Jason Brassard grew his powder coating business the same way many others have: a small setup, a lot of trial and error, and a passion that quickly outgrew the garage.
Jasopn BrassardFor the owner of Brapsard Powder Coating in Franklin, New Hampshire, that path has led not only to a thriving one-man shop but also to a uniquely personal application of powder coating that has touched many lives far beyond the finishing booth.
When Brassard was approached by a friend to help him remember his late brother, he developed an unusual way to immortalize loved ones through his craft: embedding their ashes into the powder coating to finish unique parts that would hold them dear to their families.
A Start with Humble Beginnings
Jason Brassard grew his powder coating business from a hobby to a profession.Brassard launched his business in 2017, almost by accident.
“I just wanted to powder coat my own bike,” he says. “I started with an Eastwood gun and one of those little box ovens in my garage.”
What began as coating brake levers and small motorcycle parts quickly revealed its limits. The equipment was too small, the oven too restrictive, and the process more challenging than he anticipated.
But instead of giving up, Brassard upgraded, moved into a proper shop, and steadily built his business from the ground up.
“I learned real fast that things weren’t big enough—the booth wasn’t big enough, the oven wasn’t big enough, the gun wasn’t good enough,” he says with a laugh.
Today, his shop sits on a quiet road in Franklin—across from a cemetery, which he jokes makes for “great neighbors.”
A Self-Taught Craftsman
Brassard runs a single spray booth, a 4’ x 4’ x 8’ oven, and a smaller 3’ x 4’ x 3’ oven for parts.Before going full-time with his business in June of last year, Brassard worked as a CNC maintenance technician at Watts Water Technologies. For years, he balanced a full-time job with running his growing powder coating operation—often working around the clock.
“I was working all the time,” he says. “Even now that I’m full-time here, I’m still doing the same thing.”
Despite the long hours, Brassard has embraced the artistry of powder coating.
“It absolutely grabbed me,” he says. “I’ve learned that preparation is 99% of it. Some metals throw curveballs, and that’s when you really have to figure things out.”
Operating as a true one-man shop, Brassard runs a single spray booth, a 4’ x 4’ x 8’ oven, and a smaller 3’ x 4’ x 3’ oven for parts. Occasionally, his son or wife helps out, or he trades services with other local craftspeople.
“Custom work is great, but it comes in waves. People say they’ll bring their motorcycles in during the winter, but then they wait until it’s 80° and Bike Week is around the corner.”
Brassard chose the name of his company — Brapsard instead of Brassard — based on what his friends call him. Growing up, he was always riding some type of 3-wheeler or 4-wheeler, dirtbikes, and even snowmobiles. As he got older and began racing dirt bikes, he became an expert-level rider.
And the word ‘brap’ is an onomatopoeia for a high-revving engine often seen in racing and snowmobiles.
“I had bought a street bike and was a wheelie machine,” Brassard says. “And because I was always on something with a motor, my friends would always say ‘Brap,’ then it turned into ‘Brapsard.’”
What Comes Through the Door
If it’s metal, Brassard will coat it. He handles everything from snowmobile parts and Harley-Davidson components to wheels, small appliances, custom brackets, and even a vintage gumball machine.
Recently, he dealt with peeling chrome on Harley parts—an issue complicated by a malfunctioning oven, forcing him to cure small parts in his larger oven while repairs were underway.
“Pretty much whatever walks in the door,” he says. “People ask, ‘Can you powder coat aluminum?’ I tell them, ‘If it’s metal, I can coat it.’ Aluminum runs hotter, but it’s doable.”
“When I gave it back to him, I could see the joy on his face,” Brassard says. “It was like he had his brother with him again.”
Quality has earned him a loyal customer base, including Laconia Harley-Davidson, which originally turned to him after dissatisfaction with another local finisher.
“They still tell me my quality is where it should be,” Brassard says. “That’s what I strive for. Sometimes I redo parts and the customer never even knows—I just want it right.”
Balancing Custom Work and Steady Business
While custom jobs account for much of his workload, Brassard is actively seeking more OEM and batch work to generate steady revenue.
“Custom work is great, but it comes in waves,” he explains. “People say they’ll bring their motorcycles in during the winter, but then they wait until it’s 80° and Bike Week is around the corner.”
With Laconia Bike Week just 20 miles away, seasonal demand can spike unpredictably — making larger, consistent contracts all the more appealing.
A Remarkable and Emotional Application
Brassard's brother-in-law, Patrick Brooks, lost his own brother to a drug-induced suicide and asked Brassard if it might be possible to embed his brother’s ashes into a motorcycle license plate.Perhaps the most unique aspect of Brassard’s business is something few powder coaters have ever attempted: incorporating cremated ashes into powder-coated finishes.
This practice began when his brother-in-law, Patrick Brooks, lost his own brother to a drug-induced suicide. He asked Brassard if it might be possible to embed his brother’s ashes into a motorcycle license plate.
“I never would have thought of it,” Brassard admits. “But I said, ‘Let’s try.’”
The result was deeply meaningful.
“When I gave it back to him, I could see the joy on his face,” Brassard says. “It was like he had his brother with him again.”
Brooks admits it was an unusual request to make to Brassard, and the result was exactly what he wanted. He says he remembers his brother whenever he fires up his motorcycle.
An avid rider, Brooks had already been doing “Mile in Memory” rides on his “Ashes and Asphalt” social media accounts, where people can reach out to him to dedicate a motorcycle ride to a loved one. He videos the ride and posts it as a memory of the person who passed.
“I didn’t want to give my brother that last ride,” Brooks told the Union Leader newspaper in Manchester. “In this family, we don’t believe in them. When we say we ride with you, it’s for the entirety of our lives.”
Word Gets Out: Unique Way to Remember Loved Ones
A side panel on Amy Brassard's motorcycle incorporates their dog’s ashes, keeping a beloved pet “riding along” with her.Since then, Brassard has completed roughly a dozen similar projects, including:
- License plate brackets for a young boy who died by suicide after being bullied were delivered during a 40-bike memorial ride in Vermont.
- A custom butterfly was placed in a metal artist’s garden as a tribute to his father, who loved butterflies.
- A side panel on his wife’s motorcycle incorporates their dog’s ashes, keeping a beloved pet “riding along” with her.
Brassard is careful to emphasize that he does not seek out this type of work—it comes to him.
“I’m not looking for people who just lost someone,” he says. “The people who come to me truly value their loved ones. They want to keep their spirit alive.”
Technically, the process isn’t perfect.
“It’s not easy, and you don’t get a perfectly smooth finish,” he explains. “Not all of it sticks, and I tell customers that upfront. But that’s not really the point.”
The Realities of Business Ownership
Like many small shop owners, Brassard has learned that running a business involves far more than just doing the work.
“You’re the one advertising, getting jobs, dealing with customers, paying bills—everything,” he says.
“I have a lot of repeat customers, so I must be doing something right,”
He has also reconsidered how he markets his business. After spending time at local events with limited return, he plans to be more selective this year.
“I’d rather spend that weekend getting work done than talking to people who might never call,” he says.
Looking Ahead
Brassard remains deeply committed to his powder coating craft.Brassard is considering investing in a larger natural gas oven, which would be more efficient and could enable him to take on larger projects. At the same time, he’s cautious about overextending.
“I’d love to coat vehicles someday, but I don’t want to invest $50,000 just to chase that,” he says.
He’s also learned that sponsorships don’t always deliver the results people expect.
“I sponsored five or six racers, and maybe one or two really supported me in return,” he says. “It’s a balancing act.”
Ultimately, his goal is to grow the business to a point where he can oversee operations while others handle day-to-day coating.
“If I can get to that point, that would be the dream,” he says.
Despite the challenges, Brassard remains deeply committed to his craft. For him, the best moments still come in the booth—watching a vision come to life and handing a finished part back to a customer who truly loves it.
“I have a lot of repeat customers, so I must be doing something right,” he says.
