Ryan Barr didn't stumble into the surface refinishing business. He was trained by the best.

When he retired from the federal government in 2016, he spent three months working alongside his brother-in-law Keith Laing in Atlanta, a refinisher with over 30 years of experience using NAPCO products. By the time Ryan launched his own business in Daytona Beach, Florida, he already knew exactly what to buy, how to apply it, and what quality looked like.

That foundation gave him a head start. But it was a conversation with NAPCO's Jackie that sparked a change in how he managed one of his biggest ongoing expenses: product costs.

The Old Approach of Ordering NAPCO Products

For years, Ryan ordered on a two-week cycle — four halves each of catalyst, high-build primer, and 24-hour quick-dry glaze, plus one or two gallons of reducer. Reliable, predictable, and expensive. That order ran roughly $900 every two weeks, adding up to approximately $5,400 over a three-month stretch.

"I settled into a pattern," Ryan explained. "It's what I was used to. But I wasn't thinking about the long game."

The Switch to Bulk Ordering

After talking with Jackie, Ryan decided to try something different. He scaled up to ten units each of catalyst, primer, and glaze, adjusting the reducer down to five after realizing he had consistent leftovers. The result? A single order that lasted three to three-and-a-half months at a cost of around $2,500 to $2,600.

The math was hard to ignore. The same supply that once cost $5,400 now cost less than half that. Combined with his Bronze membership discount and bulk shipping savings, the benefits compounded quickly. Over the course of a year, Ryan estimates he saves approximately $8,000 and calls that a conservative figure.

NAPCO LTL shipping

 

A Smarter Way to Manage Inventory

The savings didn't stop at the invoice. Switching to bulk ordering changed how Ryan thought about inventory management altogether. Rather than stocking his employee's van fully, he now keeps most products at home and restocks only as needed.

"The more product they have on hand, the more they use," he said. "It's not coming out of their pocket. When I send them out with less, they're more conservative with it."

He also discovered an unexpected quality benefit: buying in bulk means working from the same product lot for months at a time. Since each NAPCO lot has a subtle variation in how it cures, consistent lot usage makes touch-up work easier and more seamless for customers.

What It Takes to Make It Work

Ryan is candid that bulk ordering isn't right for every business. Two things have to be in place. First, a business owner needs enough cash on hand to front a larger order, even during a slow week. Second, they need the discipline to manage inventory carefully rather than overstocking vans or job sites.

"It's a no-brainer if you meet those two requirements," he said. "But you have to think about the long game."

For refinishers who are booked consistently, manage their finances carefully, and are ready to think beyond the next two weeks, the savings are real and significant. Ryan's story is proof that sometimes the biggest improvements don't come from doing the work differently. They come from rethinking how you run the business around it.

Ryan Barr has operated his surface refinishing business in Daytona Beach, Florida since 2016. He is a longtime NAPCO customer.

 

📣Ready to Reduce Your Product Costs and Increase Profitability?

If you're ordering the same materials every few weeks, it may be time to rethink your approach. NAPCO works with professional refinishers to help optimize ordering strategies, reduce costs, and improve consistency across every job.

👉 Contact NAPCO today to learn how bulk ordering and membership programs can help you save more and run a more efficient refinishing business.