Featuring Solar Gard brand automotive and architectural films exclusively, the store was designed with the idea of changing the customer experience.

“We designed the shop around what we thought the customers would want—we designed it around the customer experience,” said Jim Bundick, co-owner.

Renovated from an old piano gallery, Bundick and co-owner Brian Sexton who bring more than a combined 60 years of automotive aftermarket retail experience, along with Solar Gard support, converted the gallery area and offices to include a custom garage bay which features picture windows and a transparent garage door, allowing customers to watch installers as they tint automobiles from the comfort of the waiting area.

“The idea these guys came up with is to change the environment—the customer experience—where customers can watch them work on their cars,” said Ari Sacal, automotive product marketing manager for Solar Gard.

Features in the waiting area help sell the products the company offers as well as offer a relaxing environment.

Branded completely in Solar Gard logos, the independently owned shop has a waiting area with a large flat-screen television, coffee bar and chairs. The waiting area also features stations explaining various product offerings. An architectural zone allows consumers to test the heat resistance certain varieties of film offer. The front panel windows of the building are also each tinted with a different level of film and labeled with an explanatory card of specs.

Decorative films are featured on various internal glass panels in the waiting area and an automotive zone allows customers to view the different levels of films offered.

“The Solar Gard retail store concept has been around for many years with great success in other countries such as China, Malaysia and the Middle East and now Brian and Jim have made it a reality in Richmond,” said Kathryn Giblin, Solar Gard’s director of global marketing and technical services.

“As seasoned management executives and business entrepreneurs they are the ideal businessmen to launch this concept and we are delighted that they chose to partner with Solar Gard,” added Giblin.

“For Brian and me, we see this as an opportunity to do something different in the industry,” said Bundick.

The grand opening was held Friday, April 5 with a community reception Saturday, April 6.

Paul Phinney, owner, accepted the award.

“Paul has been an integral part of what our network stands for in integrity, innovation and a focus on delivering service and growth to all members of our network,” said John Yard, vice president of national sales for Hüper Optik.

Phinney was also inducted into Hüper Optik’s Circle of Regional Excellence for 2013; similar to a board of advisers for the company’s dealer network.

Phinney opened Solar Eclipse in 2001, focusing on the automotive sector but later added energy-efficiency films to the business in 2005.

Suntek has announced its investment of more than $20 million to expand its manufacturing facility and global master distribution center while Madico invested several millions in upgrades to improve energy conservation and process efficiency.

Suntek’s new Martinsville, Va., plant will bring 60 jobs to the area.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell says, “It’s always a great day when we’re talking about good new jobs coming to Southern Virginia. This project represents [Suntek’s] second major expansion in less than one year, speaking volumes about the company’s thriving operation in Henry County. [Suntek] has the opportunity to purchase an existing shell building in the same industrial park as its headquarters and manufacturing operation to use immediately as a national distribution center for its high-demand products. This additional property also secures available space for future manufacturing growth, ensuring the company’s continued success and commitment to Henry County and Virginia.”

“The new Martinsville site will provide essential warehouse and office space, establish a world-wide master distribution center and create a world-class facility for anticipated future factory expansions,” said Steve Phillips, CEO of Suntek in a statement to Window Film magazine.

Madico has also invested millions in its St. Petersburg, Fla., manufacturing facility.

“Madico Window Films is committed to quality improvements and plans to continue additional upgrades in the near future,” says Shawn Kitchell, vice president of manufacturing for Madico. “We are currently striving to achieve the Class 1000 clean room standards for our manufacturing lines as well as installing automated conveying systems for material transport throughout our facility.  As is evident by the recent investment in our facility, we take producing the highest quality products very seriously and will never stop looking for new ways to improve.”

Facility improvements that will be completed during the renovation include the installation of temperature-controlled bulk storage tanks for adhesives and solvents, new high energy mixing equipment, an upgraded clean room environment, an upgraded on-line optical scanner, a new hard coat thickness measurement system, installation of on-line color and visible light transmission (VLT) monitoring equipment, upgrades to slitting machines, updates to drying and pollution abatement systems, new equipment  including a gas chromatograph to ensure proper adhesive curing and a particle analyzer to prevent contamination, and a total overhaul of the raw material receiving and storage facility including a cantilever racking system which reduces the risk of product contamination.