Columbus, OH (August 26, 2022) Chris Curtis is a great example of what it takes to achieve the American dream. From meager beginnings working road construction to now owning his own Rhino Shield dealership, hard work and ingenuity paved the way for his success.
When Curtis graduated in 1998, he had a dream that one day he’d own his own business. But he had no idea he’d own a leading coatings dealership and lead a team of 53. The first jobs he had out of school — desk jobs — didn’t interest him. That’s when he joined a road construction crew, a job he grew to love and a job that would teach him the value of a hard day’s work.
“Doing road construction was hard work, and that’s where I developed my work ethic,” said Curtis. “To me, there was nothing like the satisfaction of a job well done. I knew then and there that my passion was working with my hands and heart to do a great job — it was a career that lasted 8 years.”
But Curtis kept the dream of owning his own company alive. And in 2010, he left road construction to start his own painting business. It was a passion where every day he worked with customers and learned how to make sure they were satisfied with the job. And it was all his.
“Owning my own painting business taught me the value of a happy customer,” said Curtis. “I learned that if I used quality products and made sure my customers were happy, the business would continue to come — and it did.”
But it wasn’t long before a Columbus company, Tri-State Coatings, took note of Curtis’ work.
“Tri-state was looking for painters and I knew the reputation of this company,” said Curtis. “A reputation for quality products and great customer service. They offered me a job — and that’s when I first heard about Rhino Shield.
“Rhino Shield was a different coating with a real warranty,” said Curtis. “The margins were better and customer satisfaction was higher. I knew it was a win-win for the customer and the installer.”
At the Columbus Rhino Shield dealership, Curtis worked his way up the ranks, eventually becoming production manager. Along the way he was throwing hints to the owner about his desire to own and operate the business. In 2020, the owner was ready, and Curtis bought the Columbus dealership. And in 2021, he added the Cleveland and Toledo dealerships as well.
“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” said Curtis. “I love this business — just the satisfaction of making these homes look brand new again. Customers love Rhino Shield’s 25-year warranty and how long the coating lasts — imagine not having to paint your home every 5 years.
“Plus, I’ve had many customers tell me about their energy savings after protecting their home with Rhino Shield,” said Curtis. “More than one customer has said they save 5 to 10% on their electric bill — the ceramic microspheres in the coating reflect solar rays, which lower the wall temperature and the results are amazing.”
Curtis has another reason to love Rhino Shield — in just two years since becoming a dealer, his business has seen gross revenues in excess of $6 million.
Rhino Shield experienced record growth in the first half of 2022 — 38 percent year over year. AmCoat is expanding its Rhino Shield dealer distribution network to Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, New York City, Omaha, Buffalo, Rochester, Los Angeles, Boise, Baltimore, Richmond and more. Entrepreneurs in those areas who are interested in learning more about starting up a Rhino Shield dealership should email info@amcoatind.com or call (850) 424-6805.
About AmCoat Industrial
AmCoat Industrial manufactures high performance coatings for walls, roofs, floors and specialty industrial applications. AmCoat is home to some of the most recognized brands in the U.S., including the popular Rhino Shield Ceramic Coating and Floor Shield concrete floor coating products. Through a network of independent dealers, AmCoat distributes its products nationally and internationally, coating thousands of homes, buildings and commercial and industrial applications. You can find AmCoat, Rhino Shield and Floor Shield on Facebook.
About AmCoat Products
Rhino Shield is a ceramic elastomeric wall coating is distributed through a nationwide network of dealer contractors who market, sell and install Rhino Shield in their geographies. Rhino Shield has been installed in more than 75,000 homes and buildings across the U.S. and in several international markets. Rhino Shield is manufactured in the U.S.A.
Floor Shield is AmCoat’s 100 percent polyaspartic concrete floor coating — a newer technology that features rapid curing at a wide range of surface temperatures, bubble-free surfaces, high temperature and abrasion resistance and high solids content which means low to no VOCs during application. Floor Shield is manufactured in the U.S.A. For more information, See FloorShieldCoatings.com.
Rhino Shield and Floor Shield dealerships are highly profitable, self-sustaining, and many of its Rhino Shield dealers have been with AmCoat for more than 10 years.
