Owned and Led by Eric Rakunas and Matt Mason
Our Story
Trusting someone with your home or business takes more than a quick search online. A&A Painting, Inc was founded in 2000 by Eric Rakunas, and we have grown alongside the Chicago community ever since. In 2019, Matt Mason became a partner and co-owner when he merged Captain Matt’s Deck Hands into A&A Painting, Inc. As a veteran-owned and locally owned business, we treat every property like it belongs to a neighbor, because it usually does. More than twenty-five years later, that same standard still guides every project we take on.
Meet The Team
Eric Rakunas
OwnerEric Rakunas
Owner
After graduating from Western Illinois University in 1998, owner Eric Rakunas decided to pursue a career in the service industry. He founded A&A Painting, Inc in 2000. What began as a small company with only 2 employees has grown over the years to employ 10 individuals. Eric strives to not only perform top-quality work but also to provide life-long careers for his employees.
A&A Painting, Inc specializes in interior and exterior painting, powerwashing, and light construction, in both residential and commercial settings. Eric also works as the general contractor on large-scale remodeling and construction projects.
Matt Mason
OwnerMatt Mason
Owner
After serving for 9 years in the United States Marine Corps, Matt and his family moved back to the area and started a painting company. Over the next years, as his business grew he looked for ways to improve his process. It was during this time that Matt came on board as a partner with A&A Painting in 2019. Matt enjoys spending his days building great relationships with our customers and running the day to day operations of the business. He lives in Geneva with his wife, Linnea, their 4 kids, and their dog.
RICK RUBICZ
Paint Project SpecialistRICK RUBICZ
Paint Project Specialist
When Rick isn’t helping homeowners transform their spaces, he enjoys spending quality time with his wife and two daughters, who are the center of his life. In his free time, you’ll often find Rick riding his motorcycle, mountain biking, playing the drums, or enjoying the outdoors whenever he can. He believes the same values that guide his family life—hard work, honesty, and treating people with respect—are the foundation of how he approaches every customer and every project.
MICHAEL RUBICZ
Project ManagerMICHAEL RUBICZ
Project Manager
Michael strives to utilize 25+ yrs. experience in construction/remodeling and professional coatings application in his natural progression to managing projects, providing direction and feedback to our crews, while working closely with clients to achieve total satisfaction and jobsite success. Seeking a harmoniously universal process for all things A&A operations, while keeping work fun and interesting, helps to create a work environment in which all can thrive and continue success in the painting trade industry. Rock on!
MIKE BASSO
Kitchen Cabinet Team Leader / Project ManagerMIKE BASSO
Kitchen Cabinet Team Leader / Project Manager
Mike Basso is an experienced craftsman specializing in professional cabinet refinishing, transforming outdated kitchens into beautiful, refreshed spaces. His meticulous attention to detail, commitment to quality, and dedication to customer satisfaction ensure every project exceeds expectations. With a true passion for woodworking, Mike combines creativity, precision, and expert craftsmanship to deliver stunning, long-lasting finishes that enhance the beauty and value of every home.
When he’s not bringing kitchens back to life, you can usually find Mike behind the drum kit on weekends, playing with his band, Doom Service. Whether he’s perfecting a cabinet finish or laying down a beat, he brings the same passion, energy, and attention to detail to everything he does.
LAURA VANGEMERT
Paint Project SpecialistLAURA VANGEMERT
Paint Project Specialist
After spending 26 years on a ladder and a brush in her hand, Laura is excited to be a part of A&A Painting as a Paint Project Specialist. This role has been a great way for her to stay active in the industry while putting her years of knowledge and experience to work helping customers make the right decisions for their painting projects. When Laura isn’t working, she and her husband love traveling to visit their kids who live out of state. You can also find them buzzing around town on their E-bikes, playing pickleball, or grabbing a cold one and enjoying time together.
MATT STERN
Paint Project SpecialistMATT STERN
Paint Project Specialist
Matt grew up in St. Charles and now lives in Geneva with his wife and their three kids. He loves the Tri-Cities and feels incredibly fortunate to be raising his family here.
One of the things Matt enjoys most about his work is being out in the community. Being invited into someone’s home to help with a painting project is a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly, but it’s also something he genuinely enjoys. He loves helping homeowners bring their ideas to life and making the process as easy and enjoyable as possible.
Outside of work, Matt is a big soccer fan, especially Manchester United. He also enjoys coffee, cooking (not baking!), and traveling with his family.
BRETT MILLER
Paint Project SpecialistBRETT MILLER
Paint Project Specialist
With 23 years of experience, Brett has built a career in delivering quality, expertise, and exceptional customer service. Now transitioning into a Paint Project Specialist role, he is excited to help clients bring their painting projects to life with trusted guidance and hands-on support. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his son, Payton, and daughter, PJ. A lifelong Chicago Bears fan, he’s always ready to cheer on his favorite team and tackle every project with the same passion and dedication.
DEANNA AQUINO
Scheduling CoordinatorDEANNA AQUINO
Scheduling Coordinator
After spending 10 years selling paint, Deanna traded paint samples for schedules, spreadsheets, and keeping chaos (mostly) under control. She keeps projects moving, calendars organized, and the team on track—proving that a little organization (and a lot of Red Bull) goes a long way. When Deanna isn’t keeping things running at work, you’ll find her spending time with family or being bossed around by her son, Andres, and her two dogs, Ghost and Lexie.
IRV DURROW
Project ManagerIRV DURROW
Project Manager
With over 30 years of professional experience, Irv has built a career grounded in leadership, reliability, and problem-solving. As he transitions into Project Management, he brings decades of hands-on experience and a strong commitment to delivering results. Irv has also been happily married for 18 years and is a proud father of three amazing children—Xavier, Aubrie, and Maecy.
Our Core Values
Integrity
You can trust that we do what we say we will do, even when no one is checking. That means honest estimates, honest timelines, and honest answers when something does not go as planned. Our name has been on every job for 25 years, and we intend to keep it that way.
Authenticity
We are a real, local company, not a franchise or a call center. The people who answer the phone are the same people who stand behind the work. You get local painters who know the region. What you see is what you get, from the first walkthrough to the final coat of paint.
Joy
Painting is hard, physical work, and we believe it should still be work our crew takes pride in. A team that enjoys what they do shows up with better attention to detail, and that shows in the finished project on your property.
Service
Every decision comes back to one question: does this serve the customer well? From daily communication to a full cleanup before we call a job finished, service is not an add-on. It is the standard we hold every project to, on every property we touch.
