About us

Lawrence Decorating Service, Inc. was founded in 1951 by Virgil Schmidtberger. In true entrepreneurial spirit, Virgil started the company out of his garage on Alabama Street, commuting to job sites by city bus—ladder in hand, held outside the window.

In 1971, Virgil’s son, Gary, and a new employee, David Aikins, joined the company. Over time, Gary and David took the reins, expanding the business to serve northeast and central Kansas.

The company later transitioned to new ownership under Fernando and Kerry Velilla. Having collaborated with Fernando for many years on construction projects in Lawrence and beyond, Dave and Gary trusted he was the right person to lead the business into its next era. The Velillas saw this as a perfect opportunity to combine Fernando’s construction expertise with Kerry’s business acumen.

In March 2025, the business entered its newest chapter when it was acquired by Jeff Engroff and rebranded as Sunflower Painting Solutions. Jeff brings extensive industry experience as the owner of Sunflower Paving (since 2007) and RD Johnson (since 2021), ensuring a continued commitment to quality and service.

As Sunflower Painting Solutions, we remain dedicated to delivering exceptional craftsmanship while building on the legacy of those who came before us.