About Us

Our History

In 1912 when Frank Novak, Sr. started the company at a home office on E. 135th in Cleveland, its focus was mainly residential painting in the Cleveland area. In the era after the two world wars, expansion of the company took off. This post-war period saw Frank Novak & Sons Inc. undertake many new projects using specialized coatings and state of the art applications utilizing the latest technology. These new developments allowed the company to grow into a commercial and industrial business. This business would ultimately complete jobs on most of the prominent buildings in Northeast Ohio, including Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the prestigious Cleveland Museum of Art, as well as many of the skyscrapers that adorn Cleveland’s Skyline. These many finished projects that make up the Cleveland skyline resulted in the company coining the phrase “We Paint the Town!”, a slogan that truly fits our history.

A pivotal point in the company’s history occurred in 1959, when Allen Pinchot joined the business. Frank Novak, Jr., President of Frank Novak & Sons, offered Allen a position as an Estimator/Project Manager. In the early 1960’s, Allen changed the direction of the company to focus more on commercial construction rather than the residential work that had been the company’s mainstay. Frank Novak & Sons quickly outgrew its second location on Harvard Avenue and moved to its current home on Miles Road in Bedford Heights. Since that initial move to Miles Road, the building has seen several additions to accommodate the company’s continued growth.

Enjoying the company’s growth, Allen and Frank developed a loving relationship, the student and the mentor, the young and the old, a true friendship both with a common love of the business they had built.

In 1976, Allen became Frank’s partner and continued to work hand in hand to build the business until Frank’s death in 1989. After Frank’s death, Allen has remained dedicated to Frank Novak & Sons and the legacy passed to him by his friend and mentor, Frank Jr. That legacy has always been a “Yes, we can!” attitude and a loyalty to continue the strong tradition as a family-run business; a business built on honesty and integrity. The legacy continues today as a family run business with the help of Allen’s family. Allen’s wife, Gayle, is the President and their children, Brad, Mark and Pamela, along with Allen are all Vice Presidents and company shareholders. Each family member brings their own unique area of expertise to the family business and together bring a combined 185 years of knowledge and know-how to the daily company operations.

The business is a huge part of who the family is. Together the Pinchot family oversees the daily operations of Frank Novak & Sons with the help of many employees. Over the last 40 years, the company has added several interconnected divisions designed to bring additional quality services and value to their customers.