Jurasic said that while the company was an existing business when he purchased it, "We've had to build our own rapport with the customer base and we've been successful at that."

"I was taught a lot by the distribution network that I worked with when I was at Garmat," he said, referring to his previous job.  He added that he has used those lessons to help shape his business, including his emphasis on providing repair and maintenance.

"I came from the service department," Jurasic said.  "That's where it all started for me, so I understand the importance of making sure that equipment is operating properly and being able to respond quickly when it's not.

"We need to be able to take care of the small issues that happen day to day and not just be focused on selling the large-ticket items," he said.

Jurasic said Service Manager Jim Taylor, the kind of person "who can fix anything,"  is backed up by Ryan Adams, an expert on paint booths who handles all of the company's installations, and assistant Robin Frey, who is quickly learning the ropes.

"Having technicians who are reliable and trained well is a very important part of our business," he said.

As the service business has grown, Jurasic said he sees the need for a larger supply of repair parts on hand for all popular makes of booths, frame equipment, and other equipment, and he is moving to build  up that inventory.

In addition, Jurasic said the company has been buying an assortment of specialty fixtures and clamps that can be rented by shops as needed.  "The shops will no longer need to wait for the fixture to be shipped in from out of town or pay for the freight," he said.

Jurasic said the company was joined by Terry Pallas, former owner of Pallas Equipment, last summer, and he is now handling sales of the company's line of products in Colorado and Nebraska.  Don Herrell and Steve Stout also represent the company in some areas of Nebraska, he said.

Jurasic said that as the number of new shops entering the market has slowed, owners are focusing on upgrading equipment with technology that offers improved efficiency.  He gave as examples frame-measuring equipment using bar-code scanners to automatically load vehicle data and download specifications from the Internet, and programmable spot welders that can weld high-strength steels.

Jurasic said that continuing high utility costs are also building interest in more energy-efficient spray booths.