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A Successful LotStripes Parking Lot Service
applying fresh coat to industry
For most people, the painted lines on a parking lot are purely
functional. For Ken Pritchett, they’re both a work of art and a way of life. After more than two decades in the utilities industry, Pritchett
changed gears and said he’s found true happiness with his Denton-based
company, Stripes Parking Lot Service. It’s an entrepreneurial venture Pritchett stumbled into almost
by accident. Now, it’s one he wishes he’d thought of sooner. His five-person operation stays busy striping lots ranging from
two to 2,000 spaces. Although most of his jobs are new parking lots, some are
re-striping projects. The company does a majority of the striping for lots at
the University of North Texas, for example, including the huge lot at Fouts
Field. That’s not bad for someone who didn’t know anything about
the business in 1992, when Pritchett took an early buyout after more than 20
years working at Texas Power & Light. Since the job market in the
engineering field was tight, he elected to enroll in college. “I knew since I was over 40, it would be tough to find a
job,” Pritchett said. “I knew it would be good to have [a degree], and some
insurance for staying employed.” Pritchett earned a bachelor’s degree in business management
from LeTourneau University in Tyler in 1996. He followed that with a master’s
in public administration from UT-Tyler. Soon afterward, Pritchett worked for a short time in the
marketing department for the city of Denton. But he quickly found himself
unemployed again, this time shortly after buying a house. “I didn’t have any money,” Pritchett said. “But I had a
bunch of bills.” Pritchett hatched an idea from a most unlikely source. During
his time in Tyler, he worked part-time for a major parking-lot striping firm. He
felt that gave him the experience necessary to start his own business in a field
he said combines logic and artistry. So Pritchett launched Stripes in the summer of 1998, using an
old van with a broken windshield and bad tires, but with a strong engine. He’s
since upgraded to three trucks with a variety of attachments, accessories and
paint machines. “It’s just hard work. It takes both sides of the brain,”
Pritchett said. “A parking lot needs to function and it needs to look pretty.
That’s what we strive for.” Pritchett keeps his company small, but manages to offset the
expensive equipment costs by purchasing used paint machines wherever possible
and saving money on overhead by basing the company out of his home. Since beginning with Stripes, Pritchett has become an innovator
in the industry by employing new techniques and technology. He uses ride-on
attachments to his trucks, a variety of paint sprayers and unique stenciling
equipment to maximize speed and efficiency. It also has led to Pritchett
speaking regularly at parking lot seminars. “He goes out there and gets the job done right,” said Mary
Beth Butler, Pritchett’s wife and the company’s vice president. “You need
to have the equipment to be able to do the work efficiently and effectively.” Perhaps it’s no surprise Pritchett becomes frustrated every
time he pulls into a parking lot and notices sloppy striping, crooked stenciling
or peeling paint. Many business owners, he said, don’t realize that the
condition of the parking lot or driveway often provides a subconscious first
impression to customers. Most jobs take only a couple of hours, yet Pritchett’s crews
stay busy. He still goes out on most calls himself, but would like to scale back
to more of an administrative position later this year. Still, almost eight years after starting, Pritchett enjoys the
work. He said he remains both proud and surprised by his company’s growth. “Losing my job with the city was a blessing. It was the best
thing that ever happened,” Pritchett said. “It’s gratifying to see where
we’ve come. I just intended to make a living, and now it’s consumed us.” TODD JORGENSON can be reached at 940-566-6878. His
e-mail address is tjorgenson@dentonrc.com.
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