Business Spotlight: Laser Focused

When Terrence Ondatje learned about laser technology and its potential to be used as a cleaning method, he decided this was something he wanted to explore.

“We noticed across (Britain) that there was quite a bit of companies set up there for laser cleaning,” Ondatje says. “To me, that sparked an interest out here in Springfield. We’re typically behind on the times in Missouri and the Midwest, so I wanted to bring some new technology, a new staple of environmentally friendly way of cleaning things.”

In 2023, Ondatje as a franchisee brought Wilmington, North Carolina-based Advanced Laser Restoration to the Midwest, creating the company’s first location in Missouri. The company, which was created by CEO Greg Price after he witnessed the struggles of sandblasting, chemical stripping and other forms of restoration, aims to give power to those like Ondatje, who can be their own boss, to help eliminate environmentally dangerous ways of restoration.

With only five other locations across the country, Ondatje has made laser restoration technology available to customers who would be unable to buy or use the equipment on their own.

He has used the technology to remove graffiti on buildings in downtown Springfield for the city, clean kitchen appliances for local restaurants such as Avanzare Italian Dining and repurpose a wide variety of materials for further use, such as wood.

After spending 11 years as a member of Union Sheet Metal Workers Local 36, Ondatje is familiar with traveling for work to military bases and working on architectural metal projects. But being in the Ozarks to be closer to family played a role in his decision to come back to Missouri, where he started the remodeling company T.O.T.A.L. Works LLC. Now, with his branch of Advanced Laser Restoration being his full-time job, Ondatje says he hopes to introduce laser cleaning to those in Springfield looking to clean more efficiently, especially with the environment in mind.

“To me, the environment is an important part of our lives,” he says. “I want to make sure that we maintain it for our kids. I just thought this was the best way to, without bringing in chemicals or breathing in harsh fumes, provide a clean service.”

Seeing is believing
There are some challenges that come with having a mobile business without a brick-and-mortar location. But for Ondatje, going to his clients’ homes and businesses provides them with a front row seat to the process of laser restoration.

“Nobody knows about laser cleaning,” Ondatje says. “My job now is to make people start thinking about it.”

As a franchisee, Ondatje owns both the van and the lasers he uses to clean. The lasers, which are fiber-optic style, are Advanced Laser Restoration’s proprietary brand, and all aspects of the laser are designed by the company.

With seven different cleaning patterns, Ondatje says the laser cleaning process depends on the substrate and the material being removed. In order to penetrate and remove coatings without damaging the substrate, Ondatje uses high power and lower frequency settings for the lasers on materials such as metal.

Ondatje says he was one of the first in the company to use laser cleaning technology on wood after a client in Springfield asked him if he could restore her cabinetry. Once he figured out how to use the technology to do it – which includes lower power and higher frequency settings in order to safely remove finishings without burning the wood -- he was able to add wood cleaning to his services.

“Once people start seeing it and believing it, we have been able to use it for several different ways of cleaning,” he says.

The client, Kathy Hunter, says she had heard of laser restoration from her daughter, who had seen it in a video online. She contacted Ondatje about refurbishing her cabinets.

“I knew I liked my cabinets, and I did not want to paint my cabinets,” Hunter says. “But stripping them in your home – that just looked to me like a simpler way of starting a project.”

One of Ondatje’s goals is to show people that laser restoration is an option to consider by providing free demonstrations.

The environmental factor
While traditional restoration can take time and hard work, it can also take harmful chemicals – something Ondatje says has impacted some manufacturers and suppliers who are no longer able to provide a few of their restoration products because of restrictions against harsh chemicals in cleaning agents.

“They no longer can provide a certain stripper for wood cleaning,” Ondatje says, “and they’re calling me for laser cleaning services for their clients.”

Ondatje also says that cleaning in traditional ways can further damage the very valuables clients are hoping to restore, such as sanding before stripping.

“Automotive restoration – removing rust and body paint off of vehicles without having to sand blast, and there’s more material wasted,” Ondatje says. “If we use our lasers, there’s little clean up.”

Hunter says the environmental aspect was an important factor in her doing business with Advanced Laser Restoration. She says Ondatje was careful about the process, bringing an air purifier into her home and leaving no mess behind when he was done.

“I wasn’t breathing in any chemicals, and I have asthma, so that means a lot,” she says.

Safety is also an important aspect of handling laser technology. Ondatje said the company works with the American National Standards Institute to set safety standards for the lasers and abides by its standard for safe use of lasers.

For the future of laser technology, Ondatje says he has a few goals. One of them is opening a brick-and-mortar location for clients to bring in their belongings for restoration. But his biggest goal is to continue working with the community to help people understand the alternatives to cleaning with chemicals. His fascination with the ability to restore history created much of the groundwork for his interest in promoting laser technology.

“I love history and being able to maintain the historic value of something and not damaging it,” he says. “Why not be one of the first people in Missouri to provide this application for everybody?”