Piamonte Painting & Wallcovering (a division of Piamonte Corp.) is one of the most established commercial painting and coating applicators in Ottawa. We specialize in handling not only large-scale volume projects, but many at the same time. Along with the interior painting of high-rise residential projects, we are also experienced wallpaper/vinyl/mural installers, as well as being experienced applicators of many specialized coating systems, from high-performance coatings such as epoxies and urethanes, exterior building façade painting (brick/stucco/other etc), specialized steel painting systems, and traffic topping membranes.

Our business model is built around volume and both our office and field staff are well trained, efficient, and reliable.

Salvatore “Sal” Piamonte arrived at the Halifax harbour in 1952, setting foot on a cold landscape that did not speak his native language, and with only $300 in his pocket. This was far different than what he knew growing up in his hometown of Palermo, Sicily. These were difficult times, and not without their heartbreak and challenges, as he left behind his wife, Nina, and his two sons, Pat (Pasquale), and Rosario (Sam) behind so that he could try to find and provide a better life for them in Canada. He had been a leather worker in Italy, and hoped for something… anything better for he and his growing family.

“Sal” found work in construction, working long hours as a construction worker in the building trades, and began to save his hard-earned money. He also often worked dangerous side jobs such as cutting ice out of the frozen Ottawa River which provided a little bit of extra money. He was dedicated, motivated, disciplined. These were difficult times. By 1954, he eventually earned enough money to send home to his wife to bring her, and their two sons to finally join him in Canada. A short while later, on Canadian Soil, daughters Theresa (Lea), and Ena (Enuccia) would join the household.

Initially, “Sal” worked for Robert Campeau who was the largest builder in Ottawa at the time. After a few years, the company “J.I. Haas” from New Jersey took over the trade contracts and “Sal” was promoted to “General Foreman” for the company. A short time later, however, J.I. Haas returned to the US, and that is where our company got its start, as “Sal” took over the housing painting contracts, and in 1973, “Sal Piamonte & Sons Limited Painting Contractors” was formed.

Subsequently, “Sal Piamonte & Sons Limited Painting Contractors” undertook both painting and drywalling for many local builders, and by the 60’s and 70’s, the company had contracts to paint all of the homes built by Robert Campeau and many others in the area. By the mid-1970’s, the company employed more than 200 men and women. This was an affirming time, and we were fortunate to have earned the opportunity of being in the good graces of Minto's legendary visionary founder, Irving Greenberg, who had our company undertaking the painting in all of their new housing and building developments in the city at that time. 

From 1976–1980, the company had expanded its reach to Florida, where it was undertaking painting and drywall contracts for two other Ottawa builders at the time, Wes Nicol of Tartan, and Lyon Sachs of Urbandale. Everything was moving along fine and growing until the real estate market in Florida crashed in 1980, the same year that founder “Sal” Piamonte passed away.

Around this time, eldest son, Pat, ventured off to build and become the first successful large-scale luxury home builder in the city with his company, “Woodlea Homes,” which was growing at an exponential pace until his sudden and unexpected passing in 1993. Sam and his sister Theresa, committed and undeterred, continued to run and grow the painting company, now known as Piamonte Corp. Together, they forged the company forward by maintaining a reputation of commitment to quality and service. Our family is proud to say that many projects all over the city and surrounding areas (with many different builders) have our brush strokes all over their histories. From large-scale residential projects to residential towers, government facilities, educational buildings, both in painting, drywall, and renovations, and many things in between, Piamonte has now consistently delivered and maintained a reputation for quality and service for more than 50 years.

Planted firmly in the Commercial Painting field, Piamonte Corp. specializes in all kinds of high-performance painting applications from commercial to industrial and beyond.

In essence, Piamonte Corp. has been a part of the Ottawa construction industry fabric from the very beginning, and despite some tough and lean times, economic slides and downturns, and unpredictable trends over the years, Sam & Theresa weathered many storms and stayed the course through blood, sweat, and tears to get the company to where it is today. Along the way, Ena’s husband, Leonard Murphy, who at the time was the CEO of the LPGA in Canada (Ladies Professional Golf Association), made a difficult decision to leave his prestigious post and joined the Piamonte family business, having had very little prior construction industry experience. This is a testament to the old adage, “Family First.” Dedication, sacrifice, perseverance, and a willingness to learn helped him to help Sam & Theresa grow and establish Piamonte’s commercial division, which in 1995, successfully landed a large-scale commercial painting contract with Canada’s largest builder, PCL, for the Perley Veteran’s Hospital in Ottawa.

The early 1990’s and 2000’s ushered in a whole new era of Piamonte roots into the business. At one point or another, many of “Sal’s” grandchildren all worked in the family business. He would be proud to know that they would go on to become successful teachers, doctors, directors in government, and even a 3rd generation heir to the company he founded. A far cry from the life he had living on the streets of Palermo, shining shoes and trying to survive. “Sal’s” eldest grandchild, Sam’s son, Maurizio (Salvatore), who also carries his name’s sake, is currently the Vice-President of Piamonte Corp, and has helped to grow and evolve the company’s presence and scope of services, including high-performance and traffic coatings in commercial and industrial applications, as well as continuing to grow the commercial and industrial painting divisions.

With an expanded footprint into the coatings business, Piamonte Corp. continues to deliver quality coating products and services to the Ottawa construction industry with expansion into different territories on the horizon. For years we have been asked why we have never advertised, or even had a website (until now), but that is simply because we have never had to. This is not borne of arrogance, rather, the proud sentiment that after 50 years, all of our contracts have come from “word of mouth” and reputation. It would be surprising to learn that Piamonte was not invited to bid or tender on any large-scale projects across the city, a testament to the foundation laid by our forefather, “Sal” Piamonte, who started from almost nothing but sacrificed everything he had to give his family a better life, and who preached and upheld a standard of honesty, integrity, hard work, and excellence in the way he conducted his business. A legacy upheld to this day.

But a new age also ushers in a new era. Business is still based on relationships but access to information, more than at any time in our history, has been dominated by the sharing of digital information and communication. Ottawa is a city growing at an exponential rate with many new investors joining the Ottawa construction landscape. And so, after 50 years, we have decided to welcome a more public and digital presence online in order to be able to provide some kind of introduction to new developers, builders, and ownership groups who are beginning to establish themselves in the city. If you are one of these groups (or existing and established already) looking to inquire more about our services and abilities to competitively price and package your projects, possibly with more than one scope of work, please drop a line to say hello. We look forward to forging new partner relationships and helping you to bring your new projects to life—on time, on budget, and with our proud and unwavering commitment to quality and service.