For Jason McLaughlan, starting a powder coating company wasn’t a random business decision.
It was the next logical step.
After years of experience in the fencing, construction and manufacturing industries, Jason had seen firsthand how important a quality finish is to the life, appearance and performance of a metal product.
He knew that building a great metal product was only part of the equation.
The finish matters, too.
That understanding ultimately led Jason to launch Macs Coatings in 2022, expanding his growing family of Utah businesses into the powder coating and sandblasting industry. Macs Coatings is a locally and family-owned company serving residential, commercial and industrial customers.
But why start another company?
The answer goes back to a problem Jason had been seeing for years.
Seeing the Whole Picture
Jason McLaughlan is the owner and CEO of Western Fence Company, a Utah fencing business with generations of experience in the industry.
Through Western Fence, Jason had spent years around steel, aluminum, gates, railings, ornamental metalwork and other fabricated products.
Then came Macs Manufacturing.
Manufacturing gave Jason and his team the ability to design and build metal products themselves.
But there was still another important step in the process.
How do you protect and finish the product once it’s fabricated?
That question is where Macs Coatings comes in.
Rather than viewing powder coating as something separate from manufacturing, Jason saw it as another piece of the same process.
Build it right.
Prepare it properly.
Finish it correctly.
Deliver a product designed to last.
Why Powder Coating?
Anyone who has worked with metal understands that appearance is only one part of the finished product.
Metal needs protection.
Traditional paint can provide color and coverage, but powder coating offers a different type of finish.
Powder coating uses an electrostatic process to apply dry powder to a grounded metal surface. The coated piece is then cured with heat, creating a durable finish.
The result is a finish that can provide excellent resistance to chipping, scratching, fading and environmental exposure when the proper coating and preparation are used.
For someone who has spent years building fences, gates and other metal products, the advantages are obvious.
A beautifully fabricated metal product deserves a finish that can keep up with it.
The Problem Jason Wanted to Solve
Starting a powder coating company gave Jason greater control over another important part of the metal manufacturing process.
Instead of manufacturing a gate or railing and then sending it somewhere else for finishing, having a dedicated coating operation creates an opportunity to keep more of that process under one roof.
That can mean better communication.
Better coordination.
More control over scheduling.
And greater attention to the finished product.
But Macs Coatings wasn’t created only to serve Jason’s other businesses.
The goal was to build a coating company that could serve customers throughout Utah and beyond.
Today, Macs Coatings provides powder coating and sandblasting services for residential, commercial and industrial customers. Its services include coating railings, signs, decorations, furniture, automotive parts, custom projects and industrial materials.
From Fences to Manufacturing to Finishing
There is a natural progression in Jason’s business story.
Western Fence Company gave him decades of experience understanding the fencing and construction industries.
Macs Manufacturing expanded that experience into metal design and fabrication.
Macs Coatings added another critical capability: professional surface preparation and finishing.
Together, the businesses represent a broader understanding of the metal industry.
It’s not just about building something.
It’s about understanding the entire life of the product.
From the initial design…
To fabrication…
To preparation…
To finishing…
To the finished product in the customer’s hands.
Understanding What Contractors Need
One of the biggest advantages Jason brings to Macs Coatings is his experience as a customer of the coating process himself.
Before starting a coating company, he had already spent years dealing with fabricated metal products.
He understood the importance of deadlines.
He understood how a coating problem could affect an installation schedule.
He understood that a great fabrication job could be compromised by poor preparation or an inadequate finish.
And he understood that contractors need coating companies that communicate and deliver.
That experience helped shape the philosophy behind Macs Coatings.
The company isn’t simply in the business of spraying powder.
It’s in the business of helping customers get their projects completed properly.
Why Sandblasting Became Part of the Business
Powder coating is only as good as the surface underneath it.
That’s why surface preparation is such an important part of the process.
Macs Coatings offers sandblasting services designed to remove contaminants, old coatings, rust and other materials from metal surfaces before finishing.
This gives customers another advantage.
Instead of having to find one company to prepare their metal and another company to coat it, Macs Coatings can provide both services.
That makes the process more efficient and gives the team greater control over the quality of the finished surface.
More Than Just a Pretty Finish
When people hear “powder coating,” they often think about color.
Black.
White.
Silver.
Red.
Bronze.
Custom colors.
But powder coating is about much more than appearance.
The right coating system can provide protection while also giving a metal product the look the customer wants.
That’s particularly important for products that have to perform outdoors.
Fences, gates, railings, signs, furniture and other metal products can be exposed to sunlight, moisture, temperature changes, abrasion and everyday use.
The finish needs to be selected with the application in mind.
That’s where experience matters.
Building a Company Around Quality
Macs Coatings describes itself as a locally and family-owned business focused on powder coating and sandblasting for residential, commercial and industrial customers. The company also offers free estimates and a one-year warranty on its services.
Those details reflect an important part of Jason’s approach to business.
Quality isn’t just about the final appearance.
It’s about the entire customer experience.
It’s about preparing the material correctly.
Using the right coating.
Applying it properly.
Inspecting the finished product.
And standing behind the work.
Why Start Macs Coatings in 2022?
By 2022, Jason had already built years of experience in businesses connected to construction and manufacturing.
Starting Macs Coatings gave him an opportunity to take that experience into another part of the industry.
He had seen the demand.
He understood the process.
He knew what contractors and manufacturers needed.
And he recognized an opportunity to provide professional powder coating and sandblasting services from a company that understood metal from more than one perspective.
In other words, Macs Coatings wasn’t created simply because Jason wanted to start another company.
It was created because he saw a need that fit perfectly with everything he had already learned.
A Natural Extension of Macs Manufacturing
Macs Manufacturing and Macs Coatings complement each other naturally.
Manufacturing creates the product.
Coatings provides the finish.
That relationship allows Jason’s companies to work together while still serving customers independently.
A customer may need a custom fabricated gate.
Another may have an existing railing that needs to be refinished.
Another may have industrial equipment that needs surface preparation and a new protective coating.
Another may simply want to change the appearance of a set of wheels, furniture or a custom metal project.
Macs Coatings can handle projects across those different categories.
Keeping the Customer in Mind
Jason’s background also influences how Macs Coatings approaches customer service.
After decades in construction and manufacturing, he understands that customers don’t just want a finished product.
They want confidence that their project is being handled correctly.
They want communication.
They want reasonable timelines.
They want quality.
And they want a company that understands why their project matters.
That’s the mindset Jason brought into Macs Coatings.
From Utah Fencing to a Full Metal-Service Vision
When you look at Jason McLaughlan’s businesses individually, each one has its own specialty.
Western Fence Company focuses on fencing and related products and services.
Macs Manufacturing focuses on metal fabrication and manufacturing.
Macs Coatings focuses on powder coating and sandblasting.
But when you look at them together, a larger picture emerges.
They represent decades of experience working with metal and construction.
They represent a willingness to identify problems and create solutions.
And they represent Jason’s belief that businesses can continue to evolve.
The Future of Macs Coatings
Macs Coatings is still a relatively young company compared with Western Fence Company and Macs Manufacturing.
But the foundation behind it isn’t young.
It’s built on years of industry experience.
As the company continues to grow, the goal is to provide customers with high-quality powder coating and surface preparation while continuing to expand the types of projects and industries it can serve.
From a residential handrail to a commercial project…
From custom furniture to automotive components…
From a fabricated gate to industrial materials…
Macs Coatings is built to provide professional finishing solutions for a wide range of applications.
The Real Reason Jason Started Macs Coatings
Ultimately, the story of Macs Coatings comes back to one simple idea:
Do it better.
Jason had spent years building and installing metal products.
Then he expanded into manufacturing.
Along the way, he saw how important the finishing process was to the quality and longevity of those products.
Instead of simply accepting the existing process, he created another solution.
He started Macs Coatings.
Not because he needed another company.
Not because powder coating was simply the next business opportunity.
But because it made sense.
It made sense for the customers.
It made sense for the manufacturing process.
And it made sense based on everything Jason had learned throughout his career.
A Business Built on Experience
Macs Coatings may have officially started in 2022, but the experience behind the company goes back much further.
Every fence installed.
Every gate fabricated.
Every metal project manufactured.
Every customer served.
Every problem solved.
All of that experience contributed to the creation of Macs Coatings.
Today, Macs Coatings is continuing to build on that foundation as a Utah-based powder coating and sandblasting company serving residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Because for Jason McLaughlan, entrepreneurship has never been simply about starting another business.
It’s about finding a better way to serve customers.
It’s about building quality.
And it’s about turning experience into opportunity.
That’s why Jason started Macs Coatings.
And that’s why the Macs story continues to grow.