rom a modest office, inside a low-slung warehouse building in the city's master-planned Conner Industrial Park, James Sejd, president of ASCo American Stripping, manages a global enterprise that helps to protect U.S. military forces from deadly fire in the combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq, preserve some of the world's greatest artistic treasures, and enhance the cruise ship experience for thousands of vacationers.
   What began as a wrought iron lawn furniture refurbishing business run out of the family home is now a $5-million enterprise, providing surface preparation and protective industrial coatings. A visit to ASCo American's facility reveals the company's range: In one part of the warehouse, a line of iconic U.S. Post Office boxes stands in wait for a new coating of blue paint, even as a priceless sculpture sits in organized disarray, ready for an anti-rust coating prior to reassembly at one of the world's great art museums.
   Nearby, workers apply a special finish to small aluminum stakes, which fit together to form a protective grid around slower-moving military vehicles. The so-called bar armor, spaced at carefully measured intervals, helps protect the vehicle from rocket-propelled grenade attack.
   According to Sejd, the industrial park, carefully planned and zoned by the city in the late 1980s to attract industrial enterprises and to diversify a tax base overly reliant on residential revenue, provides an ideal location for his business – today and in the future. "We are close to Dulles Airport and have access to major Interstates – we can ship standard delivery and be in Florida in two days, plus same-day access to military bases and shipping ports on the east coast."
   Sejd adds that for global projects requiring an on-site presence, the company is able to pre-ship tools with ease because of the logistics advantages of his location. "It would be tough to pick a location better than here, because of our proximity to Dulles Airport," he says. The accessibility to his defense clients in the D.C. area and to military bases along the east coast is another plus, he says. "The parts we finish today on the shop floor will be in service in Iraq, saving lives, in two weeks' time," he says.
   Other ASCo American locations include Miami and Norfolk. The company also partners with Fiad, a firm in northern Italy, for larger projects in Europe and the Middle East. "We are doing lots of construction-related work now in Dubai and Qatar," he says.
   Sejd echoes observations made by other local businesspeople about the advantages of Manassas Park. "Ease of doing business is so important," he says, adding that city officials have put forth strong efforts to showcase that Manassas Park is business friendly.