Aegis Films Advertisement and Website

The January/February 2009 issue of Window Film magazine has just mailed. Aegis Films has the cover as an advertisement. I would like to receive feedback on the ad.

Also, the new www.aegisfilms.com website was launched this week. It is still being polished but due to the ad being mailed, I wanted what was completed live. I would greatly appreciate ideas/suggestions on the new site.

Thanks.

Barry Edwards

To Barry:

Ad is very clever, website is nice.
I got the info and samples you sent me today, but no price sheet! pls send asap richard@333-tint.com

To Everyone else:

I spent about an hour the other day talking to Barry on the phone and I must say I'm very impressed with what he had to say about
his products, the industry, and the history of the film business.

H

The history of his film business would have been an interesting spiel, Hoosier, if he broke down his own names, offerings and business plan over the 18 or so years as a distributor/manufacturer.

I'll list and if I'm wrong he can correct. I'm sure he's happy someone finally responded to his request.

Early 90's LLumar distributor. I think he originated as Comfort Vision selling NC, VA, MD, DC after selling as a rep for Performance Films, Ohio? CPFilms, then Courtaulds, took back distribution after a couple of years.

Began offering Madico soon after through Comfort Vision. Lasted until 2002 or so. Madico divided and gave his territory to SGT in MA and Enpro in Texas. Interestingly, he began offering installations under the name "Aegis" about the same time Madico went elsewhere.

The name "Aegis" began being seen offering installation of film. He had reps in place which performed installs wherever they could be found, with whatever film was specified, while selling V Kool and now "Advantage" to window film dealers. Aegis had become a full blown installation firm advertising in Richmond, VA area predominately. His or Don MacQueen's flat glass installation company operates to this day in Richmond under the Aegis name. I suspect he operates installations similarly in Atlanta GA area?

Forward to recent ad. Any similarities between his/industry evolution?

Nice ad!

Again, why buy film from somebody competing against you daily and taking food out of your mouths.

I've not competed with Aegis myself, but from what I understand Llumar and Madico and Solar Gard are doing the same thing.

You can say, "I'll only buy from a manufacturer who doesn't compete with dealers," but the interesting thing is that the major U.S. manufacturers ALL seem to be tied to one another in various ways. What are the options becoming?

I hate to say it but if everybody's in bed together, then the best thing a dealer can do is get the best product for the money.

you may and you may not...you may not know if you have or will in the future.

Actually, you're right. I know of a couple of corporate film installations in my town that I'm not aware of who did them, specifically a Bed Bath and Beyond store and a Penn Station subs store. We have 2 BBandB stores in our town and I did the first one years ago. I do know that the Best Buy store was done by a Llumar dealer, and it was "given" to them by the Llumar Dist that serves my area. That happened despite the fact that when the building was being built I tried to get my foot in the door.

In the last year I've realized that the industry is far more complicated than I was aware of before.

So, what to do? Each dealer has to be the best they can be and work hard to succeed with or without help from the Dist. and/or Manufacturer.

reason for edit: sorry, I misspoke.

Hoosier, you are saying that Performance Films of Dublin Ohio who wholesales Llumar in Midwest states operates a Madico solar fim installation biz and a security film installation biz as well? Cause that is who sells Llumar in IA according to their website. Man, if that's the case we're in the Twilight Zone.... Say it ain't so...

WF Magazine stated in an article that one of the employees from Performance Films started his own glass service business that sells jobs and hooks up dealers to do the installs. Don't know if PT has interest in that company or not, of course the article did not go into any details...

Sorry, I may have spoken too soon. I guess I'm the one in the twilight zone. I misinterpreted info I found online.

The new website looks good. Thanks for getting rid of the old flash driven site...too slow to load and use

Competing against the people you sell film to is "Wrong"
Why would someone buy film from this company or any other manufacture
that actively competes against there own customers.
What happened to morals. Is this industry so blinded that they turn
away as long as their making a dollar. This is like GM selling cars
directly from the factory and cutting out the dealerships.

Well hopefully this will stop.

This is funny..............sounds to me like another former poster here............same running diatribe................and as a new member, seems suspect to me........LOL
Is that you, STEVE???

Aegis has given Madico a bad name, especially in Florida. Crown Distributing was selling both while Aegis was competing against it's own dealers. I am a Madico dealer and discussed this with Bob Connley (CEO) and Ron Jones (Sales Rep) at a recent dealer meeting here in Houston. I have no reason to believe Madico is lying about this issue. As far as I'm concerned, Madico is an ethical mfg, and would never compete against dealers.

I am working on a project (very slowly it seems) that Madico and Enpro will ultimately be involved with. It will amount to about 200-600,000 sq ft. I am willing to prove that Enpro AND Madico are ethical companies, working together with its' dealers, to provide a solution for the customer to save hundreds of thousand of dollars, if not millions in the long term. I am willing to involve the two for the financing needed to complete the project should the owner sign a contract.

Junkie,
please go into more detail..... How could Aegis give Madico a bad name in Florida, where Madico directly distributes their own films??? (located in DelRay Beach) The only ones who could give adico a bad name there would be Madico, since THEY distribute their own product. Also, no matter what they have told you, they DO compete against their delaers. In the northeast, they will quote larger jobs directly, as I have been witness to, and turn it over to their distributor in Saugus, MA.(who by the way owns a larger installation company). They are out of northeastern MA, but are given installs out of their area, in CT, RI and other areas. Just because they tell you it isnt happening, dont believe it. You may not have seen it first hand, but in this market, it happens all the time.

I dont know the specifics, that was all that was said to me about it. Aegis and Madico had "teamed up" I guess. The were referring to years ago. I've heard many here say Madico WILL compete against their dealers. It has not happened to me yet, and I will find out soon enough with this project. It will be more than a year from now before it ever gets started, but I am making contacts now, and I will need the help of Madico and my distributor.

I wish ya all the luck in the world on this job. Just remember, keep some information close to the vest, don't divulge all you know to ANY manufacturer. As far as the 'teamed up', Aegis was a distributor of Madico in the Mid-Atlantic states at one time, not sure if they still do anymore, but never in Florida. Madico has done it themselves. (my in-laws are about 1 mile from the MADICO warehouse in DelRay) Always remember, if you are partnering with your manufacturer or distributor in bidding a job, request a non-compete/non-disclosure agreement from them to have recourse should they decide to pull an end run.
Best of luck!!!!!

I dont think they were talking about a specific distributor in Florida, I think they meant competing against dealers in Florida, but I may have misunderstood. I will test the waters of course, but it would be nice to be backed by both a mfg and distributor. I'll keep everyone posted. This project is still far fetched currently, but Im trying.