Today we’d like to introduce you to Cory Benton.
Hi Cory, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started tinting cars in 1998, working for Artech for a few years and Texas Toyota for a few more years and in 2009 my wife and I decided to open our own shop. This was in the middle of the 2008-09 financial crisis. Dealerships were not selling any vehicles and I went a couple months without making any money. Luckily I had a 401K and my wife received a fairly large tax return that year. We started in an old run down tint shop in Euless Feb. 2009. The first week we started with 3 boxes of tint from Madico, and a few tools and squirt bottles. That week we made $1300 dollars. That was about what I brought each week tinting for the dealership. So we were optimistic that we could keep it goin another week. Slowly but surely we received more phone calls and started making more money each week. Built a website, ordered shirts, got a sign, and before too long we started to look like a real shop. After 6 months or so I needed to hire someone to do electronics. Stereos and alarms mainly. Back then tint shops were just that, Tint, Alarms and Stereos. Clifford alarms, Alpine stereos, amps & subs and Madico window films. The first winter was brutal. Extremely worried we would make it to spring. Didn’t sleep at all, trying to improve the website, handing out business cards and going to every business I could to tell them about us. It worked. That next spring I hired a second Tinter and we were off to the races. Every year we made a little more money. Hired a few tinters, and fired a few tinters! Up until 2013-14 we grew. It was time to make a change in the business plan. I decided to eliminate electronics and start doing color change wraps and paint protection film instead. We became a specialist for Tint, Paint Protection Film (PPF) and Wraps. From my recollection I was among the first shops in DFW to do this. Soon after I noticed more and more shops following suit. This became necessary because vehicles were coming from the factory with all the new Navigation systems and Infotainment systems. The new cars had good enough stereos and security systems. Plus they were a lot more difficult to work on.
In 2017/18 we realized that we were not growing anymore and decided moving the shop was needed to attract a higher paying clientele. In the spring of 2018 we moved to were we are now in the Keller/Haslet area, just south of Alliance airport. We also started specializing in Ceramic Coatings. Wraps took a back seat to Tint, PPF and Ceramic Coatings. After the move we started having record years in sales. Each year has been better than the previous, and last years sales were 3 times better than any year we had in Euless.
We literally started with nothing. and the shop would not be what it is and it most certainly would not a business at all if it weren’t for my wife, Amanda. She has run the business side of things from day one. She quit her job about 6 months in, and has become the face of the business in many regards. She talks to every customer and lead. She knows the industry just about as good and any man my age that has made it their life. And on top of all the demand of running a business, she also is the best homemaker, mother and wife. Without her by my side, Lord only knows how things would be. Also, Robert is the shop manager. He has been with me for 11 years now. One of the greatest tinters in America. Without a doubt. You will not find a cleaner install on any vehicle. He too is a big reason we are still in business. He is amazing with customers and as trustful and hard working as they come.
Over the last 2 years we have had to adapt to a lot of shops moving into this part of town and learn how to stay visible and relevant. There is so much competition now, in order to make it to this level you have to stay young in so many ways. Advertising strategies have evolved, as well as marketing and installations techniques. This year, 2025, is a year for another change. We are looking to move again so we can position ourselves to buy our own building and open another location.
Lastly, making a living in this industry is hard. It is incredibly rewarding at times and stressful at other times. Our team has a lot in common but the one thing that has made us stronger is our faith in the Lord. We give thanks to God for all the opportunity and all the many blessings that has come our way over the years. Yes, we do all the hard work, but without him in our lives none of us would have what have today. That may not be much to some people, but it is more than we deserve and a lot better than what we had in the past when we walked alone through this world. Thank God for that!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I started tinting cars in 1998, working for Artech for a few years and Texas Toyota for a few more years and in 2009 my wife and I decided to open our own shop. This was in the middle of the 2008-09 financial crisis. Dealerships were not selling any vehicles and I went a couple months without making any money. Luckily I had a 401K and my wife received a fairly large tax return that year. We started in an old run down tint shop in Euless Jan. 2009. The first week we started with 3 boxes of tint from Madico, and a few tools and squirt bottles. That week we made $1300 dollars. That was about what I brought each week tinting for the dealership. So we were optimistic that we could keep it goin another week. Slowly but surely we received more phone calls and started making more money each week. Built a website, ordered shirts, got a sign, and before too long we started to look like a real shop. After 6 months or so I needed to hire someone to do electronics. Stereos and alarms mainly. Back then tint shops were just that, Tint, Alarms and Stereos. Clifford alarms, Alpine stereos, amps & subs and Madico window films. The first winter was brutal. Extremely worried we would make it to spring. Didn’t sleep at all, trying to improve the website, handing out business cards and going to every business I could to tell them about us. It worked. That next spring I hired a second Tinter and we were off to the races. Every year we made a little more money. Hired a few tinters, and fired a few tinters! Up until 2013-14 we grew. It was time to make a change in the business plan. I decided to eliminate electronics and start doing color change wraps and paint protection film instead. We became a specialist for Tint, Paint Protection Film (PPF) and Wraps. From my recollection I was among the first shops in DFW to do this. Soon after I noticed more and more shops following suit. This became necessary because vehicles were coming from the factory with all the new Navigation systems and Infotainment systems. The new cars had good enough stereos and security systems. Plus they were a lot more difficult to work on.
In 2017/18 we realized that we were not growing anymore and decided moving the shop was needed to attract a higher paying clientele. In the spring of 2018 we moved to were we are now in the Keller/Haslet area, just south of Alliance airport. We also started specializing in Ceramic Coatings. Wraps took a back seat to Tint, PPF and Ceramic Coatings. After the move we started having record years in sales. Each year has been better than the previous, and last years sales were 3 times better than any year we had in Euless.
We literally started with nothing. and the shop would not be what it is and it most certainly would not a business at all if it weren’t for my wife, Amanda. She has run the business side of things from day one. She quit her job about 6 months in, and has become the face of the business in many regards. She talks to every customer and lead. She knows the industry just about as good and any man my age that has made it their life. And on top of all the demand of running a business, she also is the best homemaker, mother and wife. Without her by my side, Lord only knows how things would be. Also, Robert is the shop manager. He has been with me for 11 years now. One of the greatest tinters in America. Without a doubt. You will not find a cleaner install on any vehicle. He too is a big reason we are still in business. He is amazing with customers and as trustful and hard working as they come.
Over the last 2 years we have had to adapt to a lot of shops moving into this part of town and learn how to stay visible and relevant. There is so much competition now, in order to make it to this level you have to stay young in so many ways. Advertising strategies have evolved, as well as marketing and installations techniques. This year, 2025, is a year for another change. We are looking to move again so we can position ourselves to buy our own building and open another location.
Lastly, making a living in this industry is hard. It is incredibly rewarding at times and stressful at other times. Our team has a lot in common but the one thing that has made us stronger is our faith in the Lord. We give thanks to God for all the opportunity and all the many blessings that has come our way over the years. Yes, we do all the hard work, but without him in our lives none of us would have what have today. That may not be much to some people, but it is more than we deserve and a lot better than what we had in the past when we walked alone through this world. Thank God for that!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Playing baseball.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tinttechnics.com
- Instagram: @technics_autoshield/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TechnicsAutoShield
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AutoShieldFtWorthTexas
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/home/m7ny8hHTXk11NbdhR_9SmQ
Image Credits
Herrera Photography
