WESTMORELAND — A month into opening his first business, 21-year-old Jeff Pacini has a clear picture of the future and is happy with how things are going.

The Utica resident and New York Mills class of 2020 graduate said he worked part-time on the weekends doing auto detailing while in high school and enjoyed the work.

Pacini went on to attend Mohawk Valley Community College and, a year in had the opportunity to make auto detailing his full-time job.

“I chose to go full-time,” he said. “I had been working at my brother’s place out of Sauquoit, and in September, I rented [this pole barn] and started Jeff’s Auto Detailing.”

Located at 7536 E. Main St., in Westmoreland, the red barn sits right across from Knucklehead’s Brew House.

For the past month, Pacini said he’s mainly been doing interior and exterior detailing for his customers.

“I specialize in paint correction and ceramic coating,” he said. “Most of the time, I can get two or three vehicles done in a day. I make sure they’re done efficiently and with quality.”

On Tuesday, Pacini was finishing up a vehicle that had come in that had a minor accident and needed a touch-up on its ceramic coating.

“The corner panel got hit, and that needed to be sanded and recoated,” he said. “After that, it was a basic wash and shine of the exterior trim to get it looking just about new.”

It’s currently a one-person operation at Jeff’s Auto Detailing, but Pacini has some hopes and plans for the future.

“I try to take things one day at a time and not get too far ahead, but I’ve been thinking about getting a couple of employees and expanding services,” Pacini said. “I’ve dabbled in undercoating, but I’d like to add that as a service because you know how things can get in New York.”

Business has been good, according to Pacini, and he’s thankful for having a neighbor like Knucklehead’s.

“People stopping for lunch or dinner see the sign and get curious, so they come over and ask questions,” Pacini said. “I always try to help people as best I can.”

It can be a time-absorbing job at times, and Pacini said he’d had a few instances where he’s started a job at 8 a.m. and found himself finishing at 1 a.m.

“The car’s done, and I say to myself, ‘Well, the car’s done, and that wasn’t too bad. Maybe I’ll do a couple more,’” he said with a laugh. “It’s been a possibility in the back of my head that this is something I can make a future for myself, but for now, I’m going to take it day by day.”