Blackfoot man aims to ‘outshine every time’ with mobile metal polishing business

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

BLACKFOOT

Mobile metal polishing business putting a shine on eastern Idaho

ROCKFORD – Coming home covered in black dust is a mark of success for Ryan Thatcher.

The 42-year-old Blackfoot man spends his days polishing metal behind a Makita 6,000-rpm grinder and a Dewalt variable-speed polishing grinder. It’s a mobile operation called Metal Mobile Polishing, and it puts a shine on any metallic surface, whether it’s a semi-truck or a YETI cup.

He knows he’ll never get a hug from family at the end of the day because it’s “one of the dirtiest jobs around.” For Thatcher, meeting the customer where they are to “outshine every time” is what brings him satisfaction.

“I just like to see the finished product. It’s a lot of work to get there, but the end result — it’s like, bam!” Thatcher tells EastIdahoNews.com. “You can bring a lot of things back (to their original shine) with a little bit of elbow grease.”

Thatcher started this career path in 2016 working for a similar company with his brother. He branched off on his own about two years ago and has enjoyed working on diamond plate steel truck beds, semi-trucks, river boats, air stream trailers, wheels, aluminum baseball bats and more. Watch him polish a YETI cup in the video above.

One of his most unique projects involved a World War II-era P-51 Mustang. Pacific Fighters in Idaho Falls restored the crashed aircraft, and Thatcher was part of the five-man crew that polished it.

“I worked on the nose cone (one of multiple original parts they acquired from across the world). It was one of the only (vintage parts) left in the world,” says Thatcher. “That’s kind of special knowing the history of it.”

Although other businesses offer similar services, Thatcher says the fact that he’s mobile is what makes him unique, and that’s how he wants to keep it.

Thatcher is proud of the business he’s built over the years and wants it to be a longterm venture that “can help east Idaho shine.”

He’d love to be more centrally located in Idaho Falls one day so he can get to many customers’ houses quicker.

“Hopefully, I’ll get a crew one day so we can make it more efficient and faster. As for right now, I just want to take one project at a time and just get my name out there,” he says.

For a free quote or to learn more, call or text (541) 305-3825. You can also visit the company’s Facebook or Instagram page.

BIZ BITS

Here are the winners of the 2025 Eastern Idaho State Fair scholarship

BLACKFOOT – The Eastern Idaho State Fair, in partnership with Butler Amusements, Inc., is thrilled to continue its support for local high school seniors by offering six scholarships to students graduating in 2025.

For the first time in its 19-year history, the scholarship amount is increasing from $1,000 for each winner to $1,500.

These scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who have participated in and supported 4-H and FFA at the Eastern Idaho State Fair for a minimum of three years. The recipients for 2025 have significantly surpassed this requirement, collectively amassing 46 years of participation.

The recipients are:

• Alivia Waldron, Oneida County, Malad High School
• Eliana Cecil, Butte County, Cornerstone Academy
• Jade Kelly, Bonneville County, Shelley High School
• Jailey Jones, Bannock County, Marsh Valley High School
• Jason Fleming, Madison County, Sugar Salem High School
• Lydia Hamilton, Caribou County, Grace High School

The scholarship winners and their families were invited to a special dinner on April 23.

The 2026 scholarship will be available to all graduating seniors from the 16 surrounding counties. Qualified candidates can apply starting January 1.

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