As she carefully brushed green paint on the wall of the new company headquarters, Sherell Brown couldn’t help but think about the future.
The future when Divisions Maintenance Group is all settled into its new HQ in downtown Cincinnati.
The future when Brown and her coworkers are all together under one roof.
The future when she can look at the completed 68-foot by 18-foot mural on the wall and say, I was part of that. I painted those bushes. I painted that river.
“I signed up because it looked fun, and I wanted to contribute to something in our new building,” said Brown, a senior receptionist who has been with DMG for nearly three years. “I’m excited. I’m ready to be here. I’m looking forward to all of us finally being in one building.”
As a finishing touch on the new HQ at The Foundry, DMG partnered with ArtWorks Cincinnati to paint a large, original mural on the top floor. To make the mural even more special, DMG employees got the chance to help paint.
The mural features a man sitting on a truck in Northern Kentucky, looking across the river toward the Cincinnati skyline. There are bourbon barrels in the back of the truck — a nod to DMG’s Kentucky roots — and a red-winged blackbird in the sky. The red-winged blackbird is a large Kentucky bird that also lives in Ohio, signifying DMG’s commitment to both sides of the river.
The bourbon barrels are etched with 1999, DMG’s founding year.
Here’s what the painting experience and the new HQ mean to a just few DMG employees:
Alicia Brown, Training Specialist
Brown joined DMG during the COVID-19 pandemic, so her in-person interactions with her coworkers have been less than she would have liked. She can’t wait to be together in the new space, truly living out the company motto of “As One.”
“Everyone has an attitude of wonder,” Brown said of the new HQ and the move to Cincinnati, “and I just feed off that energy. If I can participate in that and be a part of something bigger, I’m always going to take that chance.”
Jeremy MacWalter, Product Operations Coordinator
MacWalter has been with DMG for about two years, but he plans to stay for a long career. He can’t wait to look at the mural years from now and know he played a part.
“I like the idea of being able to put a thumbprint on the new HQ,” he said, “to be able to say, ‘Wow, I helped paint that.'”
Kelsey Vonderhaar, Graphic Designer
Vonderhaar minored in fine arts and photography in college, so she jumped at the chance to put those skills to use in her day job. Her work will be mostly on the fourth floor in the new HQ, so she’ll get to see the mural every day.
“I’ll be able to look over and see something I contributed to,” she said, “even if it is just a small part.”
Hannah Huddle, Operations Coordinator
Huddle loves art, especially when it’s something everyone can do. With the mural, it’s a lasting contribution to the new HQ, something she’ll be able to look back on her entire career.
“I’m really excited to see the finished product,” she said. “I love the original design. I love that it represents Cincinnati as well as Kentucky. It incorporates our company history.”
