Not Just One-Liners

It is undoubtedly a reoccurring style for 2021: This will be a vital year for lots of companies due to a tough economy due to covid. And the aftermarket is no exception.

Regardless of the important choices being made every day where staff, inventory, advertising and sales are concerned, these challenges offer an outstanding opportunity for restylers to take a close take a look at the work their shops are doing and get innovative.

Luckily, those who provide spray-on bedliners to their customers understand just how much possibility this single service presents-- there are so many more ways to use this versatile product than simply lining pickup beds.

Different strokes

Technology has actually enabled the security and coating options for this adaptable product to become nearly unlimited. In addition to the more standard (and most popular) applications for trucks, other products that can gain from a coating consist of marine, recreational, residential, and industrial products.

"Boat hulls and trailers, ladders, ATVs, motorbikes, work tables, park and golf course equipment, show equipment, outdoor patio furnishings, pet houses, fencing, and sound systems to name a few," states Chad Faught, a sales associate for ArmorThane USA Inc., Springfield MO.

Faught notes that his companies product "is used extensively in the trailer market" because of its "bonding properties to wood" Furthermore, he adds, "we have applicators in Canada that dedicate a bulk of company spraying customized wood decks."

Faught says the business's site uses an area, "Application Oddities," that reveals just how imaginative jobbers are. "Scorpion comprehends that a majority of the cash any applicator is going to make is going to be on products other than trucks," he states.

And there's still definitely no shortage of trucks on the marketplace that require bed liners.

"Obviously with the downturn in the economy, things have been tough for any automobile aftermarket company," says Faught. "But with 2.2 million trucks still estimated to be offered this year, and in 2020 approximately 40% of truck owners installed a spray-on bed liner, the capacity is still substantial."

One of the most important things to bear in mind as a company owner is to take a look at chances to grow sales by increasing volume, which can be done most successfully where numerous vehicles are concerned. Dealership and fleet work is a terrific way to determine brand-new service by the dozens (or more) rather than individual sales, and manufacturers agree that this is an area where the bulk of the sales opportunities will be this year.

Dealerships are a fantastic source for work. The pattern of sluggish sales caused by high gas costs and a weakened economy is starting to fade away, and truck sales are coming back. Existing new-model deals and factory rewards are leading the way for this pattern.

And car dealerships aren't the only location to look for large-volume work. If I were searching for on-site work, I'd go to fleet and municipalities. Many of ArmorThane's customers deal with a lot of fleets that have around 250 automobiles. There is a distinction between somebody who owns a vehicle and a person who rents or has a fleet.

Still, a chance for the private customer sale continues. "Needless to say, the spray-on bed liner market has had some local contractions over the last year," Faught says; but though "new-vehicle sales are down, used-vehicle sales are as strong as ever. Bedliners are a fantastic method to make [a consumer's] old truck appear like new and a brand-new utilized truck appear even newer.

Encouraging news to be sure, specifically as companies report walk-in's down when compared with previous years. And there are likewise non-automotive areas where comparable spray-on material can be utilized to provide value to consumers.

"Many of our applicators are branching out into light industrial work, which opens doors to dealerships in various markets," states Faught.


"Yes, spray-on bed liners for domestic trucks are still the greatest application for our installers," says Faught. "Other items that spray applicators should be on the lookout for to increase earnings are trailers. These would consist of all types such as horse, livestock, boat, dual-sport RV or utility types. And Jeep interiors and exteriors are also popular. It uses the owner a rugged and durable surface to match the requiring requirements of the automobile."

Be conscious, say our industry providers, of any spray-on work beyond the common truck Bedliner tasks you're used to.

"As with any spray-on system, overspray has to be a big consideration, so you will need some sort of containment. You just need to make sure you are not coating anything that the consumer doesn't desire a Bedliner [product] on," says Faught. "Outside of that, there are no other unique requirements. With no MDIs and really low VOCs, the immediate location stays safe from being needlessly poisoned.

And while these types of automobile uses are still at the forefront of lots of installers' minds, there are other classifications of products that can greatly benefit from spray-on bedliner products.

"Boat and marine applications are likewise great to remember. Water and wetness damage traditional coatings and carpets in these boats, and rapid-set spray elastomers are an ideal solution to this problem," Faught includes.

One word of care, nevertheless, is to be familiar with any unique accreditations that might be needed in order to coat particular products.

"You've got to beware with marine, due to the fact that you need to have a USDA Marine accreditation unless you're selling to the U.S. government," states Faught. "We have a certified product for buoys, and (restylers) use the very same high-pressure devices they currently have."

Another essential point to bear in mind is that each brand-new application an installer takes on might require a different type of spray-on coating, not merely the same material they already use in automobile applications.

"Many of our dealerships spray semi-truck trailers, end dumps, bus actions or ramps, stairs, animal enclosures, speaker boxes, lawn mover decks, hoppers, floors and more," says Faught. "Some applications might need a various product than what is sprayed in the majority of truck beds."

It's crucial to talk with your provider and comprehend exactly what kind of material will be needed for the application in question.

"You require to know what product to utilize-- how do you require that stuff to react?" says Faught. "There could be three or four ways to do it; simply get with your chemical service provider to comprehend how to use it, and develop the very best application method. And make certain you have the right insurance coverage to cover your business when offering brand-new kinds of applications."

Another advantage of corresponding with your provider is utilizing them as a resource to learn more about simply how versatile this kind of product can be-- the possibilities seem endless-- and suppliers help other dealers every day in imaginative applications that you can discover more about, too.

" We're operating in the hooved animal arena with zoos to establish a much better environment," says Faught. "The enclosures are concrete. We have an expandable polyurea carried out in 10 coats and top-coated with Bedliner material. It has the exact same residential or commercial properties as soft clay. The Bedliner coating encapsulates the material."

Includes Faught, regarding the makeup of his companies coatings: It "permits the applicator to use it to virtually any surface area without any special procedures or equipment. This means that the seller or applicator can spray fiberglass, concrete, wood and even raw metal the same way they would spray a truck bed."

Make it through and flourish

Great insurance coverage for a company facing a challenging economy is offering a service that is a no-brainer for clients to secure the products they currently own.

"There is a strong market for our line of products," states Faught. "With the economy as it is, customers are putting more worth on assets they currently own, whether they are leisure or used for work. They are searching for methods to lengthen the life of their possessions in place of buying brand-new ones."

Residential or commercial property owned by the large businesses is no exception, and this is one factor so many spray-on bed liner service providers are seeking to the "light commercial" market.

"Right now the 'light industrial' market is broadening every day. Businesses are recognizing that by spraying a product, you can make it last years longer," says Faught.

And while customer spending might be down, businesses will always find a way to afford products or services that safeguard their valuable investments.

"Remember, if you are going to the consumer, their dollar may not be there, however, if you are going to big companies, and you show value, their dollar is going to be there," Faught states.

One commercial application that is rapidly growing is secondary containment. This avoids the spilling of petroleum products back into the environment.

"In an oil field, tanks have a berm that will include the product if it leaks. Underneath is a liner that will deteriorate. They can prevent changing that liner and digging up the tanks by coating with a polyurea product. Felt material is installed, and the product is sprayed right on top of it," states Faught.

This is another fantastic example of how spray-on material and installer know-how can save companies money by securing their assets-a simple sell in any economy.

Branching out into some of the popular new usages for spray-on material is terrific, however, it's also important to bear in mind that the lion's share of the spray-on market for restylers remains in automobile applications. And dealerships are maybe the very best avenue to secure strong sales numbers now and in the future. It's essential, however, to understand how to speak the dealership's language in order to persuade them to buy.

"Installers ought to have an arrangement with local dealerships to pre-install a lot of bed liners in order for them to get a particular rate," says Faught. "Ask the dealership when you are making your discussion, 'What penetration are you ready to devote to?'".

Penetration is dealer-speak for the variety of vehicles a dealer receives, based upon allocation (which is bimonthly). Because the dealership's penetration is various for each design of truck it is offering, that is ultimately what determines the number of vehicles a dealer has offered. It's a great location to begin when looking at the number of potential installs that the dealership can work with.

"If you speak the dealer's language, he knows you comprehend his market. You might say, 'What's your penetration on (Ford) FX-4s?' Speak their language. Tell them, 'Let me explain to you how to get more gross margin per automobile (GMPV) to increase overall billing," Faught adds.

Faught says that "we have constantly discovered it to be beneficial to have actually a sprayed automobile on the lot, with payment not due till the lorry is sold. When the car dealership sees that the very first-- or only-- truck they offer has your bedliner in it they will begin searching for you to do it more often.

"There are a great deal of other choices readily available in new truck sales, also. Since the dealer has access to the tints for the cars, have them spend for the tint and do color matches free of charge or spray the rocker panels and the truck bed together for minimal extra expenses to make it look fantastic and safeguard versus deterioration.

Getting ahead.

Discover to make the most of among the best resources your store has at its fingertips-- your chemical providers. Not only can they offer you ideas on broadening your company and brand-new innovation in the spray-on market, however they likewise use tools to assist your store boost sales, from brochures and samples to site development and item training.

"We provide several different pamphlets based on specific applications, in addition to ongoing training at our corporate facility to help the dealer get to the next level," says Faught.

Adds Faught: "ArmorThane provides its dealers a wide selection of point-of-sale marketing materials when they begin a business with us. Throughout the year we will support our car dealership network with a broad range of marketing support from print media to television areas to Internet marketing, which is the primary focus. We are also nearing completion of our marketing website which is devoted to giving our customers a login portal where they can search for needed material like a search engine and then post and share info like a social media platform".

Vouchers and samples of the material itself are other ways to assist persuade a possible client who is on the fence to purchase the item.

"Our marketing department provides standard marketing supplies, at no charge, to each installer each time they reorder a product," states Faught. "This complimentary service permits the installer to distribute pamphlets and samples of the material to try, and it promotes future sales to existing clients. [We] likewise offer new applicators "Grand Opening" artwork for fliers and traditional kinds of assistance, such as co-op marketing, to be used by the installer on radio and TV.".

It's important to know what types of marketing materials produce the most return in your area, and testing out a couple of different techniques is the best method to identify what works.

"We've acknowledged that not every type of marketing material works for every region, so we supply various tools for installers to pick from such as pamphlets, posters, banners, direct mail, print advertisements, radio ads, billboards and a variety of advertising products that they can utilize as free gifts," says Faught. "To match these materials, we offer an extremely aggressive co-op program to our franchisees to enable them to use these materials effectively.".

Now more than ever, it appears an existence on the internet is important. The Internet is the approach so many individuals use to search for the products they need.

"We offer a site design template they can put their store details into," says Faught. "In a down economy, spend as much as you can on advertising. The guys who are marketing, they might not have the exact same sales they had two years ago, however they are looking at different incomes. If you aren't looking for that, it's not a matter of if you stop working, however, when.".

Increasing the reach of your organization, lots of producers agree, is how to prosper and survive in a challenging economy.

"They require to think of what else they can be spraying, however also, everyone requires to get back to essentials when advertising and looking at what works and doesn't operate in your market," says Faught. "Are you asking, 'Where did you find out about us?' with every phone call? You won't know what's working unless you ask. Now is not the time to stop advertising.".

With all this talk about diversifying, expanding the scope of your service, and doing more advertising, perhaps the most crucial piece of recommendations is to be clever about any growth and change your company does decide to pursue.

"What do you do now? What are you looking to do? Are you mobile? Why do you want to be mobile? Restylers need to understand their circumstance and focus on that, without entering 15 various instructions," states Faught. "There are many things you can do. You really still need to specialize, since if you attempt to be a jack of too many trades it's not worth it.".

Adds Faught: "The potential applications for merchants are limitless so it is necessary for them to constantly believe beyond the box and let their creativity wander.".

Responsible development-- now that's a crucial style, in any market.