Chicago, ILL. (May 31, 2023) In 2002, three friends from Latvia were on summer break in the U.S., selling ice cream in Philadelphia. A turn of events left them stuck in the U.S., so they decided to make the best of it. All three went to work on Rhino Shield installer crews. Kaspar Melderis, Arvis Plots and Tom Andzans were here to stay. They were living the American dream.
“We came to the U.S. just on summer break from the university never intending to stay,” said Melderis. “But we loved the U.S. and the people here. We wanted to make our mark and just starting working to get our American dream.”
The three slowly learned the business, rising through the ranks at Rhino Shield. They were eventually running 5 crews out of the Indianapolis office. When the opportunity came to buy the Chicagoland Rhino Shield dealership, they jumped at the chance.
“We are the only dealer in Chicagoland – we have exclusive rights,” said Melderis. “We’re a local dealer backed by our national office and last year our gross revenues were $1.6 million and this year, we’re already at $1.3 million shooting for $2.5 million for 2023. This dealership model just works. We’ve worked hard and found our American Dream.”
Melderis said he finds people are looking for “their last paint job” and a solution that’s less expensive than painting every 3 to 5 years.
“More and more customers are looking to break the paint cycle and find a coating that lasts,” said Kaspar Melderis, Chicagoland Rhino Shield dealer. “Unlike traditional paint, Rhino Shield is a coating built to stand up against harsh elements for many, many years — and that’s very appealing. Customers also love the fact that the Rhino Shield is backed up by the manufacturer.”
More than 18 years ago, Jerry Kryska and his wife Marla retired and moved into a townhome in Deer Park, Illinois. Soon after he found himself on the board of the homeowners’ association helping with upkeep of the units’ Dryvit Stucco exteriors. They were looking to “break” the 3- to 5-year paint cycle and invest in a coating system that would stand the test of time and weather.
“A friend of mine had read about Rhino Shield and recommended I check it out,” said Kryska. “So, I did my research and talked to a lot of people. It was 5 years ago we chose Rhino Shield to protect our properties. Today, the buildings still look like new.”
The 6-building townhouse complex, built in 2005, houses 24 units and was 13 years old when Kryska began investigating an alternative to traditional paint. He said the association was evaluating the expense of regularly having to clean and repaint the buildings. They were cracking and holding mildew, algae and fungus. They knew they needed a long-term solution to protect their investments.
“When I did my research, we found Rhino Shield had built-in protection to repel algae and fungus,” said Kryska. “That means less costs for the routine cleanings we were having to do and that was a big selling point. Add that to a long-term warranty and the breathability of the coating, it really was an easy choice.
“We never have to pressure wash it anymore,” said Kryska. “As a homeowner – it improves the look of the complex — and I can put that money other places. I don’t have to paint every 5 years and it looks better longer – it’s looks new.”
Veteran-Owned and made in the U.S.A., Rhino Shield’s elastomeric-ceramic coating goes on 8-10 times thicker than conventional paint and is warrantied for 25 years. The newly updated formula takes their nano-technology to the next level.
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. Businesspeople 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.
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.
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. For more information, see RhinoShield.com.
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.
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.