The Insight Products and Services team, from left to right: Jeramie Trujillo, in charge of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam cutting and production duties; Jennifer Duran, accounting and human resources; Erin Somes, a Manager and also a Sales Representative, Designer and Customer Service Representative; and Mike Duran, Founder and Owner. Mike oversees all aspects of the business, from design and consulting to marketing and training.

Rough machining process utilizing a 3D, 4-axis computer numerical control (CNC) router with extended gantry allows the Insight Products and Services team to tackle big projects.

Mike Duran takes “big risks” and is all about diversifying products and services. The 41-year-old Owner of Insight Products and Services has been evolving his business ideas since he struck out on his own about 12 years ago.

A master mechanic, he worked with vehicle brands Honda, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota, and then established his own company, Perfect Appearance, in 2005. Perfect Appearance began with providing vehicle cosmetic repairs such as paintless dent repair (PDR), small scratch removal and paint repairs.

By 2006, the company took on window tinting services for commercial businesses and vehicles, which led to the purchase of a wide-format printer that enabled the team to produce and install vehicle wraps as well as provide signs and banners for businesses. That venture grew into Pueblo Signs and Tint and later evolved into Insight Foam Design and Fabrications, before finally becoming Insight Products and Services in 2017.

Duran didn’t create a meticulous business plan or set out to establish a company that would use both design and computer technologies.

“It was simply about problem-solving and surviving the economy crash as I saw the automotive [market] go first, then the housing, and then the businesses,” Duran says.

Duran had no college experience, no experience in the industry, nor anyone to call for help. He says the learning curve was—and continues to be—steep and expensive.

“This is a big fluke for me,” he says. “Twelve years ago, I had no idea I’d be doing all of this ... I didn’t even know how to turn on a computer. I knew how to fix a car and troubleshoot, so I used what I learned and experienced. I started buying equipment and I forced myself to learn how to use it.’

He adds, “I try harder than most, I believe, and I think a lot of business owners can relate as we who survived know what it took to survive.”

Duran and three other employees maintain the Pueblo-based business daily. The four work on projects in separate divisions: architectural, signage, window film, security and anti-graffiti, and now packaging and 3D scanning for creating replicas of objects and vacuum-forming for custom molds.

The team learned how to create computer designs and then 3D designs, which led to architectural work.

“My work went from performing auto repairs to doing graphics on vehicles to creating large expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam shapes for contractors and marketing firms as well,” recalls Duran. “That led to more architectural and custom 3D
signage work.”

EPS—similar to Styrofoam™—is a building component. It can replicate wood or concrete but is easier to cut.

Duran and his team provide window films to help with heat rejection, privacy and to repel graffiti. They’re also able to create virtually any shape using foam for custom interior and exterior molds, from signs and crown moldings to columns and pillars.

“It’s all just shapes out of cardboard, out of foam, plastic or vinyl decal,” he says. “That’s how everything relates; just being able to see shapes.”

“It Came to Me as a Dream”

The idea for using energy-efficient and lightweight products for architectural designs unexpectedly popped into Duran’s mind one night. He saw a color that made him think of foam.

“It came to me as a dream,” he says. “All I saw was white.” After he mulled over the dream, he determined that it must be a subconscious nudge to expand his product offerings. “I put two and two together and bought a machine and now I’m dabbling in [making] shapes [out of foam].”

To make these shapes, Duran and his crew use a computer numerical control (CNC) laser cutter, a flatbed UV printer, CNC digital cutters, a CNC router, a CNC hotwire cutter, a 3D printer, a 3D scanner and a new vacuum former.

He says it’s not common in his area of expertise to use this equipment to cut lightweight foam or make use of it in ways the manufacturer had not intended.

“Equipment can do what you tell it to do,” he says. “We’re not afraid to take on anything. We’ll pretty much take on what anyone asks and we do it all under one roof.”

He adds, “Now I have a good understanding of manufacturing, engineering and architectural work. I know real-world expectations and real-world costs on top of that.”

Duran and his team are not just creating products. They’re also producing the packaging the items will be shipped in.

A Fixer at Heart

Duran is a self-described tool fanatic with a longtime love of fixing things.

“I consider myself more of a problem-solver than a business owner,” he says. “All I do is fix problems for others.”

Duran became a mechanic at age 14, but he came from a family with a completely different background. His grandfather, mother and five aunts were all barbers.

“It’s weird how I got to how I am,” he says.

Duran’s business model has survived during an unpredictable economy because it adjusts to provide varied services that businesses may need.

“I don’t have to count on architectural work to keep me busy,” he says. “I am always busy. That’s what supported me through the economy crunch.”

In fact, a struggling economy helps in Duran’s efforts to push the envelope. When there is no building going on, he can still rely on working with signage.

“I see a lot of guys who were cabinet makers, who never wanted to do anything besides make cabinets,” Duran recounts. “During the economic crunch, cabinet makers went away. We don’t do just one thing; we’re talented enough to make multiple things. We’re kind of that one-stop shop.”

Duran envisions Insight Products and Services becoming a leading innovator in the commercial construction world. “We are hoping to be able to grow our company to add different branches across the region and across the country,” he says.

The company currently services the southern Colorado region. Duran is confident that his gut instincts will continue to help him succeed in uncharted territories. “Realistically, if you set a goal for yourself, you can achieve it,” he says. “I’m a real big risk taker. If my guts say go, I go.”