A Career in Window Film

By Chris Collier

I graduated from Georgia College and State University with a mass communication degree, and I am very much a believer in the power of the college experience. It entails so much more than just a piece of paper. A degree equals connections and real-world experiences in a potentially lucrative field. But as showcased during the International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™ (WFCT)’s first-ever Career Day, it is clearly not the only path to a successful career.

There’s no better industry than the automotive window film industry, says Liz Lasa, owner of Window Tinting Queen. “It’s a fantastic business to get into,” Lasa said. “There’s money to be made.”

There is money to be made, indeed. Just ask this year’s Top Dealers, whose revenues range from $1 million to $25 million plus. Tinters can make a ton of money, says Roberta Rodriquez, owner of Modesto Window Tint in Modesto, Calif.

Career Day featured overviews, demonstrations and panel discussions for more than 150 students. They gained exposure to passionate industry representatives from different disciplines and had the opportunity to meet with local shop owners that have immediate employment opportunities in the film industry. Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe kicked things off and answered students’ questions for nearly an hour.

The program followed a seminar titled Attracting the Next Generation of Installers: How to Train an Apprentice,which saw Kyle Fuller, the owner of Tint Pro in Bonaire, Ga., and Matthew Yelle, the owner of Palmetto Protection Films in Myrtle Beach, S.C., discuss the best ways to hire, train and keep an apprentice.

Fuller talked about the difficulties his company has had retaining employees. He recounted when a newer employee stopped showing up just months after starting. The loss was hard, Fuller says, because of all the time spent training the employee, only to be burned in the end.

Yelle says that when he looks to hire someone, he looks for respectful employees.

Events like Career Day represent a crucial effort to eliminate situations like Fuller’s.

Chris Collier is the editor for Window Film magazine. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Facebook.
ccollier@glass.com

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