Avery Dennison® Helps WBF Tinting Grow its Business Deep in the Heart of Texas
Case Study
San Angelo lies smack in the middle of West Texas ranching country,
about a three-hour drive northwest of Austin. The city prides itself on
its historic buildings, a Civil War-era landmark military fort, and a thriving
river walk along the Concho River.
San Angelo is also the proud home of WBF Tinting … Under the Son,
owned by the wife and husband team of Cynthia and Mike Mitchell.
The Mitchells started their business in 2018. Mike brought 20 years of window
film experience, working first in Maryland, then at a local shop in San Angelo.
Cynthia didn’t initially have a window film background, but she started to pick
up the skill while working part time at the same shop as Mike around the time
they started dating.
Entrepreneurs who “walk by faith”
Shortly after Mike’s father passed away, the couple opened WBF Tinting.
Leaving a steady job to work for oneself is a daunting decision for any
entrepreneur — and the Mitchells were both about to take that leap.
But they put their trust in their strong Christian faith.
“We actually asked our pastor to pray over our business on Sunday
because we were going to open our doors Monday,” says Cynthia.
“And after the congregation prayed over us, a young woman came up
to us and said, ‘Hey, I work for Jim Bass Ford (a local dealership),
and we just lost our tinter. Do you guys think you’d want to tint for
the dealership?”
Their first contract in hand, the Mitchells started to grow their
business in San Angelo. A few months later, the pair was
introduced to their Avery Dennison representative,
Brian Bangalan, at a window film tint-off competition.
Brian, in turn, invited them to a reception after the competition.
Cynthia and Mike met other window film installers who graciously
gave them tips on growing their business. Brian also sent them home
with Avery Dennison display boards, a shop banner, and other materials.
“My purpose in this business, and as a
member of the Avery Dennison team, is
to provide more than just product for
shops like Mike and Cynthia’s.”
-Brian Bangalan, Avery Dennison Representative
“I remember when we hung the banner in the shop,”
recalls Cynthia. “Mike said to me, ‘I feel so legit.’”
A relationship that’s grown with
the business
That was just the start of WBF’s close relationship
with Brian and Avery Dennison. It’s a relationship
that’s grown with the Mitchell’s business, including
its expansion into architectural window film and
vehicle wrapping.
“We’ve just felt so blessed to be with Avery Dennison,”
says Cynthia. “Anytime we’ve called customer service,
everyone has been so helpful and has made things
happen. I remember once, one of our orders got lost
in shipping. It was one of our first big architectural jobs,
and we didn’t want to cancel on the customer.
So I called Avery Dennison, and they rushed us our film.
We were trying to figure out what happened to
the delivery, but in the meantime they rushed the
film to us overnight.”
The relationship Brian has with WBF Tinting is just as
important for him, both personally and professionally.
“My purpose in this business, and as a member of the
Avery Dennison team, is to provide more than just
product for shops like Mike and Cynthia’s,” says Brian.
“As an organization, we help owners and shops envision
the opportunities available for the continued growth of
their business.”
Using the NR Nano Ceramic IR and
NR Pro Series Films
Today, WBF Tinting’s automotive window film of
choice is the Avery Dennison® NR Nano Ceramic IR.
Cynthia and Mike believe it’s a superior product due
to its application ease, and heat and light reflective
properties – something that’s critical in a part of the
country where summer temperatures routinely hit
triple digits. They also offer the Avery Dennison®
NR Pro Series to customers looking for a more
affordable option. Both products are available with
seven levels of visible light transmitted (VLT). NR Nano
Ceramic IR ranges from 6% to 48%, while the NR Pro
Series ranges from 6% to 52%.
Mike explains how he demonstrates the products to
customers: “We have a heat lamp in our shop, and we
compare the carbon and the ceramic on glass slides.
And every time we show the customer the carbon they
say, ‘Oh, okay, that’s really good.’ And then we show
them the ceramic and they say, ‘I’ll pay the extra for the
ceramic.’ The heat rejection is just awesome.”
“We also like that the ceramic has a 30% VLT, so it’s well
within Texas laws,” he adds. “And yet it reflects better
than some of the products available with a 35% VLT.”
New opportunities
As WBF Tinting has grown, so have the Mitchell’s
opportunities. Today, the company does about 50%
of its business in automotive window film, another
35% percent in architectural window film, and the
remainder in vehicle wrapping. The pair relies on a
range of products, including DR OptiTune, NT PerLite,
and R Silver for architectural applications, and Avery
Dennison® MPI 1105 and Supreme Wrapping TM Film
for vehicle wrapping.
Cynthia and Mike have also completed Avery
Dennison’s vehicle wraps training program, and are
planning to take the company’s Certified Wrap Installer
(CWI) certification exam.
“It goes back to the quality we deliver,” says Cynthia.
“We want to be able to say, ‘Hey, you’re bringing your
car, it’s your investment. You’re going to spend a lot of
money on a wrap. And we want you to know that we’re
capable and knowledgeable.”
“Honestly, it was as much a blessing to meet Cynthia
and Mike when I did, as it was for them to meet me,”
adds Brian. “I always say, ‘If you want to grow, call me.
I have just as much faith in you, as you do in me and
we want to work together to identify the ways Avery
Dennison can support you.’”
