Improvements in invisible paint protection films bring visible sales gains

March 16, 2015
Paint protection films, commonly called PPF and also known as “clear bras,” are stretching out to become a lucrative aftermarket sales option. Early civilian adopters were racing teams seeking to maintain their colorful paint schemes.

Shielding vehicle finishes against stones, gravel, sand, scratches, bug residue, bird droppings, acid rain, winter road salt and other flying objects, paint protection films are clearly stretching out to become a lucrative aftermarket sales option.

Commonly called PPF and also known as “clear bras,” the product is sometimes still referred to as “helicopter tape” based on its origins during the Vietnam War when the U.S. military asked 3M to develop a protective coating for whirling chopper blades that were stirring up damaging sand particles. Among the early civilian adopters were racing teams seeking to maintain the gleam of their colorful paint schemes under the punishment of debris-strewn track surfaces.

Over the years PPF has since become thinner, sturdier, easier to apply and less likely to yellow, attracting the attention of numerous manufacturers along with assorted mergers and acquisitions.

“There’s been an evolution in the product over the years. It’s a category that is experiencing rapid growth,” says Jack Mundy, vice president of the International Window Film Association (IWFA), which also has members covering the PPF segment.

He estimates the value of the U.S. PPF marketplace at $150 million and $15 million in Canada.

“Painted surfaces are costing more, so people are protecting their investment,” Mundy explains. “It started as high-end, but now it’s across the spectrum of vehicles.”

Much of the manufacturer marketing is targeted at new-car dealerships offering it as an add-on at signing. “Some are doing it themselves, and some have subcontracting relationships with independent installers,” says Mundy, president of Ener-Gard, a North American distributor based in Ontario, Canada.

About 5 percent of the new cars rolling out of dealer showrooms are being wrapped with PPF, according to Casey Flores, editor of Window Film Magazine. “People are becoming more aware of the product,” he points out, “and I’m seeing it becoming more mainstream – it’s catching on quite fast.”

Awareness and education

In January Madico Window Films rolled out a new Invisi-Film line for auto body applications aimed at “giving owners peace of mind that their vehicle will continue looking great no matter what conditions they’re driving in,” says Jeffrey R. Plummer, senior vice president of sales and marketing. “This is clearly a growing segment, and one that allows our installing dealers a means of increasing their business.”

“Invisi-Film can also be used on RVs, ATVs, jet skis, boats, motorcycles, high-performance vehicles, and tractors and commercial vehicles such as dump trucks and end-loaders,” notes Madico marketing specialist Lauren Messing.

“Additional uses include truck bed rails, door frame edges and thresholds, wiper blade landing areas, around wheel wells, door handles and locks, roof areas under utility racks and more,” she says. “It works with computerized plotters for a custom fit.”

Installation pricing varies according to regional markets and the extent of coverage sought for a particular vehicle. Some customers opt for overall protection – others are content with covering just the lower panels more prone to come in contact with paint-threatening objects arising from the streets.

“This is a film that can completely complement or transform the look of a vehicle while protecting the vehicle’s finish from rocks, gravel, salt and other road debris,” says CEO Ryan Pape at XPEL. Its STEALTH film “features a smooth satin-texture that blends seamlessly with OEM matte paint finishes. Alternatively, the film can be applied to glossy-painted surfaces to give the vehicle a matte appearance in a reversible manner, without requiring re-painting,” according to the company.

XPEL’s TRACWRAP is marketed as an affordable temporary PPF that is self-installed for one-time use to protect RVs and their tow-behind vehicles. A larger size is available for bigger motor coaches.

“Awareness and education play a big role in consumer appreciation,” according to spokeswoman Maureen Blazevic at the Eastman Chemical Co. “Technology continually evolves, and the new LLumar self-healing paint protection film takes the consumer benefits to a new level.” The firm has more than 4,000 shops selling its lines worldwide.

In December Eastman purchased the SunTek brand, which is retaining its identity. Blazevic says SunTek “is valued in the market as a high quality product” that attracts “significant loyalty among installers.”

“With the rising cost of cars and trucks, people want to protect their vehicles and keep them looking new to protect their investment and for future re-sale,” says Ziebart President Daniel C. Baker as he describes the company’s ongoing Z-Shield PPF innovations.

“We have field-tested this product in the harsh winter conditions of Minnesota and in the burning heat of Middle Eastern deserts, and it has exceeded expectations,” Baker reports. “We even conducted customer focus groups to make certain this new film is what customers wanted and is modestly priced based on a customer’s protection needs.”

A controlled environment

“The word is spreading that this is available and that it works – it’s not a gimmick,” says Block A Chip owner Albert Helcberger. “The customer base has been expanding as the word gets out.” And even though he has an attractive shop in Mentor, Ohio, much of his sales involve mobile installations as he travels across the northeastern corner of the state in a Chevrolet HHR wrapped with eye-catching signage.

“You need a controlled environment, we can’t just show up and do it in someone’s driveway,” Helcberger points out, emphasizing the need for a clean indoor work site. “In the wintertime you have to have the proper heat.” Most customers are served via an array of car dealership accounts that he has developed.

“I educate the dealers on how we operate, and the places we work with are very good about accommodating us.” The restoration/classic car market is another aspect of Block A Chip’s business, and Helcberger advises “those types of vehicles require the trust and knowledge of the owner along with more training and more skill. That requires another level of expertise – you can’t just call up a template on a computer.”

Starting out as a graphic artist for racers and offering high-end detailing, Helcberger became interested in PPF after he bought a classic Corvette that he wanted to protect. “I thought, ‘What a great concept!’ So I gave it a shot. Not many people knew about the product and there were no professional installers doing this. It was not pretty at the beginning.”

A four-day installation class at 3M provided a valued education to augment “hands-on and doing it over and over again.” Eventually the practice jobs culminated in establishing Block A Chip: “I did my parents’ car and it evolved into a business,” Helcberger recounts.

A competitive advantage

“Using the highest quality urethane film is only as good as the installation, which is why installation quality is so critical in our business,” concurs Skip Vachon, owner of Protective Film Technologies (PFT), an exclusively mobile application service in the Washington, D.C. area.

“Stretch marks, wrinkles, scarring, lifting and dimples all determine whether or not the film is visible on a vehicle, especially on darker colored paint,” Vachon cautions, citing the importance of being properly trained.

“There are really no entry barriers to this business – the only barrier is your skill level.” Plotter equipment is utilized to ensure the correct cuts, although some applications require custom handiwork. “You order film as-needed; it’s simple.”

Vachon, echoing Helcberger, was a detailer who became hands-on with PPF 13 years ago after purchasing an “absolutely pristine” classic BMW and hearing “horror stories” about botched jobs. “The quality of the films was terrible compared to what we have now.”

About 98 percent of Vachon’s customers are people who have bought new cars. But he is selective about enlisting car dealers as a source of accounts. “Every dealer has differing preferences. Everything has to be done right now, and then you don’t get paid for a month.” Among other drawbacks, sometimes the vehicle to be worked on is not even present on the lot for the scheduled appointment.

“The majority of my work is going to individual homes,” says Vachon, who conducts customer interviews in advance. “A lot of my clients live in very nice homes, so it’s usually a clean environment” with a spacious and uncluttered garage.

“It’s a huge competitive advantage to be mobile,” he says. “Since I started the awareness of the product has gone up a lot, and sales have grown tremendously.”

There is one key wrinkle, however, and that comes when attempting to expand the operation by taking on and training additional technicians. “It’s so lucrative,” Vachon laments, “that they’ll go off on their own and start their own business.”

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