Luu Color Center in Rockville has been recognized by ADP, a payroll and HR provider, as one of 10 recipients nationwide of its 2026 Grit & Wisdom Awards, an honor celebrating small business owners who have demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and leadership while navigating major operational challenges.
Luu Color Center owner Huong Luu was recognized for stepping in to lead the longtime Rockville paint store after the unexpected passing of her father, the company’s founder. At just 27 years old and without prior business experience, Luu suddenly became responsible for operating the business with no succession plan or training period in place.
Rather than closing the business, Luu chose to rebuild and restructure the company while preserving her father’s legacy. According to ADP, she worked to stabilize cash flow, renegotiate supplier agreements, lead employees, rebuild pricing models, streamline backend operations, and establish systems designed to strengthen the business for the future.
“Confidence didn’t arrive all at once, but it grew quietly through consistent action,” Luu shared through ADP. “I learned that a business cannot depend on one person’s knowledge alone. We rebuilt our operations so information lives in systems, not memory. I also learned that leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about creating stability when others feel uncertain.”
ADP highlighted that the transformation helped position the business for intentional long-term growth while creating stronger operational foundations. “What began as a loss became an opportunity to rebuild the company with stronger foundations than ever before,” Luu said. “We operate with clearer systems, stronger financial awareness and a leadership philosophy grounded in accountability rather than assumption. The wisdom I carry now is that resilience isn’t about returning to what was; it’s about becoming stronger because of what happened.”
The awards were announced during National Small Business Week and selected from nearly 1,300 small business stories submitted from across the country. ADP said the entrepreneurs recognized this year shared lessons that can help other small business owners navigate disruption and build stronger foundations for long-term growth.
