Gemstone Powder Coating Customer Spotlight
We recently got the chance to talk with Max Rasmussen, the founder of Gemstone Powder Coating in Rexburg, Idaho. Gemstone provides high-quality powder coating services to customers throughout the region.
Like many small business owners, Max started by recognizing a demand that wasn’t being fulfilled and saw an opportunity. He launched a company to provide coating services that were badly needed in his area. By investing in a large batch powder coating system from Reliant, which included blasting and coating equipment and a 12’ x 12’ x 35’ curing oven, Max was able to accommodate projects that were simply too large for his competitors.
Can you give us a brief history of your company?
Sure! We’re a new powder coating company located in eastern Idaho. I’ve been in and around the industry for almost two decades, but Gemstone has only been up and running for a little over three months now, so we’re brand new to the market.
What made you decide to get into powder coating?
I’ve been a fabricator and welder for years and have worked with several different finishes. I’d been around powder coating and wet paint for a long time and noticed a demand in our area for premium quality finishes. Gemstone provides coating services to high-end clientele from nearby communities like Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There’s a lot of growth, which provides new construction and remodeling work, as well as the opportunity to meet new business clients.
What makes you unique in your market?
We super-sized our system because there’s a need in our area for equipment that can accommodate larger projects—plus we wanted to have that advantage over our competitors. A bigger powder coating system gives us greater flexibility and expands our reach in the market. We’re a custom coater, so if you’ve got wheels, car or truck parts, lawn furniture, a custom bumper, ATV/UTV accessories, etc. we’ll take care of you. We can coat larger parts and assemblies like handrails, fencing, or ag equipment with ease.
Another thing we’re focused on is lead time. No one wants to wait a month for powder coating. Bigger equipment means we can do larger batches and maintain excellent throughput. Quick turnaround has given us a definite edge over the competition, along with the quality of our finish work.
What has having in-house powder coating capabilities allowed you to do?
Well, we control the entire process from start to finish. We can design your product, build it, blast it to prep for coating, powder coat it, and even install it. We’re in control of the whole project. Even if it’s just a small powder coating job, we can get better results than other shops because we have the tools for any size job and the added experience of working with large and challenging projects.
You purchased a blast enclosure from Reliant as well. I imagine that’s also helped with quality control.
Absolutely. The ability to properly prep parts ensures a superior finished product. One of our customers had just been wiping down parts and roller brushing them with macropoxy. We were able to provide a much better finish for them with a lot less hassle. For many industrial/commercial applications, blasting can enable us to achieve a durable, attractive finish at a lower cost. Having a large blast booth also allows us to offer stand-alone blasting services for customers who need to have parts or equipment sandblasted, but don’t need to have them coated.
You chose cartridge filtration systems on both your blast room and your powder spray booth. Can you tell us how effective those units have been?
They work very well for our style of use. At a previous facility, the booth had cartridge filters, but the air was exhausted outside. On our Reliant booth, the final filters on the exhaust unit allow us to reuse shop air. The shop stays relatively clean and we don’t have to pump in make-up air. We still have some maintenance–you know you’ve got to keep up on things–but it’s been really nice. These units work well.
What made you decide to buy Reliant equipment?
We looked at a few different brands as we got going, and with Reliant it was just a feeling. We went with our gut. Communication was there, pricing was reasonable, and everything felt right. Quality was another factor. We could tell just by talking with you guys that you take pride in your products and care about what you send out. So, it felt right for us to do business with folks who shared our drive to do quality work and support our customers.
What are the future plans for Gemstone?
For now, we’re concentrating on doing quality work, providing local jobs, and being a good resource for our community. We’re excited to grow and give back and create new opportunities. Growth and expansion are definitely things we want in the future. We may branch into other areas of the finishing world like Cerakote. I want to be known for producing high quality finishes for customers throughout our entire region, which includes eastern Idaho, western Wyoming, and southern Montana.
Thank you again for your business and thanks for taking time to share your story with us. We’re happy to hear that you’re getting good results from your Reliant powder coating equipment and enjoying success with your new business!
Visit Gemstone Powder Coating at https://gemstonepowdercoating.com/ or check out their Facebook page. You can also follow them on Instagram.