Paul Hulme

Chairman, Founder & CEO
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Mr. Paul L. Hulme is Chairman, Founder & CEO of Alain Pinel Realtors, the fifth largest residential real estate firm in the United States and the largest privately-owned residential real estate company in California based on its closed sales volume.

He co-founded the brokerage in Saratoga, California in 1990, with Helen Pastorino and Alain Pinel. They settled on the company name, "Alain Pinel Realtors, Inc.", after approximately 10 names were rejected by the Secretary of State because they too closely resembled existing firms.

Less than two months after the first office opened in August, 1990, Alain Pinel left the company and returned to his native France. Helen left in 1995, leaving Paul as sole owner.


BACKGROUND:

 

Paul came from humble beginnings. He was born on a farm in southern Utah that was previously an Indian burial ground. His parents and their six children lived in the two bedroom house that had been an Indian school. It was located three miles out of town and was without electricity and water. Coal oil lamps and Coleman lanterns provided all lighting. All drinking and other water was carried from town in five-gallon milk cans tied to their Graham Paige car. All eight took their turn in the same water for their weekly bath in the round metal wash tub. As Paul remembers, it was always cold there (even when it was warm).

Beginning his business career at the age of eight, he delivered newspapers both on morning and evening routes for eight years, in addition to normal farm chores.

As a boxer and wrestler in high school, he went undefeated in boxing, and his only loss in wrestling was in his senior year at the finals of the all-state wrestling meet in Ogden, Utah.

By the time he was 24 he had earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Utah, completed his tour of duty as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force, served a two and a half year mission in Germany for his church, was accepted into medical school at the University of Utah, founded and operated a successful chain link fence contracting business, and established himself as a full-time licensed life insurance agent. He became the District Manager of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company in San Jose, California, at age 28, and was ordained the Bishop of his church at age 31.

Paul chose a business career rather than entering medical school. As a life-long entrepreneur he has usually had several businesses going simultaneously, including founding, owning, and operating the following:

 

  • Professional Maintenance Co., Inc.
  • Professional Cleaning Products Corporation
  • Professional Janitorial Supply Company
  • Nationwide Building Maintenance Company
  • The Imperial Valet
  • H&H Properties
  • Kelly Arabians
  • Paul L. Hulme Associates
  • Congress Mortgage Company, Inc.
  • Equity Holders Servicing Company, Inc.
  • 1602 Alameda Associates, Inc.
  • APR Properties/Estates Management, Inc.
  • Affinity Software, Inc.
  • Alain Pinel Realtors, Inc.