ABILENE, TX – It requires true determination, passion, relentless hard work, and motivation to fulfill one’s dreams. As fruitful as it is, once the goal is achieved, the real grind doesn’t end there. That’s where it starts. Consistency and strength are required to keep going.

Troy and Traci Fulgham are an example of how your dreams can come true if you plan, execute, and stay determined no matter what challenges come your way. They had a vision and a dream, clinched the opportunity, and they have been working hard together ever since.   As a team with their children, Tyler Fulgham and Destiny Brantner along with the other staff Mike Wright, Orlando Aguirre, and Chris Skinner produce high-quality services and products to the automotive community through their family business, 5 Star Coatings.

Troy was born and raised in Abilene, Texas, where he attended Cooper High School and AISD Schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Traci is from Ranger, Texas. She graduated from Lubbock Monterey High School, but being from an oilfield and Air Force family, she attended many schools, as she had to move wherever her family relocated. These two met at a mutual friend’s BBQ in 2010 and got married on 7-11-11, in Las Vegas. They do not have any children together, but they had four children, Justin Fulgham, Tyler Fulgham, Emily Fulgham, and Destiny Brantner, when they met. All of them are now all grown up and reside in Abilene or the surrounding areas.

In 2010, Troy was asked to manage an oilfield coating and traditional powder coating business. Troy and Traci always dreamed of buying or starting their own business. They both had good experience managing businesses and knew it was time to start their own. They were enthusiastic about it:

“We really wanted to start working for ourselves so that we could make the decisions that business owners make and hopefully benefit financially.”

With this goal in mind, they saved funds until an opportunity presented itself. They wasted no time, becoming the owners of 5 Star Coatings in 2016. About this experience, they said:

“We feel very blessed that we were given the opportunity. Over the years, we have grown the customer base along with the services we provide. We still have a focus on the oilfield coating, but we’ve expanded the amount of powder coating we do.”

Since owning the business, Traci and Troy have worked intensely, accompanied by their children and their loyal, hardworking employees, who have helped their business to flourish. As they said:

“Tyler Fulgham is a coater and has been with the company for 11 years. Destiny Brantner has been an administrative assistant here for 4 years. We can’t imagine 5 Star Coatings without them. We appreciate all sour employees and their dedication to their position.  They really work hard on a daily basis and manage the day-to-day duties.”

5 Star Coatings provides numerous products and services, such as Media Blasting, Powder Coating, and Zycoat Thermal Coating, to the automotive community. They also offer Media Retail Sales with multiple types available,  including Metal Media, Aluminum Oxide, Copper Slag, and Dustless Glass Media. They told us more about it:

“The metal media is very aggressive for steel. Aluminum oxide is used for softer metals, such as aluminum. Copper slag somewhat replaces traditional blasting sand, but it doesn’t have silica, which is not good for the environment. Dustless glass media is mixed with water so thin metal, such as car panels, can be blasted with minimal warping. The glass/water mix keeps the parts cool. We can sandblast small parts in the cabinet blaster and larger ones in the blast room, and our second location has an outdoor area where we can blast any size item like cars, trucks, dozer, and cattle trailers.”

Furthermore, they explained that pretty much anything that is a metal can be coated. The metal must be thoroughly blasted, and all paint, oils, and grime eliminated. Different parts, like automotive frames, rims, tool boxes, step bars, headache racks, grill guards, bumpers, intakes, hood hinges, door handles, and more, can also be processed. Furthermore, they keep up to 200 different colors in stock, and special colors can also be ordered. The variety enables them to color match your vehicle. Another process, Zycoat Thermal Coating, is a coating that can hold out against high heat. It is designed for exhaust and other high-temperature pieces. Available colors for this coating are black, bronze, and silver.

Of course, all businesses run into hard times now and again, and the pandemic tops the current list of issues that have recently given healthy businesses a blow. Troy, Traci, and the crew were also affected by this. Prior to the pandemic, the two shops ran 18 and 24 hours a day.  But from 2020 to current only one location and one shift is operational for approximately 9 to 11 hours Monday through Friday. As they stated:

“It has been tough and continues to be tough. One obstacle after another.”

Despite all these difficulties, Troy and Traci maintain a strong relationship and support each other. As Traci explained:

“I am very thankful that Troy and I support each other. Usually, if one of us is discouraged, the other one steps up and takes the lead. Each of us has been on both sides of this, but we’ve never both been discouraged at the same time. I am very thankful that at least one of us has stayed positive and maintained the determination needed to succeed. We are both pretty determined people. We celebrate and share the good times, then sacrifice and evolve through the bad.”

Their family business has a great name and reputation in the community. They are known as one of the best in the Big Country area. So, if you are ever in need of their services or need further information, you can give 5 Star Coatings a visit at 4850 S 3rd Street, Abilene TX  79602, or call at (325) 695-2691. Also, you can visit their website and reach out at www.5starcoating.com.