To longtime Mercedians, the Ingraham name means jewelry and trophies.

More than 60 years ago, the first Ingrahams opened a jewelry shop in downtown Merced. That's where Darren Ingraham learned the trade he would still be doing years later.

Ingraham has owned Etch This and That, a business in downtown Merced that specializes in engraving, since 1999. He can work with almost anything a customer brings in.

"I started helping my grandparents at their store when I was in junior high school," Ingraham said. "I always had a love for the engraving end of the business."

Ingraham likes engraving the uncommon, not just glass or acrylic. "I wanted to work with wood, rock, marble, tile -- whatever people brought in," he said.

A lot of the work Ingraham does is for people who are retiring, so he started thinking about what would be more practical than the same old trophies or plaques.

"A lot of people ask me how I learned to design," Ingraham said. "There's no school for this. It's just a matter of I have a desire to do something. Where there's a will there's a way."

Trial and error, along with trying new techniques, have brought Ingraham to the place he wants to be. "My cousin, Bruce Ingraham, really helped me a lot," Ingraham said. "He showed me some of the techniques, and he taught me about jewelry to get me started."

To make sure his customers are satisfied, Ingraham likes to put himself in their shoes. "I sit down with my customers and within about five minutes I can give them three or four really good, viable options in their price range," he said.

With more than 1 million stock images to choose from, Ingraham said he doesn't limit himself to what exists. If a person can draw it, Ingraham can etch it.

"I like to say my motto is that you're a customer for two minutes, then you're my friend," Ingraham said. "I'm the machine that gets you there."

While Ingraham is making friends out of customers, another generation of Ingrahams is learning the trade. Ingraham said his three children -- Madison, Jaxson and Jake -- are a huge help in the business. "Jaxson is 11 years old and he's already sandblasting," Ingraham said. "Having their support is truly special."

Ingraham said the economy is a challenge for him, and he knows how hard times are for some of his customers. "When things get tough, you have to put customer service and quality at the top," he said. "I always try to do a good job, because if I do a lousy job, my customers won't be back."

Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or creiter@mercedsun-star.com.