George Williams Jr., 27

When George Williams Jr. joined the family business, A.G. Williams Painting Co., in 2012, he knew expectations would be high. But exceeding those expectations hasn’t been a problem; in fact, he was recently promoted to director of inside operations — overseeing the implementation of safety protocols and employee-training programs, as well as conducting recruitment drives. In his short time with the company, Williams has helped the firm cut costs, improve safety standards, and develop new systems and processes. He also revamped the employee handbook, developed a new company-safety handbook and established a training program to teach new recruits how to paint professionally. “There aren’t many people coming into this profession with the skillsets required,” Williams says. The Pelham-based company will be needing additional employees when they open an office in Connecticut in the near future. Williams is up for the challenge: “Our goal is to think of recruiting like marketing,” he says. That means working with BOCES and other trade schools, building a careers page on their website and exploring radio advertisements.