimore based residential painting company founded by George Hoffman Sr. in 1922. George Sr. steadily built his business and in 1948, George Jr. joined the team. Shortly thereafter, doors opened for government work, and in the 1950’s, Sr. and Jr. added projects for the Veterans Administration to their repertoire.

In 1961, George Jr. took over the family business, having been trained up in the company as a plasterer and wallpaper installer. His knack for the business, charismatic personality and desire for expansion led to contracts for local Baltimore restaurant chains, such as White Coffee Pot and Junior’s Doughnuts. Hoffman Painting also achieved the distinction of being the recommended contractor for National Wallpaper Company and Plymouth Wallpaper. The 1960s also saw more government work through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as renovation and redecorating services deployed for high-end organizations, such as The Belvedere and Lord Baltimore hotels and the Martins East and West venues.

In 1975, another George Hoffman entered the company scene; George III. George had been groomed in the customer relations aspect of the business, even as a youngster, answering phone calls on the family business line. George began working summers for his father in 1975 before joining the business full time in 1977.

That was 45 years ago, and with the exception of a brief hiatus from 1986-88 when he worked on the facilities maintenance crew at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), George III has worked with the business full time, taking ownership of the company in 1988. It was at APL that George expanded his knowledge and experience in the commercial and industrial side, which he added to the successful residential track of Hoffman Painting. In 1992 George further developed the offerings of the company, attending a New Jersey wallpapering school. 1995 marked the beginning of a (ongoing) 25-year run as the subcontractor of choice for remodeling and maintenance of a dozen top national restaurant chains in the mid-Atlantic region. During these years, Hoffman Painting also enjoyed a 15-year alliance with Case Design until the housing crisis forced a reorganization.

George Hoffman III continues to lead the newly branded Hoffman Painting & Finishing, serving a residential and commercial clientele alongside a loyal team featuring diversity of talent and skill, with half of the team members having a tenure with the company of over a decade. A sneak preview will tell you that this company is actively partnering with 2 of Hoffman's six children to take this business into...the 4th generation!