At Surface Experts, Jacob takes the successes and mistakes he made while starting and running two businesses in Bogota, Colombia and Portland, OR and using them to build a healthy model. He works hand-in-hand with franchise owners to achieve their goals and build their businesses.

“We are looking for franchisees who align with our core values of serving others, being a problem solver, and trusting the process. We pride ourselves in our culture of franchise owners who truly care for one another and build each other up,” says Jacob.

Whether in Rwanda, Colombia or around the USA, helping small businesses thrive is what drives him.

As Chief Operations Officer at Surface Experts, Greg Hess primarily oversees finance, accounting, and technology. He is dedicated to building systems that save franchisees time and money.

Greg joined Surface Experts in 2019, focusing on developing accounting systems, assisting franchisees with bookkeeping, and creating reporting systems. Before his tenure at Surface Experts, Greg enjoyed a long career in the digital market research industry, bringing a diverse skill set in accounting, technology, and customer service.

Greg excels at anticipating and diagnosing problems and translating solutions into effective training systems for franchisees and employees. He is excited to be part of a team committed to saving customers money and helping the environment by reducing waste.

As Director of Sales and Marketing for Surface Experts, Erin works closely with Franchise Owners and their salespeople to hone their sales and sales management practices. Before joining Surface Experts in 2018, Erin Oranen spent much of her career in sales and sales coaching with the Southwestern Family of Companies. During her 10-year residence in Portland, OR, Erin worked for Nike, Inc. recruiting senior level marketing and advertising professionals.

Erin loves the psychology behind relational sales, a technique that has served her greatly, and something she truly enjoys sharing with Surface Experts teams as they grow. Informed by her experience, Erin worked closely with Jacob to develop the training curriculum for Surface Experts sales, systematizing the process that worked so well for him.

In Erin’s words: “We are a sales company with an emphasis on spot repair. Our sales cycle is focused on an educational sale since most of our potential customers have never heard of spot repair. People who do well in sales at Surface Experts trust our process of articulating who we are and what we do so that they can come alongside the customers and serve them well.”

Ben started working with Jacob in 2010 in Portland, OR as a repair technician and continued working in that business until 2024. His work in spot repair has been a journey through many roles, from business ownership and training to team management and sales.

Ben's desire for good repairs goes far beyond the scope of interior surfaces. In Ben's words, "We live in a throw away culture and yet there are so many things that are worth saving. Being in the mindset of repair: Today it may be a bathtub repair, but tomorrow it's a relationship. I find that work a worthy endeavor."

Since starting at Surface Experts in 2020, Kathryn has seen the Support Center grow from three people to over 20. One of her favorite parts of her job is developing her team and empowering them to become successful as individuals and as a collective.

The Support Center Team assists franchisees with many day-to-day operations, including: scheduling work orders, creating estimates, working directly with customers and local sales reps, and assisting owners with accounts receivable and admin tasks.

As a former owner of a successful business, Kathryn brings her experiences as an entrepreneur to Surface Experts, including knowledge in accounting, management, marketing, and customer service. She really enjoys working with franchisees, supporting them as they grow their businesses and teams, helping them succeed.

Mike Johnson joined Surface Experts as a Franchise Business Coach in 2022, bringing over 20 years of experience in franchising. He has owned and operated franchises and worked as a coach, district manager, and director of operations. Mike also has extensive experience in the service industry as an owner/operator.

At Surface Experts, Mike partners with franchisees to help them exceed their goals. He finds great satisfaction in collaborating with them, understanding their needs, and strategizing for their success. Mike emphasizes a personalized coaching approach, stating, “There’s no cookie-cutter approach to coaching. You have to get to know the person you’re coaching, understand who they are and what they need, and coach accordingly.”

Mike works closely with Surface Experts owners, connecting with them to strategize, and holding them accountable to their goals. Whether helping someone get past a sticking point or pushing franchisees to achieve their set objectives, Mike is committed to their success.

Brandon Chanley has 16 years' experience in franchising.  For those 16 years he worked for a national tax company and helped 60+ franchisees with over 600+ locations in his assigned territory.  Throughout his years with the company, he has covered many states including Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Utah, and Oklahoma.

He loves working with franchisees one-on-one, finding what drives them to be successful and helping them use all tools available within the franchise model to achieve that success.