We’re honored that you’d take time away from busy schedules, families, and your weekend time to celebrate what we’ve been up to.
Like so many others, the telling of our story doesn’t start with us and never will. That honor falls to our predecessors and champions, whose audacity to hope, gall to persevere, and gift of guidance in all things, set the stage for all that is and comes next. May our hands continue the work you started.
The first improvised and famously fumbled telling of our vision for these brands was delivered in the safe company of our dear friend, Mallorie Langston, when three macarons served as visual proxies on a plate for Chroma, Luma, and Alpha. Macarons saved the day and sold the vision, solidifying them as an accidental, yet none-the-less vital and tasty part of our team’s culture. Removing the sugar rush from the original telling, our story goes along the lines of…
Chroma Coatings started in 2017, when fourth generation painter, AJ Dressler, took his learnings from Raleigh-Durham’s tech startup scene and set out to build a different kind of trades company. Chroma’s continued growth in commercial and residential painting and flooring is directly attributed to the Chroma difference, where handshakes, partnerships, honesty and quality still matter. Chroma’s crews are the secret sauce, bringing over 100 years of expertise and artistry into our customer’s spaces.
With aspirations including the controlled expansion of Chroma’s ongoing operations across the Southeast, the development of a turnkey business management tool for painters, and the formalization of a non-profit with the mission of doing lasting good for families in impoverished communities, AJ recognized in 2023 that he needed help to win in every arena, and he turned wrenches on building his dream team.
CEO & Partner
COO & Partner
CMO & Partner
Sales Director
Commercial Partnership Manager
Luma Works is being born out of necessity. This intuitive, multilingual mobile platform was designed with painters, for painters, streamlining project management, customer communication, and financial tracking. Luma fills a critical gap in the industry, providing tools that empower painting crews to operate efficiently and sustainably. With Luma, we bring cutting-edge technology to the trades, supporting not only our Chroma teams but painters worldwide in an industry that demands precision and accountability. Keeping with our unyielding belief in the power of partnerships, we are proud to be working alongside of Zero Copy Labs and ProdUx Design on this empowering software solution. While development of the software
The Alpha Foundation of NC began with a simple invitation from our friends and painting crew members to visit Honduras and see the challenges their communities face firsthand. What we encountered in Catacamas was eye-opening—families struggling for basic necessities like clean water, healthcare, and education, yet filled with resilience and strength. Moved by this experience, we returned with a commitment not only to support these communities but to empower them towards self-sufficiency.
Alpha has became the heart of our collective mission. Through Alpha, we channel our resources and compassion back into communities like Catacamas, aiming to break cycles of dependency by providing clean water access, healthcare assistance, and educational resources. More than a charity, Alpha is a commitment to lasting, meaningful change—empowering families to thrive independently and sustainably.
Together, Chroma, Luma, and Alpha form a unified mission. Chroma elevates the trade, Luma empowers it through technology, and Alpha expands our impact to the communities that need it most. Each brand reinforces the other, creating a cycle of growth, empowerment, and purpose. This is more than business; it’s a movement driven by the belief that we can make a difference. Join us as we continue to build, innovate, and uplift.
