It all started when Clifford Hunt began working at an early age of 18 for J.P. McNally in 1958. Back then, J.P. McNally was in the painting business of painting schools, hospitals, churches, business/commercial & industrial, factories, etc. Clifford worked as an apprentice painter, progressed to a journeyman and finally to the position of job foreman superintendent for Mr. McNally. When Mr. McNally’s health began to decline, he offered the company to Clifford, who now understood all aspects of the business. Clifford and his wife, Janet, decided to purchase the business in 1976, which included some equipment, (scaffolding, paint sprayers, ladders, air compressor, and a couple of pick-up trucks and a small building/shop with an office).  On April 1^st, 1976, Clifford and Janet reopened as Clifford R. Hunt, Inc. Painting Contractor.

Clifford continued to service McNally’s customers as well as building a customer base of his own.  Janet ran the office and together they preserved to expand the business, through all the growing pains to eventually moving to their current modern location and proudly owning an entire fleet of equipment and employing a respectable service team to better manage local painting and epoxy demands.  In 1982 C. R. Hunt, Inc. was formed.

As the business grew, Clifford and Janet’s two of four children, Julie & Clifford Hunt, Jr. (also referred to as “Chip”) started learning the business and assisting their parents along the way. Through the ups and downs of the ensuing decades, the Hunt Family has held strong allowing their faith to help overcome all life’s obstacles. Many have joined the crew along the way, too, including Bruce, who began working for C. R. HUNT, Inc. in the summer of 1986 and later married Julie.  Bruce became foreman of the roofing and coatings crew.  He soon after became the lead epoxy mixologist, supervising projects installing epoxy floor coatings all over Ohio and adjoining states.   Painting is and will always be the backbone of C. R. Hunt, Inc.  Bruce is now Vice President overseeing daily operations. Julie is also a Vice President and managing the office. A successful business has blossomed and continues to be a centric force providing unwavering commitment to quality work and service in the community of Defiance, OH.