Do you believe, we are in trouble?

Tinitman · July 17, 2012

Tom

It has been my experience the manufacturers and distributors have their own crew. They tell you they are not employees,they are "dealers". They are paid direct on a regular basis and receive a 1099 at the end of the year.

Or how about this, I had a few instances where they made the customer a "dealer" and suggested a crew to install it. The building bought direct and paid someone out of state to install.

TomTint · July 17, 2012

Tom

It has been my experience the manufacturers and distributors have their own crew. They tell you they are not employees,they are "dealers". They are paid direct on a regular basis and receive a 1099 at the end of the year.

Or how about this, I had a few instances where they made the customer a "dealer" and suggested a crew to install it. The building bought direct and paid someone out of state to install.

So was this situation in your back yard ? Were you attempting to close the same building?

TintJunkie · July 17, 2012

This presents another reason why a certain MFG opened up in my area. We are growing, and there are projects to be done everywhere you look. Maybe not such a big deal to piss off the small guy like myself when you can obtain a large project and replace me as a revenue generator. Even still, I see many new shops opening, flashing names Ive never heard of.

This isn't unique to our industry. My Dad shut his business down b/c he could not compete with his distributor who was cutting him out of the deals and going direct to the end user. Business ethics and morals have been thrown out the window and replaced with greed (and I hope that doesn't make me sound like some dumb lib using the "greed" word).

coast2coasttinting · July 17, 2012

when it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter what film your or your local comp is selling. It's who does the best job and gives the best service that will last the test of time. I really don't care if the guy down the street is selling the exact same film as I am. As long as you install every car house or office window the best you can, then you will be hard to compete with by anyone.

Tinitman · July 18, 2012

Tom

It has been my experience the manufacturers and distributors have their own crew. They tell you they are not employees,they are "dealers". They are paid direct on a regular basis and receive a 1099 at the end of the year.

Or how about this, I had a few instances where they made the customer a "dealer" and suggested a crew to install it. The building bought direct and paid someone out of state to install.

So was this situation in your back yard ? Were you attempting to close the same building?

Yes

Counterpart · August 1, 2012

If you look around, there are tons of independents who are more than capable of doing large projects. On top of that we have quite a few companies who do national work as well.

When I had my installing company, I had lost to manufacturers on gigantic projects. These manufacturers won the bids by bidding it lower than it cost me to do the project. That in my opinion should be illegal. But such is life. Those two companies, I will do what ever it takes to keep them from supplying films to projects I am involved in.

I love the way you put it. Factory direct used to refer to omiting the distributors, now, we will see deeper vertical integration by competing for tint jobs with us.

August 2, 2012

I am one of these dealership tinters that tint every single car the legal limit in T.N before the go to the lot.. I dont get a 1099, I am on payroll workin on flatrate... I get 2.5 hours to tint a 4 door car.. which is the same type of pay if I was workin in the shop changing brakes on a car.. they pay a flate rate to my base pay... say I made 1$ a hour under payroll and a 4 door car pays 2.5 hours to tint.. 2.50$ is what I get... obviously I get more that 1$, but cant count how many customers want it darker than legal... OMG I said darker than legal. but, those jobs go out to a local shop we contract through to strip and re tint to customer pref....

August 2, 2012

Hmm, I don't have many troubles with my distributor, I can say the opposite, they even help me fund large projects by giving me film which I pay after I get paid. They are not very informative, as they are not tinters or installers, but they understand the more job I'll do, the more film they will sell.

I know they have 3 installers but also, fact that I am on other side of state is good.

Plus the big fact that over the years we have became closer and closer, so if I want one red dot knife and they don't normally sell it, I will get it as he makes sure he gets it from states to here, same like my spraymasters and poly bottle. (Can't wait for red dot knife which I'll thanks to Tindude get in my hands.)

vquestfilms.com · August 2, 2012

Hmm, I don't have many troubles with my distributor, I can say the opposite, they even help me fund large projects by giving me film which I pay after I get paid. They are not very informative, as they are not tinters or installers, but they understand the more job I'll do, the more film they will sell.

I know they have 3 installers but also, fact that I am on other side of state is good.

Plus the big fact that over the years we have became closer and closer, so if I want one red dot knife and they don't normally sell it, I will get it as he makes sure he gets it from states to here, same like my spraymasters and poly bottle. (Can't wait for red dot knife which I'll thanks to Tindude get in my hands.)

:thumb There are still some good distrbutors out there that will help you in various ways rather than compete against you.

Counterpart · December 15, 2014

These were my earlier comments when Eastman bought over Solutia.

"I believe llumar will eventually merge with suntek one day, creating a true giant. They are so near, these people know each other so well, they have relatives working at the opposite factory; this is true synergy."

http://www.tintdude.com/forum/index.php/topic/70694-eastman-chemical-completes-acquisition-of-solutia/?p=1060824

Now Super Size Me: Eastman completes acquisition of Commonwealth Laminating & Coating

Didn’t we see it coming? Yes we did, it seems we weren’t too bothered. Even IWFA is in the same town with them. They are now dominating our market; it astonishes me that if they still keep pretending they don’t. Does it really matter whether the next tint job goes to a Llumar, V-kool, Huper Optik or Suntek tintshop in the same town?

We are all pawns of the same player in the background, with a multiple-brand free-market model, to avoid being correctly identified by consumers. I’m not sure that small businesses will be any more successful in resisting the wiles of the Big Boys. In Korea and many other countries, many architectural projects or new-car dealerships are now directly-secured by manny sales managers. Tinters are just there to provide the labour. It is like pharmaceuticals going direct to the patients, while the doctors(tinters) become pharmacists.

Let's hope the window film industry can continue to grow in the right way. As long as the slaves are allowed to think that they are in control and are made to feel positive and enjoy their slavery, life will go on.

Have a good 2015, Gentlemen.