(This first appeared as a Dealer Spotlight in the August 2021 issue of Dealer E-News.) Ryan King enjoys coming up with creative solutions when solving problems. So, when the contractor completing work at Ferrari of Tampa Bay contacted his company, Tint By Masters Gulf Coast, to find a solution to cover their outside walls, Ryan and his team got innovative.

The Ferrari dealership needed a matte grey color to match their new branding guidelines but, for fear of overspray and the inconsistencies associated with paint, didn’t want to run the risk of doing so near their inventory. For years, Ryan and his team had installed 3M™ DI-NOC™ Architectural Finishes on commercial properties, both inside and out. But DI-NOC’s exterior pallet didn’t include the grey that Ferrari wanted. 3M™ Wrap Film did.

3M™ Wrap Film is designed to cover a vehicle’s paint and not originally intended to be placed on the exterior of a building. However, after several months of negotiation between Ryan’s company, 3M and Ferrari (even Ferrari’s Italian headquarters weighed in) – Ryan and his team were given a green light to install 3M™ Wrap Film on the exterior of the dealership. 3M also crafted a special 5-year vertical service warranty for the installed film.

Today, the Ferrari of Tampa Bay’s building features the bright red and metal gray 3M™ Wrap Film at its popular location at the corner of Tampa Road and U.S. 19 in Palm Harbor. Since the project’s completion, Ryan’s team has installed the wrap film on three other Florida car dealerships, including Ferrari Palm Beach, Lokey Kia in Clearwater and MINI of Wesley Chapel.

“The goal is to solve a problem. I enjoy getting creative with solutions. It’s what gets me going,” Ryan said. “I really like impactful changes.”

Innovation and creativity are part of the culture at Tint By Masters Gulf Coast, a 3M™ Authorized Prestige Dealer that specializes in flat glass for commercial and residential customers as well as decorative film. Ryan first got into the industry when he was studying 3D Animation in college in Orlando. Cleaning windows allowed him to work around a sporadic college course schedule. He soon transitioned into installing film on windows.

After his graduation, he moved to Tampa and realized window film installation provided more steady work than his degreed field. He launched Tint By Masters Gulf Coast and started installing 3M film. “We just find that 3M film is the most constant in quality,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s the quality of the product. People know and trust the 3M name.”

Ryan’s core team consists of 3 to 5 employees but can scale to 8-10 when necessary. He recently hired a architectural design professional to join his team to grow the decorative side of the business.

Ryan credited part of his business success to Accent Distributing. He complimented both Sales Manager Doug Dutton and Chief Design Officer Brent Williams, who have helped him in numerous ways. Ryan said that General Manager Shawn Cabral personally delivered film to him one day so that his company could finish a commercial install. That was an act of customer service that Ryan will never forget.

“Accent Distributing is extremely good at supporting us,” he said. “At the end of the day, none of us could do what we do without their assistance.”

For more information about Tint By Masters Gulf Coast, visit TintandSurfaces.com or call (813)-571-5750.