The Beginning of A.G. Williams Painting Company

In 1904, Arthur G. Ratsikas immigrated to America from Greece, after spending a short time in Turkey. His name was changed to Arthur Rogers at Ellis Island and he settled in Worcester, Massachusetts. To earn a living, Arthur worked as a cabinet finisher for a piano manufacturer, but he quickly became dissatisfied. He moved to New York City and started going door-to-door as a painter and handyman in Greenwich Village. By 1906, he established a painting company and, shortly thereafter, hired his first employee. Because he exclusively used Sherwin Williams products, he decided to change his surname to Williams, believing it would enhance his credibility in the painting industry.

Arthur built a house in the North Bronx for himself and his wife Angelica in 1920. His first son, George A. Williams, was born in 1924, and would later take over the business. One year later, Arthur had a second child and a thriving paint business with twelve employees and two paint stores. As the business continued to expand, Arthur's family continued to grow and three more children were born.

Through the financially hard times of the Great Depression, Arthur made a commitment to his employees to keep them working – he knew that they had families to support – and he kept that promise. The company survived the Great Depression but it took its toll on Arthur's health. By 1946 the company was a hollow shell of its former self