SATA Dan-Am Company

by Autobody News Staff

Some people collect stamps, coins or baseball cards, but many automotive refinishers are known to hoard their spray guns—primarily those made by SATA. There are stories about painters who own more than 40 SATA guns, and many of them have admitted acquiring new ones can be highly addictive.

In this particular case, Head Painter Greg Smith at LJI Collision Center, with two body shops in the Cleveland, OH area, is a simple man with simple needs, and that is why he owns only four SATA guns, each with its own specific role to play.

Smith has been painting vehicles for 15 years and works at a very busy shop, so he doesn’t have time to switch guns or complicate things. From the highly positive reviews he has received for his pristine work over the years, Smith’s system seems to work, and that’s why we’re giving him this four-gun salute.

Twenty years ago, Smith stumbled upon a gig that turned into a job and eventually became a career painting vehicles.

“I ran into a buddy of mine one day and he told me he was making some major bucks painting cars,” he said. “I thought, if he can do it, why can’t I, so I took a few I-CAR classes and landed a job as a detailer. Three years later, I was knocking out three to four cars every day and getting better and better the more I painted.”

When another shop he was working for more than a decade ago suggested he switch to another spray gun to allegedly accommodate waterborne paint, Smith went with the plan. But it was a short relationship, to say the least.

“The other gun was way too finicky and it didn’t feel right in my hand,” he said. “I gave it a try, but the other gun had issues and it was very touchy, so I had to keep re-checking the settings. I wasn’t comfortable using it, so I went back to SATA and I haven’t even considered using any other type of gun since then.”

A perfectionist who carefully maintains his SATA guns, Smith painstakingly dissembles his guns and cleans them from tip to handle after every paint job.

“I compare my SATA guns to Glocks because they will never fail and are very easy to clean. It’s like having a new, fresh gun to use every time, and that is the way I prefer working.”

In the collision repair industry off and on since 1959, industry veteran Mike Giarrizzo founded LJI Collision, and opened a second state-of-the-art environmentally-friendly location just four years ago, spraying waterborne paint even though it’s not mandated in Ohio. Today, Giarrizzo’s, daughters, Lauren Angie and Jill Strauss, co-own and operate both locations.

To create an amazing finished product at this high-volume shop, Smith uses his SATAjet® 5000 B to seal the primer, followed by the application of the basecoat using one of his two SATAjet® X 5500 HVLP guns. Finally, the clearcoat goes over everything with help from his SATAjet® X 5500 RP.

Smith’s painting style involves an overlapping technique he said is ideal for his style, and the fact he’s lefthanded does not get in the way, he said.

“I make a fan pattern spray out card and with the SATA guns it is easy for me to keep track of what I’m doing, because the gun isn’t heavy and it feels great in my hands. I was originally taught how to paint this way back when I started, and I haven’t changed my style because it allows me to get full coverage while working quickly and efficiently.”

While some painters are still happy to be using a solvent product, Smith and the crew at LJI spray a waterborne paint on the 160 cars they paint monthly at both locations. It’s a win-win for Smith because the quality is still high and his SATA guns work extremely well with waterborne.

“Both solvent and waterborne have their own characteristics and the spraying techniques are a little different,” he said. “We could use solvent here, but we choose to spray a product that is better for the environment, including our staff and our customers as well.”

For product support, Smith calls upon Dan-Am’s National Accounts and Industry Relations Manager Chris Springer and his Sherwin-Williams jobber, Mike Leidy.

“Between the two, I get great customer service, from both SATA and my paint jobber,” he said. “It’s nice to know I can go right to the manufacturer if needed and I have developed a good rapport with both of them. Mike will come down here to deal with any issue we might encounter, but they are rare.

“The product is easy to use, it’s reliable and their guns are priced right. I know every painter has its own preferences, but when I look at the whole package—the equipment and the support— sticking to my SATA guns is an easy decision.”

Head Painter Greg Smith at LJI Collision Center treats his SATA guns like old friends that help him to create eye-popping finishes.

Location: Cleveland Heights, OH

Type: Collision Repair Facility Employees: 10 In Business Since: 2012 Number of Locations: One

18,000 square feet

With two locations in the Cleveland, OH, area, LJI Collision paints roughly 160 vehicles every month, so Smith and his paint crew need spray guns that are reliable and easy to maintain.

With SATA in his arsenal, Smith can consistently wow LJI’s customers.

One Sata Drive P.O. Box 46 Spring Valley, MN 55975 (800) 533-8016

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