Guy Jessop, President

If you’ve passed by the wild horse feeders at the National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley, or noticed the ornate community street signs for Arrow Creek and Somersett subdivisions, you’ve seen some of Guy Jessop’s proudest work – not to mention the beautiful custom entry gates and railings for houses on Lakeshore Boulevard in Incline Village, Roundhill, Squaw Valley Ski Resort and Martis Camp.

Guy Jessop is Advanced Powder Coating’s (APC) president. He has worked in construction, metal fabrication and jobsite safety for 16 years.

“I love working on projects and working with metal; he says. “I’ve been intrigued by challenges and finding solutions. Powder coating has driven me to excel in problem solving.”

Probably most notable about Guy is that he is a very hands-on owner. “I’m at the shop most every day – I love being the face of our business and working hard to make sure that my clients are happy and that I create a culture so my staff takes just as much pride in our mission.”

In his spare time, Guy enjoys shooting, camping, barbeques and spoiling his dogs. Of his more unusual hobbies: “I really enjoy off-road racing, restoring antique helicopters and military vehicles. I am also an avid backpack collector.”

A third-generation Nevadan, Guy volunteers at the Carson City Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Deputy and does work for the James D. Huff Peace Officers Memorial Wall. He is proud of APC’s work with Moms on The Run, Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) and the Make-a- Wish Foundation.

“We absolutely believe in giving back to this community that’s given so much support to us
over the years” he says.

Karen Jessop, Administrative Assistant

Growing up on a cattle ranch with her dad may have prepared Karen Jessop for her role as APC’s administrative assistant in unexpected ways – especially because, as she points out, her job is essentially “Lead Guy Wrangler.”

When she’s not herding Guy or the rest of the team in a helpful direction toward project completion, she’s helping local customers, big and small, with their projects. Her goal is that every project is thoughtfully executed and delivered with the best quality in the least amount of time.

“I like helping people customize their project and seeing their faces when they get the finished product,” she says. “It’s a big deal to trust us with your project, and we take our role seriously.”

Her past work experience in public service, investigations and grant writing have given her a 10 solid background for this diverse position. But she finds herself learning something new every day in this new and ever-changing industry.

“I attended Powder Coating 101, a 5-day conference on all things powder coating,” she says. “What an experience – I bet you didn’t even know we have 29 versions of the color black in stock!”

When she’s not serving as APC’s project shepherd, she enjoys being outside and active — target shooting, camping, bike riding and running are some of her favorite activities.

“We also have four dogs, and two of them are our greeters at the shop,” she says. “They’re here to welcome you when you stop by!”

Karen is passionate about APC’s commitment to Moms on The Run, Children’s Miracle Network, and Northern Nevada Concerns of Police Survivors. She also helped in the recovery effort following Hurricane Katrina. “We love the doers of good in our community and we get involved whenever we can in helping this community be a better place,”; she says.

Mike Dwyer, General Manager

Mike oversees our daily business operations and manages our staff, while also researching and identifying growth opportunities.

His previous experience in the manufacturing world enables him to bring a diverse skill set to work every day, where he acts as the main liaison between the customer service personnel and the shop personnel. Over the past 30+ years, he has been a front-line machine operator, welder, and operations manager. He also has experience with 3-D rendering, estimates, sales and project management.

Mike enjoys all types of shooting, kayaking, paddle boarding and golf, though his favorite activity is camping with family. He is the proud father of three daughters.

Mike used to off-road race motorcycles.

Keith Walsh, Shop Foreman

Keith has a great work ethic and takes pride in doing his job every day. As the immediate supervisor to the crew, he lends assistance where needed. He keeps the workflow running in an efficient manner by watching the scheduled delivery times on customer jobs and ensuring product quality before it leaves with the customer. He makes repairs to the many tools that are used on a daily basis so that there is minimal downtime on the powder coating and wet paint lines.

After retiring from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department in 2013 after 27 years of service, Keith spent the last two years working in his family’s powder coating business and is very familiar with the processes and steps to get the customer the end results they’re expecting. When he was presented with the opportunity to work for APC, he knew he could be a great asset.

When he’s not working, Keith enjoys spending time with his wife, his two adult children, his two

German Shepherds and two Shih-Tzus. He also enjoys racing his IMCA modified racecar, camping, hunting and fishing.

Santos Cerda, Supervisor

For Santos Cerda, work is both a passion and a profession.

“Work is my hobby,” he shares. And it’s easy to understand why: With 20 years in the industry and a background that includes sandblasting and quality control, he takes great pride in learning on the job and excelling through every new challenge.

“My experience on the job has taught me how to perform quality work,” he says.

This commitment to excellence makes him the perfect choice for ensuring the APC team

meets and exceeds expectations to deliver the highest quality products.

“I like making sure the jobs are done right and the other workers know how to do their jobs

well,” he says.

When he’s not ensuring APC’s customers get the results they want, Santos enjoys spending time with his four kids.

Nicole Franklin, Logistics Coordinator

Nicole loves working with our customers to help their vision come to life. She’s also

responsible for keeping everything organized — she revamped the inventory system for the

nearly 1,000 powders that APC stocks.

She handles custom design and replication, as well as most laser engraving projects. Nicole also assists with customer service, order intake and clerical work.

Before joining the APC team, Nicole spent ten years working as an EMT with REMSA and ten years working as an investigator with the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office. She first learned design work as a cadet personnel officer and adjutant. She has known the Jessop family for decades, and was excited when the opportunity arose to work with them.

Nicole is a mother to two young boys who keep her busy. She has coached AYSO soccer for four seasons. She enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, and sleeping in.

In high school she was a nationally ranked shooter and was on her school’s rifle team.

Lenore E., Customer Service Representative

In her customer service role at Advanced Powder Coating, Lenore is all about making relationships with customers and ensuring their happiness throughout the process.

“I love my job and I’m amazed by the transformation powder coating can do for a person’s project,” she says.

“I love seeing how happy our customers are when they pick up their finished product.”

She makes use of her diverse education daily, having earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. Go Pack!

In her spare time, you’ll find Lenore staying busy with her family, reading, baking and

practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

“My most recent volunteer work would be helping with charity tournaments that the

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym puts on,” she says.

Mercedes Gutierrez, Customer Service Representative

Mercedes has been working in customer service since she was 18, with a goal of making sure her customers were happy and wanting to return.

Those goals and work ethic, make her the perfect person to talk with APC customers about their jobs, measuring their pieces, assisting them in choosing the right colors and providing accurate quotes. She also creates daily schedules to ensure all jobs get done in the appropriate time frame.

When she’s not helping APC customers, she’s playing with her two-year-old son, who is actively discovering soccer and basketball.