Inside: Top Five Trends at SEMA 2011

Inside: Top Five Trends at SEMA 2011

Architectural - Auto - Decorative - Paint Protection - Security

Volume 16 - Issue 1 - January-February 2012

A PUBLICATION OF KEY COMMUNICATIONS INC.

Also Inside:• An Industry

Legend Speaks• Tint World

Recognized

Re-Investing inResidential

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Contents© 2011 WINDOW FILM Magazine. All rights reserved. No repro-duction of any type without expressed written permission.

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No other brand of window film enjoys higher consumer awareness

than 3M. It’s one more reason to partner with the technology leader.

Call 1-866-499-8857 to learn how to grow your business with 3M.

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24 • Re-Investing in ResidentialIn a struggling economy, find out how somecompanies are still managing to sellresidential film successfully.

30 • SEMA TrendsWINDOW FILM magazine takes a look back atthe 2011 SEMA Show and what the windowfilm industry can learn from the event.

36 • A World AheadWindow film franchisor Tint World isincluded in Inc. magazine’s 500/5000 list.Find out how they got there.

38 • Legendary ObservationsHanita Coatings legend Yochi Solna shareshis outlook for the window film industry onpage 38.

WINDOW FILM Magazine (USPS 020-895) ©2012 by Key Communications Inc. P.O. Box 569, Garrisonville, VA 22463-0569, 540/720-5584, fax: 540/720-5687,Email: [email protected], www.windowfilmmag.com. Copyright 2012, all rights reserved. No reproduction without the express written consent of publisher. WINDOW

FILM is published six times annually (bi-monthly) by Key Communications at P.O. Box 569, Garrisonville, VA 22463-0569. Periodicals postage paid at Stafford, VA22554 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Key Communications P.O. Box 569, Garrisonville, VA 22463-0569. Phone540/720-5584, Fax. 540/720-5687. Subscriptions are free to all qualified recipients. Addresses outside the U.S., postage fees apply. Members of the InternationalWindow Film Association receive one subscription as part of their membership dues.

Volume 16, Issue 1 • January-February 2012

A Publication for the Entire Film Industry

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

On the CoverThe residential film market continues to struggle in the wake of theeconomic downturn. Some companies have maintained success andare continuing to grow. Find out their secrets on page 24.

Dear Reader—Editor’s Letter ..........................................................6

IWFA Update—IWFA Presidential Notes ....................................10

Open 24/7—Expert Web Advice ....................................................14

Ask the Expert—Expert Advice ....................................................18

Noteworthy—New Products and Services ....................................19

Newsworthy—Industry News ........................................................20

Supplier’s Guide—Directory of Industry Suppliers ......................40

On the Horizon—Industry Events ................................................42

Advertising Index ..........................................................................43

Film Stars—Installer Profiles ........................................................44

24

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Subscribe by filling out the form on page 42.To change your address, mail your old label,along with your new address, to P.O. Box 569,Garrisonville, VA 22463, or fax to 540/720-5687.To unsubscribe, mail or fax your old label witha request to be removed from our mailing list.

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6 WINDOW FILM

KATIE HODGE O’MARA

Iam definitely not a salesperson.Don’t feel sorry for me—I justknow it’s not my thing. I remem-

ber lying awake at night dreading mymedia sales class in college. One ofthe main goals of the class was tosell a radio commercial on the col-lege radio station—a goal thatmany of us deemed impossi-ble. Most of us blamed theproduct and claimed that noone would pay attention to itso why would anyone pay tobe heard there. The reality isthat selling terrified me.Whatever the reason is—deep-

seeded shyness, shaky confidenceor the inability to handle rejection(I’m a catch, I know)—I just fear thesale. I don’t think I am the only onethough. About 50 percent of myshopping experiences include aninteraction with someone who does-n’t excel at selling. Sometimes thesepeople are way too pushy, followingyou around the store and makingawkward and forced conversation.Often in these circumstances I learnto avoid the store in the future.Other times I miss out on the greatsale the store is offering because Idon’t know about it until I get homeor check my email. It makes me won-der what qualities a solid salesper-son needs to have. Also, if you caneasily sell one type of product, canyou sell anything?Within the window film industry

there is always a delicate balancebetween promoting the product andover-promising results. It’s particu-larly difficult when it comes to theresidential market. Not everyonehas been able to maintain sales inthis area of the industry. In fact, Ihear repeatedly that this side of themarket is struggling more than com-

mercial and automotive. So wheneverything is stacked against youhow can you make that sale? Findout how some window film busi-nesses are making residential workfor them on page 24.Also, we are sharing the Tint

World story with you in thisissue. This company wentfrom six locations to 28 pluslocations in just five yearsand was recognized as one ofthe fastest growing privatecompanies in the U.S. Thecompany must know a thing

or two about sales. Find out howthey made it possible on page 36.And finally, if you missed the

SEMA Show this year get a glimpseat what manufacturers are trying tosell to you on page 30.

To share the end of my sellingdebacle with you—I never made asale, although I did face my fearsand try to make one. For the record,I was laughed out of a tattoo shopafter giving them my best salespitch. I ended up receiving a B+ inthe class and have forever reveredthe salespeople around me fordoing what I can’t. In the meantime,practice those skills and don’t “sell”yourself short. WF

Key Communications Inc.385 Garrisonville Rd, #116

Stafford, VA 22554540/720-5584; 540/720-5687 (fax)

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Publisher DEBRA [email protected]

Editor KATIE HODGE O’[email protected]

Contributing TARA TAFFERA, VICE PRESIDENTEditors [email protected]

MEGAN [email protected]@[email protected]@glass.com

Managing DAWN CAMPBELLEditor [email protected] Artist CARI HOLT CAYTON

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A PUBLICATION FORTHE ENTIRE FILM INDUSTRY

Selling Yourself

I am definitely not a salesperson. Don’t feel sorryfor me—I just know it’s not my thing. I rememberlying awake at night dreading my media sales classin college. One of the main goals of the glass was tosell a radio commercial on the college radio sta-tion— a goal that many of us deemed impossible.Most of us blamed the product and claimed that noone would pay attention to it so why would anyonepay to be heard there. The reality is that selling ter-rified me.Whatever the reason is—deep-seeded shyness,

shaky confidence or the inability to handle rejection(I’m a catch, I know)—I just fear the sale. I don’tthink I am the only one though. About 50 percent ofmy shopping experiences include an interactionwith someone who doesn’t excel at selling.Sometimes these people are way too pushy, follow-ing you around the store and making awkward andforced conversation. Often in these circumstances Ilearn to avoid the store in the future. Other times Imiss out on the great sale the store is offeringbecause I don’t know about it until I get home orcheck my email. It makes me wonder what qualitiesa solid salesperson needs to have. Also, if you caneasily sell one type of product, can you sell any-thing?Within the window film industry there is always a

delicate balance between promoting the productand over-promising results. It’s particularly difficultwhen it comes to the residential market. Not every-one has been able to maintain sales in this area ofthe industry. In fact, I hear repeatedly that this sideof the market is struggling more than commercialand automotive. So when everything is stackedagainst you how can you make that sale? Find outhow some window film businesses are making resi-dential work for them on page XX.Also, we are sharing the Tint World story with you

in this issue. This company went from six locationsto 28+-locations in just five years and was recog-nized as one of the fastest growing private compa-nies in the U.S. The company must know a thing ortwo about sales. Find out how they made it possibleon page XX.And finally, if you missed the SEMA show this year

get a glimpse at what manufacturers are trying tosell to you on page XX.To share the end of my selling debacle with you—

I never made a sale, although I did face my fears andtry to make one. For the record, I was laughed out ofa tattoo shop after giving them by best sales pitch. I

ended up receiving a B+ in the class and have forev-er revered the salespeople around me for doingwhat I can’t. In the meantime, practice those skillsand don’t “sell” yourself short.

As usual, the 2011 SEMA Show impressedattendees with new products and thehottest cars.


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Fixed-CostsCash Flow

StabilityFixed-Costs

Cash Flow

MORETurn KeyFlexibleReliable

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Email: Choi@Nex�l.com Tel: 310.516.8986 www.Nex�lUSA.com

14462 South Avalon Boulevard Gardena, CA 90248 USANE FIL

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JOHN PARKER

2012 Outlook


As the holiday hustle and bus-tle settles down, the dealers,distributors and manufactur-

ers we talk with are looking for newways to make 2012 their best yearever. The International Window FilmAssociation (IWFA) is here to sup-port you in making New Year’s res-olutions that stick and settinggoals that will really drive yourbusiness forward.In fact, that’s our mission all year

round. The growth of your busi-ness depends on mapping out newopportunities and goals and mak-ing action plans to seize them. Getinvolved with the IWFA, your indus-try association, and learn moreabout opportunities you have yetto capture.

MARKET AWAYEnergy savings benefits, third-

party validations from theNational Fenestration RatingCouncil (NFRC), utility rebates,possible tax credits, and otherendorsements, are all benefitsthat you and your sales staffshould learn about and leveragethis year in your marketing andsales programs if you aren’t doingso already. Go to www.iwfa.com toget more information so you canarm your salespeople.For example, if you’re a dealer,

do your staff members know thatthe winter season is a perfect timeto talk with consumers about theglare-reducing benefit window filmprovides? Especially in snowystates where up to 85-percent ofthe sun’s rays can be reflected offsnow and right into windows. Thelow winter sun can send excesslight into a home without windowfilm. Keep up-to-date with this kind

of information and use it to driveyour business to new heights.The IWFA team laid some great

groundwork in 2011 to supportyou in those efforts. Lookingahead, we’re thrilled to let youknow that nearly the entire IWFAboard of directors recommitted toserving you again in 2012. Thiscontinuity reflects the ongoingcommitment of the IWFA leader-ship to make sure that the inter-ests of manufacturers, distribu-tors, and dealers are well-served.Additionally, we’ve continued a

great relationship with WarnerCommunications, the public rela-tions firm we engaged in 2011. Theteam at Warner knows our industrywell and the target markets we’rereaching. They’re working hand-in-hand with us to spearhead manynew initiatives and campaigns toeducate both consumer and com-mercial audiences.

EXTRA, EXTRAIn 2012 we want more people

than ever to think of window filmright away when they’re looking forsolutions to their energy savings,UV protection, safety and glareissues. That is our New Year’s reso-lution and the goal we’re commit-ted to—more awareness and gener-ation of more demand for the usesof window film.In the past few months, the

IWFA has been interviewed about

window film on radio, as well asprint and online media, to driveawareness and help support yourbusiness growth and we’re justgetting started. Look out as we’repreparing to kick off a big push formore consumer awareness of thebenefits window film offersthroughout 2012.We’ll be launching a free informa-

tional booklet to give consumers adeeper understanding of windowfilm and its benefits, demonstratinghow window film can help solveeveryday issues in ways they maynever have considered before.Additionally, we’re working on a

new social media program thatwill launch in 2012 along with newwebsite content, leading to thedevelopment of a mobile versionof the website.2012 looks bright, and we

encourage you to aim high, know-ing the International Window FilmAssociation is committed to help-ing you reach a new level of suc-cess. If you haven’t already,please join the association to takethe first step in getting seriousabout accomplishing all you setout to in 2012. WF

John Parker is the president of theInternational Window Film Association(IWFA), whose members include windowfilm dealers, distributors and manufacturers.Contact the IWFA at 276/666-4932,[email protected] or visit www.iwfa.com.

“That is our New Year’s resolution and the goal we’re committed to—more awareness and generation of more

demand for the uses of window film.”—John Parker


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MANNY HONDROULIS

Iam completing my fourth year asa contributor toWINDOW FILMmag-azine. At the end of the second

year, my column was used to recapand summarize what I had dis-cussed in the previous two years. Solet’s continue the tradition.A picture is worth a thousand

words. It’s not just a cliché. It’s afact. There is nothingmore powerfulthan a visual to describe how win-dow film looks after installation.There is also no better way to por-tray that than to have a photogallery that is easy to navigate andis constantly updated. However, notevery window film dealer has theHTML experience or resources nec-essary to update its website’sgallery page. Canned solutions suchas Coppermine and Gallery are freewith hosting packages throughGoDaddy and other onlineproviders. They install with oneclick of the mouse in your hostingcontrol panel and are easy to config-ure. Flickr (www.flickr.com) is a fan-tastic and cost-effective solution(free in many cases) that is eveneasier to set up, update and make itpossible for visitors to share win-dow film photos with their friends.Next, I devoted four columns to

discussing how Microsoft Office(PowerPoint, Excel, Access, andWord) can help your business.

POWERPOINTPowerPoint is a modern alterna-

tive to old-fashioned transparen-cies displayed on an overhead orslide projector. It’s a great tool inhelping you communicate a clearand concise message. I use it whenpresenting to end-users, archi-tects, influencers and prospectivedealers. It’s a useful tool that

requires only a day or two to mas-ter and will increase the profes-sionalism of your presentations.

EXCELExcel is a spreadsheet applica-

tion that performs advancedmathematical calculations. Ifyou’re calculating a project’ssquare footage using pencil,paper and a calculator thenyou’re going to love Excel. Goneare the days when you have tomultiply a window’s height by itswidth, divide by 144 and thenmultiply by the quantity of win-dows and scribble the results onnote paper. Something this simpleand repetitive can take 20 minutesor more on just a small job. A sim-ple spreadsheet can do this workin a fraction of the time.

WORDWindow film proposals, especial-

ly for projects large in scope,should be well-written and format-ted using a word processing pro-gram such as Microsoft Word. Atyped document always looksmore professional than one that ishandwritten. Consider usingMicrosoft Word when writing all ofyour proposals. It might set youapart from the competition.After my Microsoft Office series, I

discussed new website trends in2011. Website content (meaning theinformation displayed on your web-site) and methods of communicat-ing through that content regularly

change. It’s no secret that we surfthe web differently today than wedid just one year ago. But most web-sites in our industry have a life cycleof at least five years. Our websitesare grossly behind the times interms of how users search and findrelevant information. Trends to noteinclude simpler backgrounds due tothe increased use of widescreenmonitors, greater functionality andinteractivity, the inclusion of socialnetworking and a design that issmart-phone friendly.

ACCESSAccess is database software that

stores information that a userinputs so it can be retrieved at willin various ways. Imagine storing allof your prospects and customersinto a database and being able toanalyze that data to learn how andwhy your prospects became cus-tomers. With that information youcan determine which marketingstrategies worked, what percent-age of your leads were commercialversus residential and what per-centage of prospects inquiredabout window film for the energysavings versus the security bene-fits. And with that information youcan modify your marketing strate-gy accordingly.Finally, I hope that all of you had

a healthy and safe holiday. WF

Manny Hondroulis is marketing managerfor Energy Performance Distribution inBaltimore.

Two Year Review“There is nothing more powerful than a visual to describe how

window film looks after installation.”—Manny Hondroulis


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….there’s a tool for that!Tool Solutions for Window Film Professionals

Call us for a copy of our catalog or download a copy at our website today


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Welcome to a new year! Ihope your business isgearing up for lots of

excitement in 2012. My questionfor you is this: What are yougoing to do to challenge yourselfthis year? How are you going toimprove your business and whatgoals are you willing to set toimprove the bottom line?

Many of you have said over thepast year that “I wish I could makemore profit … I wish I could affordanother staff member ... I wish Icould ...” So, if that is your focus,how are you going to achieve it?

PROFITLet’s begin with the challenge of

how to make more profit. People inour industry constantly complainabout the bottom line. In additionto the countless discussions I havehad with many of you over the pastyear, I have followed various dis-cussions on social media sites suchas LinkedIn and Facebook. Somepeople just throw their hands up inthe air and say, “Whatever!” Somethink about a solution, but will notimplement it. It’s not just aboutworking with your film manufactur-er and trying to pay less for film.It’s about figuring out how to closeone or two additional sales permonth. It’s about how to sell andclose deals for more dollars-per-square-foot than your 2011 pricesand keep prices moving in a posi-tive direction. It’s about figuringout how to utilize marketing in

order to increase sales.You, and only you, can make

your business successful. No oneelse can move your business tothe next level. The challenge is toallow yourself to set goals thatwill begin to move your companyinto the direction you desire.

What if your goal is to add morestaff members in 2012? How areyou going to justify the expense? Ichallenge you to think about whyyou need additional staff membersand how this is going to improveyour business. The fact is thatmost small business owners arecontrol freaks. They believe that noone else can do what they do, attheir level, right? Yes, I am talkingabout you!

DELEGATION = GROWTHThat being said, delegation will

help you grow your business. If youare installing film onsite, answeringyour phone and trying to updateyour appointment book all at thesame time, then it is time to thinkabout hiring someone. You need tochallenge yourself and delegateresponsibilities to another individ-ual so you can do what you dobest—install or sell.

No one can do everything well.No one person can do it all.

Think about this: do you thinkyou look and sound professional if

you are at a jobsite installing win-dow film and speaking to anotherpotential client? What if you weresitting at a doctor’s office and thedoctor examining you wasanswering his phone? What wouldyou think about that doctor?Would you consider that doctor aprofessional? I know I wouldn’t.You need to challenge yourself totake that next step. The challengeis to delegate and allow others tohelp you achieve your profession-al goals.

If you challenge yourself and youachieve your goal, what could thatdo for your business? Could youovercome the financial strugglesthat you may be facing today?Could it help you purchase market-ing materials that would help growyour business? Most importantly,could it enable you to be more pro-ductive in your business, increas-ing the bottom line?

Think about what you need to doto challenge yourself and thenmake that a business goal. Takingthat next step can be very chal-lenging, but it could be the bestway to improve your business. Ilook forward to hearing about yourchallenges. I wish you all a happyand safe 2012. WF

Donna Wells is the division head of thewholesale division at Window Film Depot.


DONNA WELLS

Challenging Yourself in 2012

Got a question for Donna?Please email it to us at

[email protected]. Individual namesand company names will be withheldupon request.

“You and only you can make your business successful. No one else can move your business

to the next level. The challenge is to allowyourself to set goals that will begin to moveyour company into the direction you desire.”

—Donna Wells


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NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Film of a Different ShadeSolar Gard Specialty Films has

introduced its Ultra Performanceautomotive film line which isavailable in a new 70 percentshare. According to the company,the signal-enabling film combineshigh heat rejection with high visi-ble light transmittance and main-tains the glass’ original factoryappearance. The film is availablein 72- and 36-inch sizes.�� www.solargard.com

Swatch YourselfGeoshield’s new swatch catalog

for dealers to use when marketingto customers is now available.The catalog includes the entireGeoshield line of window films inan organized presentation binder

that is held together with a mag-netic clasp. For those interestedin reserving a copy, dealers areencouraged to visit the compa-ny’s website.�� www.geoshieldusa.com

Protect Your PaintCommonwealth Laminating and

Coating/SunTek Window Filmshas introduced its new line ofautomotive paint protection film.The transparent product will notalter the appearance ofa vehicle and thecompany saysit canprotectaga instdamageby grav-el, rocks, salt, insectsand other debris. The film is avail-able in coated and non-coatedversions and is backed by a five-year warranty that covers crack-ing, bubbling and yellowing. �� www.suntekfilms.com WF

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012 WINDOW FILM 19

SIZE MATTERS 15”

*Made in the USA* 1-877-434-8665


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Commonwealth Laminatingand Coating has decided toexpand in its current loca-

tion. The Martinsville window filmmanufacturer plans to expand itscurrent manufacturing facilities inthe Southwest Virginia communityrather than taking the facilitiesoverseas.“[The expansion] involves two

major pieces of equipment—acoater/laminator and a seconddyeing line. With those we will be

able to make some majorenhancements to the operation asa whole,” says Steve Phillips, pres-ident and CEO of CommonwealthLaminating and Coating. “Thisexpansion does three things forus. It gives us the needed capacityto support our current and pro-

jected growth … it also gives usenhanced capabilities to remaincompetitive into the future. Itgives us some additional capabili-ties to enter into parallel andrelated markets. If you look at win-dow film and what goes into sup-port operations there is a realbenefit to having all of your manu-facturing in one location.”WINDOW FILM magazine attended

a press conference in Martinsvillewhere the announcement was

made. The $16.5 million expansionis expected to start this year andwill continue over the following 18months. The expansion will create40 new jobs with an average salaryof $50,000.Also in attendance was Jim

Chang, Virginia Secretary of

Commerce and Trade, to celebratethe company’s expansion.“I’m honored to be here today to

bring exciting news that will posi-tively impact rural Virginia,” saidChang. “While [CommonwealthLaminating and Coating] maintainsoperations in eight locations in fivecountries around the world thisfacility serves not only as its head-quarters, but also as its sole manu-facturing facility. The equipment ishigh-tech and state-of-the-art andthis investment will allow the com-pany to further increase itsadvanced technology capabilitiesand advance Virginia’s position inthe polymer sector as a leadingfilm manufacturer location.”

TECHNOLOGY NEWSNIST Researcher SharesResults of Polymer Test Protective glazing could have

protected the occupants at St.John’s Hospital from flying glass.That is according to a report madeby Christopher C. White, researchchemist, at the Materials &Construction Research of theEngineering Lab at the NationalInstitute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) in Gaithersburg,Md., entitled: Measuring andPredicting the Change in PolymerUsed in Protective Glazing Films.He was speaking at the ProtectiveGlazing Council International’s(PGCI) Annual symposium at NISTon October 26.White talked about the tornado

that ripped through Joplin, Mo.,in May, and said that it blew awayall the glass in St. John’s Hospitaland killed five people in the hos-pital. The level 2 trauma centerhad to shut down, 182 patients

THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS


Film Company Expands in VirginiaCOMPANY NEWS

Commonwealth Laminating and Coating's headquarters in Martinsville, Va.,will be expanding to include a new coater/laminator and a new dyeing line.

Madico Opens Northeast Service CenterMadico Window Films has purchased distribution rights from SGT

Distributors and opened a new company-owned service center in Windsor,Conn. The new center will distribute to Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire,Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,Maryland andWashington, D.C.The location will make it possible for Madico tooffer one-day shipping for almost all of the territory and will carry MadicoWindow Films and Sun-GardWindow Films as well as tools and accessories.


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had to be transported, because“glass shards exploded fromevery window and nearly everypatient was splashed or coveredwith blood from all the glass.”Protective glazing would havebeen the solution to flying glass,he said. The unique properties ofpolymeric materials—such aselasticity, toughness and clarity—could have prevented glassfrom flying. “We wanted to inves-tigate how the unique propertiesof polymers used in window filmapplications are changed by con-trolled indoor and monitored out-door exposure,” he said. “So, arequest was sent out by PGCI toits members, and NIST receivedmany samples, out of which tworolls of clear film were randomlyselected for testing.”The first thing the researchers

learned was that the films absorbalmost 100 percent of UV radiation,White said. “This means that a sig-nificant amount of energy wasbeing absorbed by the film,” hesaid. “Secondly, the films were oxi-dized when exposed to UV; heatand humidity were secondary.They were oxidized by the samemechanism indoor and outdoor.”The ATR-FTIR showed that car-

boxyl end groups are formed at thesurface layers after a short periodof irradiation and reached a plateauregion, or saturation, in about tendays, White said. “A longer expo-sure time led to a reduction in theelongation at complete failure, andstrain hardening moduli,” he said.“There were no apparent changesin Young’s moduli—below the elas-tic limit—uggesting that the elasticand plastic deformation did not actin series; and the environments

affected only the mechanical prop-erties in the post-yield region, i.e.,between the elastic limit and theultimate failure.”Degradation of the films was

dominated by UV radiation, Whitesaid. “The effect of temperatureand moisture were minimal. Filmsexposed to high temperatureshowed no change in chemical andmechanical properties even after90 days,” he said. “None or littleyellowing was seen in the speci-mens after prolonged exposure,although chemical and mechanicalproperties were degraded signifi-cantly. UV is required to initiatethe degradation because it has suf-ficient energy to break polymer

chemical bonds, which leads tosecondary reactions promoted byweather factors.”Since degradation is such a

strong function of UV, calculate UVincident on any window using soft-ware, and the total UV incident onthe window as a function of time,White said. “Our work can relatethat total UV to change in non-lin-ear mechanical properties, and itcan be verified with field FTIRmeasurement.”In conclusion, “we can say that

the unique properties of polymericmaterials used in window filmapplications change with expo-sure, and the changes can be pre-dicted,” White said. WF

EVENT NEWS2012 International Window FilmConference and Tint-Off™ Dates and Location Set

The International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™ 2012 has beenscheduled for September 20-22 at the Kentucky International ConventionCenter in Louisville, Ky. Auto Glass Week™ also will be held concurrently.Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby and Louisville Sluggers, will be hostingthe window film industry with its share of history and entertainment. Returningthis year to the event is the International Window Film Tint-Off, which willinclude a flat glass installation competition.Room blocks will be available at the nearby Hyatt Regency Louisville for the

InternationalWindow Film Conference andTint-Off. Hotel reservations can bemade by calling 888/421-1442.The event will once again be co-sponsored by WINDOW FILM magazine.Registration will open soon. Stay tuned to www.windowfilmmag.com/IWFC

for the latest information as it becomes available.


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Re-Investing in

ResidentialFinding Success Selling in theResidential Marketby Katie Hodge O’Mara

There have been many casu-alties of the economicdownturn including the

thousands of families that havelost their homes. Within the win-dow film industry many havefeared that this would mean disas-ter for the residential film market.However, many film businessescontinue to thrive selling residen-tial window film because of theirmarketing and networking effortsin the local community.

Market MuchMany window film companies

will tell you if you sit around andwait for the business to come thatyou will be waiting a long time.“I haven’t been sitting around

just waiting for stuff to happen. Ihave been aggressive with trying togrow my business,” says MichaelSandeman, owner of Tint Studiowith locations near Orlando,

Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla.Sandeman has used some of the

local marketing avenues in hiscommunity and within his businessto promote his residential filminstallation.“We’ve done some Internet adver-

tising and customized our website alittle bit more that seem to be work-ing,” says Sandeman. “We triedsome print ads that worked, butonly because our price was right. Iwas paying way too much for thoseads for the return though.”Like Sandeman, Wayne Thomp-

son, owner of Solarworks GlassTinting in Roswell, Ga., has foundthat the right marketing for hisbusiness can really drive businessto the door.“Residential is a tougher market,

but we stay focused on our market-ing and anything that we are doingto generate new business,” saysThompson. “We focus on the demo-graphics of themarket that still havethe ability, resources and interestlevel to want residential film.Thompson has found a strategy

using direct mail and web advertis-

“What has given us the staying power is that wehave always been committed and focused on

customer service and being able to provide whatwe, through trial and error, consider to be the bestproducts in the market that will last a long time.”

—Wayne Thompson, Solarworks Glass Tinting


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ing that seems to be bringing thebusiness to his shop.“We do direct mail campaigns

using postcards to targeted areaswhere we see potential customersof ours. We look at the age of thehomes, the glass in the homes andthen we know if that area is a goodone for us to target. If we see a sub-division that has a lot of three-story houses and have maybe 20percent glass, we know that theyhave heating and cooling costs.Those would be areas that wewould target. We mail pieces direct-ly to their address or through apost card company that will targetthat zip code,” says Thompson.“We try to keep our online pres-ence out there too. On the Googlepage we try to stay up towards thetop. We also have some articlesthat we try to run on a local news-paper’s website.”Thompson admits that market-

ing window film can be a chal-lenge when it comes uncontrol-lable factors.“It’s definitely seasonal for us,”

says Thompson. “If I do a postcard itdoesn’t matter how captivating thecard is if it all of the sudden rains fora week, the temperature drops andits overcast people will not be think-ing about window film. So some-times it’s just about timing.”For Gregg McKay, owner of NU-

VUE Window Films in San Diego,Calif., a combination of marketing,networking and just talking aboutthe product helps to get the cus-tomer’s attention.“It’s definitely harder to get them

in the door than it is to sell them onthe product once you have them,”says McKay. “Window film is still anun-tapped market in a lot of waysand many people don’t know youcan do it to your home. There is no

silver bullet to increasing residen-tial business. You have to do a com-bination of things.”

Keep it ProfessionalResidential customers are invit-

ing installers into their homes toapply window film and for manycompanies maintaining a profes-sional appearance inside the homeis key to providing a positive expe-rience with their company.“I tell my installers to do the job

and don’t get too involved withhaving conversations with thecustomer just because you neverknow when you could cross aboundary with someone,” saysSandeman. “Sometimes I havethem recommend an upgrade onthe product as one more opportu-nity to try to get them to upgradethe film. It’s just another way toincrease the sale.McKay sees many companies

missing an opportunity to pro-mote its services because themanagement and installers don’tdress the part for the job.“Some companies are not pro-

Increasing Your Advantage

There are plenty of marketingideas that can increase yourresidential business and won’tcost you much to try them out.See a few suggestions below.• Postcard campaigns- direct mail;• Ads in penny-saver or coupon

books;• Partner with glass or window

covering companies to cross-promote products;

• Visit local rug or furniturestores and ask to put up adisplay about the benefits ofwindow film;

• Web advertising on Google orother search engines;

• Re-design or plump up yourwebsite design with a focus onresidential;

• Sell current customer on filmupgrades without being pushy;

• Give current customer businesscards with a referral number onthe back. If they pass your cardon you send them a $20 bill;

• Send information to localbuilders to pass along tocustomers building houses.continued on page 26

Owners of homes and condos have been pinching pennies due to theeconomy, but the opportunity to sell home-owners on the energy andbill saving benefits of window film is still there.


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moting an image. They need todress the part and re-invest intheir own company,” says McKay.“In this time people can pick andchoose what they want. If a com-pany is dressing and playing thepart they can win out over some-one who shows up in shorts. Theyare not selling themselves well.”

In addition, when McKay’sinstallers are in a home heexpects them to treat everythingthey touch with respect.

“They need to respect the furni-ture and the people that are there.If they don’t feel comfortablemoving something then we needto figure something out,” saysMcKay. “Communication with the

customer needs to be there. Dropcloths should be there and thereshouldn’t be water and residue onthe windowsills. They need toclean up with a vacuum. Thereshould be nothing behind thatshows that we were even there.”

Another common mistake forthose in the residential businessis getting caught up in commercialwork and ignoring the residentialwork that comes in.

I have a lot of people call us upand say that we are the only com-pany that will return their phonecalls,” says Thompson. “It’s just amissed opportunity for the othercompanies that were too busy tocall them back.”

Who and What You KnowCreating a network that works

with you can be vital to a windowfilm shop’s business. That networkcan include competing companies,glass shops, window covering com-panies, industry associations andwindow film manufacturers.

“My greatest success is probablygetting involved with window cov-ering companies because there area lot of windows they can’t do withblinds or it might not be cost effec-tive so they fall back to windowtinting,” says McKay. “I have a lot ofwindow covering companies thatare selling it for me and pushingthe product. It’s almost like having20 sales reps out there for me.”

In addition to these types of rela-tionships, understanding the prod-uct and being able to explain thatproduct to customers is also key tosuccess in this market.

“The key to the residential mar-ket is identifying customers thatare keeping their houses and notlooking to upgrade into biggerhomes,” says McKay. “They arelooking to fine-tooth their currenthome. I’m letting them know aboutthe tax rebate, which is a good sell-ing point, and once they see that,along with the energy savings andprotecting the carpeting and furni-ture, they see the value in that.”

“What has given us the stayingpower is that we have always beencommitted and focused on customerservice and being able to providewhatwe, through trial and error, con-sider to be the best products in themarket that will last a long time,”says Thompson. “I always believethat quality will win out.” WF

Katie Hodge O’Mara is the editorof WINDOW FILM magazine. She canbe reached at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @windowfilmmag.

NU-VUE Window Films in San Diego, Calif., has continued to completeresidential jobs like this one due to successful networking and market-ing techniques.

continued from page 25

Re-Investing in

Residential


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For a newcomer, the SEMA Show’s immensedraw and displays can be mind-boggling. Forveterans the show has become a reflection of

many different industries. The automotive windowfilm industry show offers a glimpse into the direc-tion of the industry in terms of products and the cus-tomer-base. Each year show veterans can discoverwhat new trends the industry is embracing and whatis simply old news.

At the 2011 SEMA Show the industry reflection wasno different and WINDOW FILM magazine has compiledour list of the top five trends seen on the show floor.

1. INTERNATIONAL FLAVOROne of the most noted trends at the 2011 SEMA

Show was the large international attendance. Manyfilm manufacturers commented on the worldwidepresence and observed that the industry is gainingbusiness internationally.

“One of the most notable observations is that wehave seen a dozen or so international dealers just inthe first morning,” says Jeffrey Plummer, senior vicepresident of sales and marketing for Madico WindowFilms. “We saw people from the Middle East and Asiaand I think we will continue to see that throughoutthe show.”

Many exhibitors were pleased with the interna-tional turn-out and cited the international crowd forincreasing business at their booth.

“We’ve had a lot of people coming by the boothand asking questions and we have seen a lot of inter-national visitors stopping by as well,” says JohnAustin, business development manager for Novacel.

A number of exhibitors were also on-hand represent-ing the international market including Nexfil WindowFilms, Wintech Window Films and Global Window Films.

Johnson Window Films offered attendees the oppor-tunity to try out its film by participating in the “Tintthe Bug” challenge at its booth.

Top FiveTrends atSEMA 2011Automotive Show DrawsDiverse Crowd and Products

by Katie Hodge O’Mara


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2. PULL TO PAINT PROTECTIONMany of the window film manufacturers present at

this year’s show were promoting paint protection filmlines. Some companies, like CommonwealthLaminating and Coating, even took the opportunity torelease its own paint protection film line at the show.“We introduced our paint protection product this

year and have had a lot of interest in our demos,”said Liza Noland, sales and marketing manager forCommonwealth Laminating and Coating. “We havehad a lot of people through the booth and a lot ofprospects.”“The big product we are showing is our Xpel

Ultimate film,” said Eric Keller, business developmentrepresentative for Xpel Technologies. “You can getscratches on the film and then put it out in the sun forabout 30 minutes and the scratches will disappear.”Crowds of attendees would stop to observe the

paint protection installation demos at variousbooths, but the question remains if shops are buyinginto the add-on product or staying with regular auto-motive film installation. The interest appears to bethere for now.

“There has been a lot of interest in our paint pro-tection film which we have been featuring at theshow,” said Wing Kwang, business director and brandmanager for Solutia’s Performance Films division. “Ihave seen the machine churning out the leads.”

3. OLD FAVORITESWhile the glamour of paint protection film was all

over the SEMA Show floor many companies chose tofocus on the continually popular automotive win-dow film lines, by introducing new sizes, colors andbenefits.“We brought four automotive lines with us and left

our commercial and residential lines at home,” saidJosh Buis, vice president of window film operationsfor Scorpion Window Films. “We’ve had a lot of inter-est at the show and we look forward to that interestcontinuing.”Other companies are expanding on their success-

ful lines with new options for existing customers.“We have our different lines of ceramic films here,

just like we did last year,” says Urmi Asher ofPremier Window Films. “We are trying to broadenwhat we can do for our customers with a lot morechoices now.”

SunTek used the platform of the SEMA Show tointroduce its brand-new paint protection film line.The show is a great way for companies to get theword out on new products.

Scorpion Window Films brought four automotivefilm lines to the SEMA Show and experienced asteady crowd through its booth.

continued on page 32


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4. HANG TOUGHWhile some window film shops have struggled

with the down economy, most of the observationson the SEMA Show floor were optimistic. Many atten-dees and professionals see energy-efficiency andtechnology as two main factors that are advancingwindow film and preparing the industry for growthas the economy recovers. Most members of theindustry commented that they see the industrygrowing and feel the future is positive.“In certain parts of the world the industry is growing,”

said Peter Eisenberg, the U.S. business manager forenergy conservation for 3M. “We see some big increasesin the automotive side. On our commercial side of thebusiness we have seen growth as well. The future forwindow film is going to be energy conservation.”While the reaction among companies in atten-

dance was mixed, there is still concern over thedown economy and what that will mean for theindustry.“The industry seems to be static and down

because of the economy,” says Michael Martin, pres-ident of American Standard Window Film. “There hascertainly been a lot of consolidation over the pastyear and that’s what happens when the industryshrinks some.”

5. THE HUNT IS ONThe attendees at the SEMA Show are always scop-

ing the halls looking for the next big thing and thisyear was no different.“We are looking at a lot of the paint protection

film products and the different film manufacturersthat are here,” said attendee Greg Young, ofPaintshield in Livonia, Mich. “We’d like to see somespecific tools, techniques and some of the new prod-ucts that are now out there.”Attendees have plenty to see and for many the

challenge of the SEMA Show remains finding whatspecific product their company needs.“This year what I am looking for is trying to find

examples between the paint protection films, win-dow film and vehicle wraps. My business is expand-ing into vehicle wraps and vinyl so we are reallyfocused on figuring out which is going to best suitour business,” says Rob Stortroen of Star TrimsAutomotive. “I am looking for that diamond in therough—that thing that makes me feel like I have toadd this to my business.” WF

Katie Hodge O’Mara is the editor of WINDOW FILM maga-zine. She can be reached at [email protected] or followher on Twitter @windowfilmmag.

“I am looking for thatdiamond in the rough—that thing that makes

me feel like I have to addthis to my business.”

—Rob Stortroen, Star Trims Automotive

Attendees are always looking for the next big thingand SEMA continues to be a great way for installersto get their hands on different products and trythem out.

Top Five Trends at SEMA 2011continued from page 31

To view our video reports fromthe SEMA Show use your phoneto follow the MS tag at right.



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International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™

is going to Louisville!

SAVE THE DATE!

International Conference and Tint-Off™


International Conference and Tint-Off™


Window International Conference and Tint-Off™


Film Window Conference and Tint-Off™


Film Conference and Tint-Off™


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Louisville, Ky.

September 20-22,

2012

September 21-22


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I


In 2006, six little window film shops were far frombeing considered among the fastest-growing com-panies in the United States. Fast forward five yearslater and those six little window film shops have

morphed into the Tint World franchise. As of the fall of2011 the Boca Raton, Fla.-based company now includes28 stores in the United States and multiple internationaldeals are in the works. The company has grown by 20percent within the last three years and its revenue hasjumped from $4.1 million in 2007 to $4.9 million in 2010.Due to its mind-boggling growth, the franchise wasrecently recognized as one of the fastest growing U.S. pri-vate companies in Inc.magazine’s 500/5000 list at #4439.

Starting SomewhereCharles Bonfiglio, franchise president of Tint World,

watched the company from afar as he worked foranother franchisor in the South Florida area. Bonfigliosaw what he thought was a great business model andfinally approached the owner.“I met up with the original owner who had started

Tint World and told him it was a great businessmodel and that I thought it would be great for a fran-chise,” says Bonfiglio. “He said he didn’t know how todo that and from that point we formed a relationship.I began the paperwork and systems and we launchedthe Tint World franchise in 2007 with the first storeopening in Florida.”Soon after, Anthony Foley joined Bonfiglio as the

director of franchise development. “Knowing franchis-ing pretty well I thought this was a pretty good pair-ing. It’s an industry that has no real recognizable fran-chise presence,” says Foley. “The fragmentation of theindustry, between the big-box store, the small localretail shop and the mobile setting, haven’t allowed fora retail-friendly environment that is a one-stop shopfor all of these services and products.”Since starting the franchise five years ago, Foley and

Bonfiglio have been instrumental in quadrupling thecompany’s size.“I wasn’t surprised by the growth because I knew that

there was a goodmodel here, very low cost and an easysystem for someone once they have been trained,” saysBonfiglio. “For some reason a very technical autorepair center can figure out and replace engines andtransmissions, but they can’t figure out something thatseems as simple as film. Whether its film, mobile elec-tronics, detailing and reconditioning, headlight restora-tion or dent removal it’s really hard to get into theseareas so we knew we had a very good model.”The franchise quickly found that the nature of the

company was what set it apart from others. The indus-try was void of a franchise opportunity that couldhelp window tinters offer a variety of services andreach out to their surrounding community.“The fact that the industry doesn’t have a model

like this and it is what the consumer is looking forhas contributed to growth,” says Foley. “Before we

A WORLD AHEAD

Tint World's approach to customer service is to combinemany different restyling and aftermarket services in oneplace so that the customer only has to go to one place forall of their needs.

Tint World Declared One of the Fastest-Growing Companies

by Katie Hodge O’Mara


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started franchising the plan was to just keep offeringmore products and services because they are askingfor it. After you finished tinting the car the customerwould ask where they could get tires for the car orsomething like that. Instead of referring those cus-tomers away we decided to keep that business here.Then we started getting questions about franchisingfrom our customers. Quite frankly, if enough peopleask you for it then you provide it. Give the customerwhat they are asking for.” Tint World allows for its franchisees to provide all of

the automotive restyling services that its customershave been asking for in one retail location. “The major advantage of what we bring to the table

is that one-stop shop premise,” says Foley. “You havethe business that provides the window tinting serv-ice. You have the business that provides the after-market wheels and tires. You have the detail shop,but you don’t have it all put together and buttonedup in a system.”

No Longer ListlessMaking the Inc. 500/5000 list this year was quite a

milestone for the franchisor. It was the only windowfilm company on the list and it was the company’s firsttime being included.“It was a surprise,” says Bonfiglio. “I got an email

saying they saw the company growing so we becamepart of the program. A month or two later they sentus a notice telling us we have been selected. Wecouldn’t say anything for two months.”While Bonfiglio was surprised by the recognition

he wasn’t surprised by how fast the franchise wasmultiplying.

“As far as how fast it’s growing—I really felt itwould grow fast,” says Bonfiglio. “When you look

back and see the growth and recognition it does sur-prise you even though you are expecting it. We thinkwe are positioned to expand even more. All we havedone the past few years is continue to grow our foun-dation with marketing, branding, training andautomating everything.”Making the list doesn’t put an end to Bonfiglio and

Foley’s dreams for the franchise. They have bigplans for the company’s future that include a higherplace on that list.And even as the list was released Tint World was

already making plans for further expansion intoCanada and Australia.

“We want to be a part of what’s happening next inthe industry because that is what is going to cata-pult the business forward,” says Foley. WF

Katie Hodge O’Mara is the editor of WINDOW FILM magazine. Shecan be reached at [email protected] or follow her on twitter@windowfilmmag.

A WORLD AHEAD

The Tint World franchise has opened 22 locations withinfive years and is continuing to grow with new franchiselocations in the works.

“Quite frankly, ifenough people ask you for it then youprovide it. Give thecustomer what they

are asking for.”

—Anthony Foley, director of

franchise development


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Ask most people in the win-dow film industry, “Howhas it changed?” and you’ll

get a laundry list of advancementsand proof that we have evolvedfrom where we were when webegan. Ask Yochi Solna the samequestion and his answer is verydifferent. Solna, the window filmbusiness advisor for HanitaCoatings, the manufacturer ofHanitaTek Window Films has beeninvolved specifically in the win-dow film industry for 25 years andwith Kibbutz Hanita and Hanita

Coatings for over 47 years. Heshared his opinion with WINDOW

FILM magazine in an interviewabout the future of the industry.WINDOW FILM magazine (WFM):

How has the industry changedover the past 25 years?Yochi Solna (YS): Very little. I

don’t think there were definitechanges. In automotive windowfilms they went all the way from non-reflective regular film through manycircles and back to reflective filmsagain. There were innovations ineverything, but it’s not an industry

that is growing like crazy and invent-ing new stuff every other day. Fromtime-to-time one of the players inthe market is coming out with some-thing really new and different. We[Hanita Coatings] have specializedin exterior films and doing a lot ofinteresting things in that market—mostly in Europe where exteriorfilms are a lot more developed thanhere. I believe that exterior films aregoing to become more popular inthis country too because of thesolar values.WFM: What area of the market

has been Hanita Coatings’ mainfocus?YS: We have lots of safety prob-

lems in Israel so we have developeda lot of good films in the safety filmmarket. We, together with our dis-tributor and main installer in Israel,have developed an anchoring sys-tem. It’s a very good system espe-cially for protection from bombblasts and hurricanes and is unbe-lievably better than just gluing filmto the frame and thinking it’s goingto hold. [Hanita Coatings] has comefrom the safety film market and hasdone a lot of solar film because ofthe long summers in Israel and withthe energy issue becoming a bigfocus. People are looking to getenergy consumption down and find-ing ways of using less. Window filmis certainly something that can help.Hanita Coatings is like every othercompany in the industry. [We areall] looking at this energy issue. Ithink we are doing some very inter-esting things in Israel in this regard.WFM: Do you see commercial

film growing?


LegendaryObservationsIndustry Veteran Predicts Film’s Future

LegendaryObservationsIndustry VeteranPredicts Film’s Futureby Katie Hodge O’Mara


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YS: I think that commercial film isgrowing everywhere. I was just inAustralia which, historically, hasbeen an automotive country. Nowevery dealer wants to go into busi-ness installing film on flat glass.[Australians] want window film onglass, but they don’t like silver oranything shiny so that is anotherchallenge. Hanita Coatings hasnever been really strong in auto-motive film, but it’s a large market.We are looking into it and trying todo something, but we are nevergoing to be a huge player in thatmarket. We currently are looking atgetting exterior films in the marketwith warranties of over five, sevenand ten years. We are also trying toget films in the market that are forexterior application on skylightsand other difficult-to-reach places.We are trying to find solutions thatare less expensive than the veryhigh end of the automotive films.WFM: Is the future for windowfilm in the solar market?YS: I think so. I think the auto-

motive films are going to go downover time. Manufacturers producesome of their cars with tinted win-dows, which does not mean theyhelp for energy protection, butthey are already tinted. The futureis in solar control, energy savingsand… if terrorism has its way, thenthere are going to be more safetyand security films. Right now it’snot a big market, but the potentialfor growing is there. What will beneeded are films that really giveyou protection. Regular safety filmthat everyone has is a very goodproduct to protect you against fly-

ing shards, but if you really wantprotection so that the windowremains intact in the frame anddoesn’t fall out then you will needanchoring systems. That area ofthe market can only grow.WFM: What continues to sur-prise you about the window filmindustry?YS: It surprises me that lifetime

warranties haven’t yet driven it[the window film industry] intobankruptcy.WFM: What do you think thenumber one thing is that windowfilm shops can do to increase theirbusiness?YS: They should not just wait for

the call from the customer whomay find them in the yellow pages.They need to sell their wares—they need to go out and promoteenergy savings. Selling filmbecause of a state rebate programis a great opportunity, but it’s notthe “real thing.” There are energyconsultants, auditors or raters,Energy Service Companies(ESCO’s) that are approachingfacility managers of large complex-es or buildings. Window film shopowners should be able to do thesame on a smaller scale. Theyshould be able to show everyonefrom the companies that rent acouple of offices, to stores withlarge shop windows and to hotelsand restaurants that one can save asubstantial amount of money byinstalling highly efficient windowfilms. Payback is often less thantwo years, while the film may lastmuch longer. HanitaTek has beenspecializing in films that are

applied on the exterior side of thewindow exactly because theseexterior films are much more effi-cient in keeping the heat out.WF: Where does the industrystand right now—are we growing,stagnant or is business down?YS: Window film has not been a

fast growing industry. With theworld economy as it is, unstable atbest, one would assume that 2012will not be a booming year. On theother hand, we are back to the ener-gy savings question—if the industrycan prove to the world that the leastexpensive retrofit solution for solarheat transmission through windowsis by applying film then maybe 2012becomes the year that makes build-ing owners “see the light,” and stillsave on electricity. WF

Katie Hodge O’Mara is the editorof WINDOW FILM magazine. She canbe reached at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @windowfilmmag.

Solna Stats

1964: Joined Kibbutz Hanita1965 - 1987: Sales of industrial

cutting tools-Hanita Cutting Tools1982 - 1986: Assisted in set-up of

U.S. distribution of cutting tools1986: Joined Hanita Coatings-

responsible for sales in the U.S.and Europe

1995 - 2009: Became manager ofthe window film department ofHanita Coatings

2010: Opened the German branchof Hanita’s window films

2011: Served as adviser to man-agement for setting up theAustralian branch of HanitaWindow Films

“If the industry can prove to the world thatthe least expensive retrofit solution for solarheat transmission through windows is by

applying film then maybe 2012 becomes theyear that makes building owners ‘see the

light,’ and still save on electricity.”—Yochi Solna


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DISTRIBUTORSArchitectural Film

Geoshield Window Film8000 GSRI Ave., Bldg. 3000Baton Rouge, LA 70820800/234-6133; fax: 225/578-3975www.geoshieldusa.com

SAGR Products Int'l1785 Biglerville RoadGettysburg, PA 17325800/223-4385; fax: 717/334-6483 [email protected]

Solar Control Films Inc. 1499 N Post Oak Rd; 214 Houston, TX 77055 877/989-3456; fax: 713/681-3040 [email protected]

Solar Gard Window Films 4540 Viewridge AvenueSan Diego, CA 92123877/345-9478fax: 858/514-4231www.solargard.com

Sun-Gard Window Films2630 Fairfield Avenue S.St. Petersburg, FL 33712888/887-2022www.sun-gard.com

Automotive Film

Geoshield Window Film8000 GSRI Ave., Bldg. 3000Baton Rouge, LA 70820800/234-6133; fax: 225/578-3975www.geoshieldusa.com

Huper Optik International Pte Ltd12, Jalan Kilang Barat, #04-03Singapore 159354(65) 6276-4555; fax: (65) 6276-9917www.huperoptik.com

SAGR Products Int'l1785 Biglerville RoadGettysburg, PA 17325800/223-4385; fax: 717/334-6483 [email protected]

Solar Control Films Inc. 877/989-3456 [email protected]


Starco Distributing1441 N. Cayamaca St.El Cajon, CA 92020619/937-0367; 888/359-3456fax: 619/937-0369

Sun-Gard Window Films888/887-2022www.sun-gard.com

Decorative Film

Solar Graphics Inc.12167 49th St., Unit 100Clearwater, FL 33762800/869-8468Fax: 727/321-6004www.coloredfilms.com

Residential Film

Johnson Window Films Inc.20655 Annalee Ave.Carson, CA 90746310/631-6672; 800/448-8468fax: 310/[email protected]

Midwest Solar Control Films 1220 N Price Rd; #B St. Louis, MO 63132 866/973-3456 www.midwestwindowfilm.com

Security Film

HanitaTek Window Films4010 La Reunion Parkway, Ste. 100Dallas, TX 75212800/660-5559; fax: 214/[email protected]

Madico Window Film888/887-2022www.madico.com

Solar Film

HanitaTek Window Films4010 La Reunion Parkway, Ste. 100Dallas, TX 75212800/660-5559; fax: 214/[email protected]

FILM INSTALLATION SERVICES

U.S. Film Crew100 Broughton RoadPittsburgh, PA 15102877/946-3693; fax: 412/[email protected]

MANUFACTURERSArchitectural Film

3M Renewable Energy Division3M Center, Bldg. 235-2S-27St. Paul, MN 55144800/480-1704; fax: 651/636-0611www.3m.com/windowfilm

Hanita CoatingsKibbutz Hanita, 22885, Israel+972-4-985-9919fax: [email protected]

Madico Window Film2630 Fairfield Avenue S.St. Petersburg, FL 33712727/[email protected]

Solutia Inc.Performance Films Division575 Maryville Centre DriveSt. Louis, MO 63141 314/674-1000; 800/255-8627fax: 314/674-1950www.llumar.com

Solar Gard Window Films 4540 Viewridge AvenueSan Diego, CA 92123877/345-9478

A DIRECTORY OF INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS


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fax: 858/514-4231www.solargard.com

SunTek®/Commonwealth Laminating & Coating, Inc.345 Beaver Creek Drive Martinsville, VA 24112276/632-4991; fax: 276/632-0173www.suntekfilms.com

Automotive Film


3M Window Films866/499-8857www.3m.com/window

Erickson Intl./American Standard Window Film3135 Marco St.Las Vegas, NV 89115800/835-9676; fax: 702/643-0509


Madico Window Film727/[email protected]


Commercial Film


Decorative Film


Artscape Inc.3487 N.W. Yeon Ave.Portland, OR 97219888/503-0354; fax: 503/[email protected]

Film Shades

Midwest Marketing2000 E. War MemorialPeoria, IL 61614800/638-4332; fax: 309/[email protected]

Solar Screen Co. Inc.53-11 105th StreetCorona, NY 11368718/592-8222; fax: 718/[email protected]

Residential Film


Security Film



Madico Window Film727/[email protected]


SECURITY PRODUCTSAttachment Systems

FilmFastener LLC featuring BondKap™8206 Copeland Rd.Odessa, FL 33556813/926-8721; fax: 813/920-8662 www.FilmFastener.com

TOOLS AND SUPPLIESPerformance Tools Distributing7640 Commerce PlacePlain City, OH 43064866/448-6657 or 614/873-4800Fax: 614/[email protected]


WEBSITES TO VISITSolamatrix, Inc.888/887-2015www.solamatrix.com

Training School


Windowtinting.com800/580-7953 WF

To place your listing(s) in theSupplier’s Guide, please email

[email protected]


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INDUSTRY EVENTS


Subscriptions are free to all qualified recipients. Digital edition is free worldwide. Addresses outside theU.S. requesting the print edition, please add $40 for postage fees. By subscribing and signing thisform, I also agree to allow publisher to contact me via fax, email and/or telephone in the future.

I want to start/continue my FREE SUBSCRIPTION to WINDOW FILM magazine: � YES � NO

Subscribe to WINDOW FILM magazine for Free

Fax This Form to630/482-3051

ORSubscribe online at

www.glass.com/subcenter

Please answer the following questions: PRIMARY WINDOW FILM BUSINESS: (check one only)A � Dealer B � DistributorC � Manufacturer D � Attachment/Component Manufacturer Z � Other (please specify)

_______________________________JOB TITLE: (check one only)A � President, Owner or other Corporate executiveB � ManagerC � Film Applicator/InstallerZ � Other (please specify)

_________________________________TYPE OF WINDOW FILM YOU BUY OR SELL: (Check ALL that apply)A � ArchitecturalB � AutoC � DecorativeD � Paint ProtectionE � SecurityZ � Other (please specify)

_______________________________

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:A � 1-4B � 5-9C � 10-19D � 20-49E � 50-99Z � 100+

MY BUSINESS IS EN-GAGED IN THE WINDOWFILM INDUSTRY:

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� Check here to also subscribe to the freeWINDOW FILM e-newsletter.

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Signature: _______________________________________Date:___________________________________________Address: ________________________________________City: ___________________________________________State/Province: __________________ Zip/Postal: _________Country (if not USA):_______________________________

AUTOMOTIVE FILM EVENTS

April 6- 15, 2012NewYork International Auto ShowOrganized by the Greater New YorkAutomobile Dealers AssociationJacob Javits CenterNew York, NYContact: www.autoshowny.com

September 20-22, 2012International Window FilmConference andTint-Off™Sponsored by WINDOW FILMmagazine and the InternationalWindow Film Association (IWFA)Kentucky International Convention CenterLouisville, Ky.Contact: WINDOW FILM magazine at540/720-5584 or visitwww.windowfilmmag.com/iwfc

October 18-20, 2012SGIA Expo 2012Organized by the Specialty Graphics Imaging AssociationLas Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nev.Contact: www.sgia.org

October 30-November 2, 2012SEMA Show 2012Sponsored by the Specialty Equipment Market AssociationLas Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nev.Contact: www.semashow.com

ARCHITECTURAL FILM EVENTS

March 26-28, 2012NFRC Spring 2012Committee WeekSponsored by the NationalFenestration Rating Council (NFRC)Omni Austin Hotel-DowntownAustin, TexasContact: NFRC at 301/589-1776

April 12-13, 2012Glass TEXpo™Co-sponsored by the Texas Glass Association and USGlass,WINDOW FILM and Door & WindowManufacturer magazinesEl Tropicano Riverwalk HotelSan Antonio, TexasContact: www.usglassmag.com/texpo

September 20-22, 2012InternationalWindow FilmConferenceand Tint-Off™Sponsored byWINDOW FILMmagazine and theInternational Window Film Association (IWFA)Kentucky International Convention CenterLouisville, Ky.Contact: WINDOW FILM magazine at 540/720-5584 or visitwindowfilmmag.com/iwfc WF

Send your events to editor Katie Hodge O’Mara at

[email protected].


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http://www.autoshowny.com

http://www.windowfilmmag.com/iwfc

http://www.sgia.org

http://www.semashow.com

http://www.usglassmag.com/texpo


http://www.glass.com/subcenter






ADVERTISING INDEXPage Company Phone Fax Web Address

For more information on these companies’ products, visit http://products.windowfilmmag.com.

catch the latest headlines from news stories affecting today’s market• watch current and past episodes of the FILM’d series • read thecurrent issue of WINDOW FILM • check out when industry events are

happening • subscribe to the WINDOW FILM e-newsletter • read industryblogs • search the WINDOW FILM magazine archives for past issues • get connected with

us on Twitter and Facebook • view new product information as seen in the latest issue• search the Online Buyer’s Guide and industry classifieds • participate in surveys affectingour industry • update your subscription • meet the editorial staff • and so much more!

Bookmark www.windowfilmmag.com today!

Windowfilmmag.com is your newssource for the film industry

Windowfilmmag.com is your newssource for the film industry

1 3M 866/499-8857 651/733-5502 www.3M.com

22-23 Aegis Films 800/438-8468 678/333-0892 www.aegisfilms.com

16-17 Commonwealth Laminating & Coating 888/321-5111 276/632-0173 www.suntekfilms.com

19 GDI Tools 877/434-8665 770/345-2394 www.gditools.com

45 Global Window Films 866/664-5622 813/814-2080 www.globalwindowfilms.com

46 HanitaTek Window Films 800/660-5559 262/754-3776 www.hanitatek.com

C2 Johnson Window Films 800/448-8468 310/631-6672 www.johnsonwindowfilms.com

28-29 Madico 800/225-1926 888/553-8468 www.madico.com

11 NDFOS Window Film 82-2-782-7790 82-2-782-9284 www.ndfos.com

8-9 Nexfil USA 310/516-8986 310/538-1137 www.nexfilusa.com

27 Raytech +603-8941 9928 +603-8945 0928 www.raytechfilms.com

33 Scorpion Window Film 800/843-9087 765/653-7175 www.scorpionwindowfilm.com

4-5 Solar Gard 877/345-9478 858/514-4231 www.solargard.com

3 Solutia’s Performance Film Division 314/674-1000 314/674-1585 www.solutia.com

7 U.S. Film Crew 877/946-3693 412/798-0900 www.usfilmcrew.com

43 WINDOW FILM Magazine 540/720-5584 540/720-5687 www.windowfilmmag.com

34-35 International Window Film Conference & Tint-Off™ 540/720-5584 540/720-5687 www.windowfilmmag.com/iwfc

12-13 Wintech Window Films 888/983-3356 714/522-1448 www.wintechusa.com

15 Zola Distributing 866/994-7060 614/652-3693 www.zolatools.com



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http://www.3M.com

http://www.aegisfilms.com

http://www.suntekfilms.com

http://www.gditools.com

http://www.globalwindowfilms.com

http://www.hanitatek.com

http://www.johnsonwindowfilms.com

http://www.madico.com

http://www.ndfos.com

http://www.nexfilusa.com

http://www.raytechfilms.com

http://www.scorpionwindowfilm.com

http://www.solargard.com

http://www.solutia.com

http://www.usfilmcrew.com



http://www.wintechusa.com

http://www.zolatools.com

http://products.windowfilmmag.com






While some tinters justfall into the industryand tinting, others

dream of being a professional tin-ter. Jeff Van Horn, owner of VanHorn Tint and Accessories inBloomington, Ind., is one of thoselucky tinters that feels he has adream job.“I have an uncle that is only

about five years older than me andwhen he turned 16 he bought anew IROC-Z and had the windowstinted. I thought it was the coolestthing ever and started trying to doit on others cars and eventually myown,” says Van Horn.Along with his business partner

and friend, Scott Stewart, Van Hornstarted tinting on nights and week-ends when he wasn’t busy with histhen full-time job and has nowbeen tinting for almost 25 years.Van Horn Tint and Accessories hasan annual sales figure of just under$300,000 and Van Horn and Stewartdo all of the automotive, commer-cial, residential and marine filmprojects themselves.“My best friend and I work

together everyday doing a jobthat we love to do and fortunatelymake a living at,” says Van Horn.“It’s a dream come true. I wisheveryone was so lucky to findsomething they are passionateabout and are able to make a liv-ing doing it. The world would be amuch better place.”Besides his obvious passion

and love for the art of windowtinting, Van Horn credits hisattention to detail for making himand his business successful. VanHorn and Stewart are known forbeing incredibly focused on quali-ty and people take notice. Theircompany continues to thrive offof referrals from customers whohave seen their detailed and pre-cise work.“We have just always had an eye

for detail and been very meticu-lous in nature,” says Van Horn. “Ihave always drawn and been some-what of an artist and so has Scott.We use nothing-but lifetime war-ranty products and take care ofour customers and make sure they

are happy no matter what.”Some of Van Horn’s favorite proj-

ects have been installing vehiclewraps and graphics for race carsand, in his early days, tinting back-hoes and boats in crazy condi-tions. Now his sights are set onexpanding his own business.“I am looking into building a

bigger shop and expanding someand maybe building some kit carsat some point,” says Van Horn.“Patience and perseverance areimportant. As any installer knowsyou only get better in time andyou just have to keep going afterit. I’ve yet to see a perfectly tintedwindow.”When Van Horn finds a little free

time you can find him playingdrums, going to dirt track racesand watching movies with his wifeand Chihuahuas. WF

Dream JobJeff Van Horn,Van Horn Tint and Accessories

INSTALLER PROFILES

Do you know someone who is a star among windowfilm tinters? Then we want to hear from you with yournominations for “Film Stars.” Email Katie Hodge O’Maraat [email protected] your nominations.


Jeff Van Horn’s attention to detail hasmade his company,Van Horn Tint andAccessories, a success. After 25 yearsVan Horn still considers tinting hisdream job.


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Finally—A Tint Tool thatTrims Wasted Time

Your time and materials are valuable—maximize both with InfoZone™, Hanita Coatings’ new

iPhone App. InfoZone calculates how much film you need in each width for your entire job,

trimming time and increasing accuracy from the old paper and calculator method. You can

even email the results to your shop to get a start on the project. Plus the glass breakage

warranty info is right on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Trim your budget and your time spent. Get InfoZone. It’s Free.

Learn more at www.hanitatek.com/app.

And our film is pretty great too.

800.660.5559 www.hanitatek.com facebook.com/hanitatek


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Documents

Inside: Top Five Trends at SEMA 2011