"You can see me now or see me later," D&D Enterprise's Owner Duane Jenkins likes to say when he talks about paint booth maintenance and service.  If body shops don't stay current and fail to get their paint booths serviced as prescribed by the manufacturer, it can end up costing them considerably more in time and money down the line, Jenkins said.

"If you don't change your filters when you're supposed to, it can cost you a ton in the long run," he said.  "It's just common sense.  You'll get dirt in your product, which means you'll be spending a lot of valuable shop time rubbing out vehicles.  It can really affect the shop's profit margin because you'll end up spending additional time on cars when it could be easily avoided."

Jenkins, 61, said he has seen the automotive painting industry change in leaps and bounds since he started working on paint systems and spray booths 22 years ago.

The change to waterbourne paint is just another one of those changes, he said.

"Waterborne is nothing new -- they've been using it in Europe for a long time.  It's a better way of doing things.  The country's going green, and it's a good thing."

Waterborne paint requires more turbulent air, Jenkins said. "You'll need to increase your air flow, that's for sure," he said.  "It's more crucial with waterborne because before, they were using solvents to adjust drying times.  Now, they're relying on the air to dry these vehicles, and it's a going to be more important to have fans and blowers that are stronger and more reliable."

D&D installs and services spray booths, including large-scale installations, such as one the company recently did with Siemens Corp., installing and servicing paint booths used to paint airplanes and trains, Jenkins said.

D&D does 60 percent of its business with automotive body shops, with the rest of its work coming from industrial applications, such as painting trains, planes, and farm machinery, Jenkins said.  The company has two trucks and operates out of a 5,000-square-foot warehouse, he said.

"We strive to be a one-stop source for anything that has to do with the maintenance, operation, and installation of paint booths," he said. "From filters to fan blades, from air supply systems to prep stations and curtains, if you need it, we have it and can service it."

Jenkins said body shops tend to skimp on things like filters and fans when money gets tight. 

 
"Shop owners want to put out a good product, but they don't always see the big picture," he said.  "Maintaining their spray booth is a make-or-break situation, but it's the last thing on their minds in many cases."

D&D General Manager Ernie Green said that when there's a breakdown, getting his customers' spray booths up and running again is a top priority.

"We know that when their booth is down, it's costing them money and the clock is running," Green said.  "So, we get out there as quickly as we can, within 24 hours or sooner, in most cases."