Dallas/Ft.
Worth Construction News, May 2004
Ken
Pritchett is president and owner of Denton-based \\\STRIPES///
Parking Lot Service, Inc., established in 1998. Equipped with an
associate’s degree in electronics, Ken worked for Texas Power and Light
for 23 years. After taking a “buy-out” in 1991, he returned to
college, attending LeTourneau University in Tyler, where he earned a
bachelor’s degree in business management. He continued his education by
earning a master’s degree in public administration from the University
of Texas, Tyler.
“I then discovered that a white male over 40 is the most
discriminated labor group that there is right now. I needed to find a
niche where I wouldn’t have to worry about working for somebody else,”
Ken began. “That’s where my incentive came from. A good friend of mine
from Tyler just happens to be the guru of parking lot striping. I learned
the basics under his tutelage, bought my first striping machine, and the
rest is history.”
Rather than relying on the conventional methods long
preferred by the “old school traditionalists,” Ken invested in the
most innovative airless painting equipment on the market to produce
parking lot striping, fire lane markings, curbing stencils, ADA-compliant
reserved parking space markings, and traffic flow designations. By
utilizing ride-on attachments, more fast-drying paint can be applied
uniformly without the risk of over-spray. Unconventional methods for
“laying-out” new lots using “control lines” relieves the need for
“popping” each individual stripe while ensuring straighter, more
evenly spaced parking spaces.
National Pavement Magazine,
a CYGNUS publication, produces two national pavement expositions yearly.
Ken has been and continues to be a popular featured speaker, presenting
two seminars each year on the subject of striping.
“I know I’m giving instruction to my competition, but
in my opinion, there’s plenty of work for everyone! The more informed
pavement and striping contractors are, the better we all look. My seminars
are intended to trigger contractors to start thinking outside the box and
remove their blinders.”
As in other construction industry trades, retaining legal and qualified
manpower remains an issue for the entrepreneur.
“The simple fact is, a two-man crew that utilizes our methodologies is
two to three times more productive than a traditional striping crew of
four or more,” he added. “With our expanded services, \\\STRIPES///
can facilitate professional parking lot paving, marking, maintenance,
irrigation and landscaping – ahead of schedule.”
With two trailers, two power washers, three trucks, ten paint machines,
three ride-on attachments and several sweepers, \\\STRIPES/// has
quickly evolved from a one-man operation to a one-stop-shop for its
customers, who include property owners, property managers and general
contractors.
“We make things happen! We regularly assist contractors/property
owners in emergency situations and have a proven record in doing the
impossible,” Ken concluded.
