A Colorful Life

A teenage Jerry Koenig might be surprised to learn that decades forward, he not only still resides in his hometown of Ho-Ho-Kus but has become a household name in Bergen County’s world of home renovations and repairs.

Back in the late 1980s, Koenig says he “stuck out like a sore thumb” in the idyllic small town, thanks to his long hair inspired by heavy metal/rock musicians that helped shape his own high school band’s ambitions.

And yet, after a brush with fame, touring and rubbing elbows with bands like Kiss, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Matchbox Twenty, Koenig says running his small business fulfills him.

Koenig Contracting, more commonly known as Paint Troopers (a nod to Koenig’s love of “Star Wars”), allows the longtime resident to connect with community members and run a reliable and efficient business that takes pride in meticulous work. And for Koenig, that beats rock and rolling all night.

“It was nothing I ever planned on,” he says. “But I tell people I’m a spoiled brat—I’ve lived here for 50 years. I know everyone, and most of my work is in town. I could probably ride a bike to almost all my jobs. I bend over backwards for Ho-Ho-Kus people because this is my home.”

Art, Music, and Back

An artist at heart, Koenig says he was always drawing and doodling as a kid. Having moved with his family from Queens to Ho-Ho-Kus in 1976, he attended Midland Park High School, where his talent grew as he explored an array of media, including hand-painting his friends’ jean jackets.

He was set to attend Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to study graphic design and illustration. But then came music.

“I discovered the guitar and wanted to be a rock star,” Koenig says. “This was toward the end of high school—right when you’re supposed to be focusing on college and getting your life together.”

His band, Black Diamond, went on to open for many large acts that passed through the area, and their connections with roadies and managers landed them backstage and on tour with famous groups like Kiss.

Black Diamond came close to making it, but Koenig says at a certain point he realized the music thing wasn’t going to take off.

“I wasn’t going to be one of those guys in my 60s with a ponytail still trying to make it, thinking I was going to make it,” he says. “It’s a young man’s game. The business will tell you that—they want younger, good-looking people most of the time, and once you start to get past that, you realize that ship has sailed.”

Koenig says that, though he continued playing music for a time with Black Diamond and then with a group of Ho-Ho-Kus musicians who formed a band called The Mist, it was put on the back burner, and he wasn’t too broken up about it. He had seen every aspect of the industry and had a lot of fun, he says, but it was time to move on and make some money.

He delved back into his art background and took a job at the old Tower Records on Route 17 in Paramus. It was more than a record store—Tower, which closed in 2006, was a cultural beacon for music lovers.

There, Koenig was a display artist for the store, with his own office and the artistic freedom to use his talent to promote new albums, tours, and movies.

It was after he left the job at Tower that his future career began to take shape. He took a summer job with his mom’s boyfriend at the time, a man he describes as a “lovable train wreck.” He was a housepainter—Koenig figured he had an art background. Surely, he could paint a solid color.

“I enjoyed the work. I didn’t have to put a shirt and tie on, or sit in an office,” he says. “The description and views changed a couple of times a week.”

Koenig says the trouble was that his boss was unreliable and dismissed from many jobs. The final “paycheck” he received was a winning OTB ticket stub. Koenig realized there was a large market for house painting.

“If you’re reliable, you answer your phone, and you show up sober, you can succeed,” he says.

Delivering ‘Exceptional Results’

Koenig struck out on his own, originally partnering with a bandmate and friend. Business took off, and they parted ways, figuring there was no need to split the profits.

The Paint Troopers is Koenig and a team of three full-time employees. The business owner says most days, he’s connecting with clients, scheduling jobs, and picking up materials. But he still picks up a paintbrush and enjoys the nitty-gritty of the job.

“I like working with my hands, whether it’s art, music, or home improvements,” he says. “I usually zone out and get caught up in whatever I’m thinking about when I’m painting; it can be therapeutic.”

While interior and exterior painting are the Troopers’ forte, Koenig says he and his team also have carpentry and handyman skills. And if they can’t do it, Koenig knows someone who can. After decades on the job, Koenig knows professionals in every field of home improvement and says he only recommends the best of the best.

His clients nearly all find him from word of mouth, and thank goodness word on platforms like the Facebook moms’ groups is good—“they can make or break you, and they’re phenomenal to me,” Koenig says.

Megan Fox, a Ho-Ho-Kus homeowner and real estate professional, says she’s used Koenig and his crew personally and confidently recommends them to her clients.

“His attention to detail, reliability, and workmanship consistently deliver exceptional results,” Fox says. “Jerry always goes above and beyond for his clients.”

Koenig says he feels blessed to do work he takes pride in in a town he loves. He works with a dedicated team that knows what they’re doing and puts homeowners at ease.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and we’re so lucky that we work steadily year-round,” he says. And while once the idea of leaving Ho-Ho-Kus to tour with his band and make it big was at the forefront of Koenig’s mind, he credits his small-town upbringing for keeping him and his crew grounded through their journey. He couldn’t imagine a better place for him and his fiancée to raise their children—two girls and two boys.

But did the band ever get back together? Koenig says they recently did for a friend’s 50th birthday, and (occasional) future shows aren’t out of the question.

“It was so much fun—there were no managers, and no lawyers. It was just for fun, and we weren’t trying to get a record deal.”

For more about Koenig Contracting/Paint Troopers, visit The Paint Troopers—Koenig Contracting on Facebook, or call 201-280-9198.

Painting 101

How do you know when it’s time to paint the exterior of your home?

Koenig says if you’re not noticing peeling or chipping and you think your house looks OK, a first step to keeping it that way and staying on top of maintenance is to have the house “soft-washed.” The Paint Troopers spray the house with a cleaning agent and then rinse it. The idea that power washing your home keeps it clean is outdated, he says.

“It does more damage than good. It’s too much water and too much pressure, and it’s very rarely needed,” Koenig says. “It’s like taking a shower without soap.”

Soft washing prolongs the life of a paint job and removes bacteria that can eat away at paint, Koenig says. It also allows you to stay on top of any painting jobs needed, as those doing the work will see every square inch of the home and make timely recommendations.

Tips on narrowing down paint colors:

If you have a color family in mind, Koenig says he can tell you the go-to colors in that family. With an art background and decades of industry experience, he enjoys sharing his expertise with clients. Stores like Waldwick Paint & Wallpaper Company also have a color consultant that will work with you for free, Koenig says. And if you want to hire someone to come to your house and make recommendations based on permanent fixtures in your home, like the flooring or fireplace, Koenig works with decorators he can recommend.

When is the time to think about painting your home?

If it’s an exterior job, it’s a good idea to start talking to a professional in late winter/early spring to get on their books. And if you’re selling your home and want to refresh interior paint jobs, Koenig says his company is happy to work with your timeline and has “made miracles happen” for those with a time crunch.

Photographs by Joe Nolan and courtesy of Jerry Koenig

Sarah Nolan is a writer with a passion for telling people’s stories. A Ho-Ho-Kus native, she believes in the power of local journalism to connect and inform residents and foster a sense of community.