Dealer Spotlight – Wes Anderson
- How did you get started in the industry?
- In 1988 I was working for a Pinstriping/Graphics company that also did window tinting. I worked on commission basis to sell and install stripes. When asked if I do window tinting, I referred my clients to the shop for them to complete that part of the work. The company never invested in training for their installers, so the outcomes were usually bad. This reflected poorly on me as I referred to them. When I approached the owners about improving the service in that area, they just said they were okay with the results. I saw this as an opportunity in the marketplace, so split ways and started Future Tint. My first investment was training for my first employee and myself. My wife set up the business side of things while I did sales and assisted with installations.
- What prompted you to join the IWFA?
- My film distributor, Jack Mundy, introduced me to the IWFA right away and explained the importance of what it was all about. A few years later, in 1993, the Province of Manitoba was reviewing the laws regarding window film for automotive. I could immediately see the value in having the backing of the IWFA involved. It brought legitimacy to an industry that suffered from a non-professional reputation. As the provincial rep for the IWFA, I would try to explain the benefits of membership to my local competitors and other dealers in the province. To this day, other dealers feel welcome to call with questions of all kinds. It was a good icebreaker for the whole network of dealers in our area.
- What is your favorite aspect of the business?
- I love the challenges that it brings. Whether it is flat-glass or automotive, there have been many challenges along the way. Learning or innovating solutions that bring positive outcomes is very satisfying. Knowing that we are helping our clients. I still enjoy putting on the tool-belt from time-to-time for installations.
- What are you passionate about outside of the window film business?
- I love nature. We have a lot of wildlife in close proximity to us, and I still get excited seeing deer, bison, bald eagles, raccoons, skunks etc. I was raised to respect nature and I appreciate the creative intricacies that make all creatures uniquely beautiful.
- What has been your most memorable project to date?
- There are many that quickly come to mind for different reasons. An exterior project in 2015 is probably at the top of the list. It was a six-story building that presented many challenges. It was our first project requiring swing-stage. The windows were huge (80” x 144”) so required a seam. We decided on a vertical seam, so it was difficult keeping the seam tight for the full height. Winnipeg is a windy city so when I would see the top of the film starting to flap in the wind, and we are 12’ away from being able to save it was challenging. High winds shut us down more than once. We used swing-stage, 60’ scissor-lift, scaffold, and Lil-Giant ladder to finish the job. The finished product was a huge success for the clients. The building owner loved the aesthetics, and the Property Manager no longer had the occupants cooking from the hot sun.
- How has technology shaped your business over the years or how are you incorporating it into your business?
- I remember the salesperson selling me a 386-computer saying it would exceed all my future needs (circa 1990ish). Back then the math coprocessor was an option but required to run graphics programs. Although we didn’t do our graphics in-house at the time, my computers were ready for when we did. We started designing and cutting our own on a small 15” plotter around 1995 and expanded to wider format around 1999-2000. To this point, we haven’t brought wide-format printing in-house yet as we get very good support from our industry partners. The changes in technology are constant, and we need to keep up. Over the years, we have added other programs to help optimize film use.
- What is something you do that makes you stand out from the competition in your business?
- By being completely customer centric. I never viewed myself as a salesperson. We would educate clients on their choices and let them decide. The sale was the byproduct of education. I worked hard to supply Interior Designers and Architects with samples of decorative and solar films and became the go-to professional in our market. This put us in front of the leading General Contractors as we private-branded many products that were being specified. By serving a term on the Board of Directors of the IWFA, it broadened my focus and knowledge of the industry, rather than just the brand that we were using. This global view helped educate our clients better. It was when the educational programs were just getting started, so I benefitted from the front row.
- What is the single most critical obstacle standing in the way of improving or increasing your business?
- Hiring/training employees. In our market, there isn’t a long line of experienced installers. Down south, tinting windows might be a first job or summer job for many students, so there can be some level of talent pool to pull from. The industry in Canada is much smaller so you are always starting from scratch. Job markets are increasingly becoming difficult as most applicants want everything right now. Big bucks, cushy job, and no investment into the trade.
- What is the best business advice you have received?
- Surround yourself with knowledgeable advisors. If you’re the smartest guy in the room, you’re not going to learn much. Fortunately, I have had the benefit of a great industry mentor, and a few very good business advisors in our family. By going to annual manufacturers and IWFA meetings over the years, I have received good advice from successful dealers from around North America.
- What advice would you give to someone just starting their own?
- Start with a written plan and get a good industry mentor. This includes social-media contacts. Shut out the guys blowing smoke and focus on the good businesspeople who are gracious enough to share practical knowledge.
- Where do you see yourself/business in 10 years?
- Well, that would put me into retirement age. That being said, I would have a hard time leaving this industry. I would have sold my business and stayed on as an advisor/salesperson, or some industry related role. I’m sure my wife would like me to limit that to a 40-hour week.
- The film industry is constantly changing, do you think it is best to be able to adjust or adapt to these changes?
- You must adjust and change. If you stay still, your company will die. Right now, there is a huge change of the guard from the old-school tinters from the 70’s-80’s as we start retiring out of the industry. The business frontier looks radically different than it did back then. The changes in the next 30 years will be just as radical.