Jordan Beck | Daily Press Splash of Color President Gary Lantagne stands in front of a mixing bank for auto paint used at his business. The store has been selling paint and auto body supplies since the early 2010s.

ESCANABA — Escanaba store Splash of Color has been selling paint and auto body supplies since the early 2010s. However, President Gary Lantagne said he has been working in body shops and painting cars for much longer than the store’s opening date may suggest.

“I’ve been in the field for over 45 years,” he said.

In addition to his work with Splash of Color, Lantagne owns Lantagne’s Auto Body in Schaffer. Before he opened his own auto body shop, Lantagne worked at another local shop for 24 years before getting laid off.

Fortunately, Lantagne had already been restoring antique cars on the side at his home.

“I used to do it as a hobby, so I just started doing it full-time,” he said.

He also started doing collision work.

Lantagne said he began selling auto body paint at Lantagne’s Auto Body in 2011.

“The following year, (I) moved it to Escanaba,” he said.

His decision to relocate the paint business was made for a variety of reasons.

“It was getting busy, and I needed to separate the body shop from the paint store,” he said.

Lantagne noted warehouses would not sell paints directly to Lantagne’s Auto Body.

“We were able to cut back prices on what people were paying,” he said of the move’s financial impact.

While Splash of Color offers a variety of products, its primary line of business has not changed.

“Our main thing is auto body paint and supplies,” Lantagne said.

To Lantagne’s knowledge, Splash of Color is the only store in the Upper Peninsula focusing entirely on auto body supplies.

Paints from Matrix, Valspar and CPS Coatings are sold at Splash of Color, and the store offers paint in varieties including aerosol, polyurethane, urethane and enamel. Lantagne said the store can provide an “unlimited” variety of colors to its customers.

“We can order in most products,” he said.

According to Lantagne, paint makes up “probably 40 percent” of Splash of Color’s business.

“We sell an awful lot of sandpapers and primers and some tools,” he said.

Lantagne noted the store welcomes DIYers, and he is happy to share advice regarding any work they are doing on their cars.

“They can come here and as long as I’m here, I can tell them,” he said.

As it is the only store of its kind in the region, Splash of Color’s customers come from a large geographical area.

“We cover the central U.P.,” Lantagne said.

The store offers delivery to customers in Manistique, Munising, Marquette, Iron Mountain and other central U.P. communities at no charge.

In the future, Lantagne said he plans to sell Splash of Color to a new owner with “young blood.”

“I’m … 64 years old, so I’d like to sell the business and watch it grow,” he said.

However, he does not expect to do the same with Lantagne’s Auto Body any time soon.

“I would like to wind down and someday retire,” Lantagne said.

Lantagne thanked people in the area for supporting both of his businesses over the years.

“I owe everything to ’em, really,” he said.