The merger of Owings Mills-based Avatech Solutions Inc. with a Colorado firm has brought to Maryland another public company and lured the founder of Jiffy Lube back into business, the local software company said yesterday.

With the completion of its merger with publicly held PlanetCAD Inc. of Boulder, Colo., Avatech gained as its chairman W. James Hindman. The founder of Jiffy Lube and Youth Services International Inc., Hindman is a co-founder and former board member at Avatech.

"This means a tremendously expanded opportunity," Hindman said. "Historically, we have been a sales organization that represents other people's products, and for the first time Avatech owns products that contribute to the solutions that big companies need."

Avatech sells software for industries such as architecture, engineering and manufacturing. It also installs the software, trains workers and provides technical support once the software is installed. The merger brings to Avatech a business that makes software for the manufacturing industry.

Through the deal, Avatech became a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly held PlanetCAD Inc., which changed its name to Avatech Solutions. The new Avatech's headquarters will be in Owings Mills.

The merger was a stock deal. PlanetCAD shareholders now own 25 percent and Avatech shareholders own 75 percent of the new company's stock.

Shares of the new company will be traded on the over-the-counter bulletin board.

Before the deal, Avatech was privately held and offered shares mostly to employees and to some outside investors. Avatech has 180 employees nationwide, about 35 of them in Owings Mills. None were affected by the deal, the company said.

Hindman, 76, said he plans to play an active role in the new company.

"I have a belief that a board needs to be a working board," he said.

"I have a belief that the overall vision of the enterprise, the integrity of the enterprise and the energy of the enterprise has to be set by the board, and, if you will, by the chairman of the board."