Business Details
50+ Years
experience
Expert Painting & Decorating Services in Glasgow
Established in 1959 by Sir Jack Harvie CBE, our company has evolved from a decorative partnership into a leading contracting firm serving diverse sectors. With over six decades of experience, we specialise in delivering high-quality painting and decorating services for schools, museums, government buildings, hospitals, housing stock refurbishments, and commercial projects. Our team comprises directly employed, skilled tradesmen, many of whom began their careers with us, ensuring continuity of expertise. Management and supervisors maintain long-term commitments, supported by ongoing CITB and health & safety training to meet evolving industry standards. Our workforce of 150 includes qualified tradesmen with City & Guilds certifications and apprentices undergoing structured four-year programs.We operate under a strict ISO 9001:2008-compliant quality management system, adopting a zero-defects culture to guarantee defect-free projects. Our ethos prioritises professionalism, efficiency, reliability, and environmental responsibility, eliminating subcontractors to ensure cost-effectiveness and direct accountability. Longstanding relationships with suppliers enable competitive pricing without compromising material quality, while our proactive management approach ensures client requirements are met from initial enquiry to project completion.
Services
Painting
Decorating
Commercial Projects
Housing Refurbishment
Apprenticeship Training
Details
- Year established: 1959
Highlights and features
- We have over 65 years of experience in painting and decorating contracts.
- Our directly employed tradesmen ensure consistent quality and accountability.
- We operate a zero-defects culture with ISO 9001-certified quality control.
- No subcontractors are used, eliminating additional costs and ensuring direct oversight.
- Our apprenticeship programme maintains industry expertise across generations.
Associations and certifications
- ISO 9001
Services
Painting
Our painting services combine traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques to deliver durable, aesthetically pleasing finishes. We cater to commercial, residential, and public sector clients, ensuring compliance with health & safety standards. Our directly employed tradesmen use high-quality materials sourced through long-standing supplier relationships.
Decorating
Specialising in decorative finishes for walls and ceilings, our team provides bespoke solutions for both historic and contemporary properties. Services include specialist coatings, wall coverings, and decorative effects tailored to client specifications across schools, museums, and healthcare facilities.
Commercial Projects
We deliver large-scale painting and decorating contracts for commercial buildings, including offices, retail spaces, and industrial facilities. Our project management team ensures minimal disruption to business operations while maintaining strict quality control and adherence to deadlines.
Housing Refurbishment
Our housing stock refurbishment services address both aesthetic and functional requirements for social housing providers. We work with housing associations and councils to improve living conditions through exterior and interior painting, weatherproofing, and maintenance programs.
Apprenticeship Training
We operate a four-year apprenticeship programme that combines on-site training with college education. This initiative ensures the transfer of skills between generations while maintaining industry standards through City & Guilds-certified training pathways.
People
Sir Jack Harvie
Chairman and Owner
Founder of J S Harvie since 1959, Sir Jack established the company as a family-run partnership. With over six decades of industry experience, he continues to oversee operations while mentoring the next generation through our apprenticeship programme.
Questions
What sectors do you specialise in?
We work across commercial, residential, healthcare, education, and public sectors including schools, hospitals, and housing associations.
Are your tradesmen directly employed?
Yes, all our operatives are directly employed with no subcontractors used across our projects.
Do you offer apprenticeship opportunities?
We operate a four-year apprenticeship programme in partnership with colleges for career development in painting and decorating.
How do you ensure quality control?
We maintain ISO 9001 certification with a zero-defects culture and pre-agreed quality benchmarks with clients.
What areas do you cover?
Based in Glasgow, we operate UK-wide with established teams in multiple locations.
