Brett Sommerfeld applied bed liners for six years as a part-time gig. He worked long hours and nights while holding a full-time job up until March 2022 when he decided to make a change. Located in a rural area, Sommerfeld saw a market for paint protection film (PPF) and took a leap of faith right into it.
Moving Forward
“I went to training for PPF in April 2022,” Sommerfeld says. “When I decided to go full-time, I knew that I needed to add some services to help bring in more revenue.”
Sommerfeld is now the owner of Sommerfeld Custom Coatings in Carroll, Iowa. In February 2023, just one year after entering the segment, he tackled a 2020 RAM 2500 Power Wagon wrap.
“The client wanted to make his truck even more unique,” Sommerfeld says. “In the past, I had also applied spray-on bed liner to both bumpers, rockers and nerf bars. He found a picture online of a RAM that had a black roof and design on the hood. We both liked how it looked, so we decided it was what the truck needed to stand out. This was my first time using colored PPF, other than practicing with the same material on the hood of my personal 2000 Toyota 4Runner. It was a challenge to say the least but the end product speaks for itself.”
Advice to Newcomers
Sommerfeld, who did the project the week of February 20, enjoys honing his skills.
“Try not to worry so much about the installation when you have not completed it,” Sommerfeld advises fellow industry newcomers. “I personally still struggle with this, but I try to work on it every time I have a job. It can be very hard to not let yourself get hung up on small imperfections, but you’ll learn quickly that many imperfections go away on their own or will be resolved later on in the installation. You will definitely struggle at times, but as long as you learn while you’re struggling, you will end up being a great PPF installer.”
Submit Your Wrap
Check out the first five featured wraps below, and reach out to me at ccollier@glass.com to submit your entry.
• Wrap of the Week: 14 Shades of Challenger
• Wrap of the Week: STEK’s Dyno Blue Chrome PPF
• Wrap of the Week: 3M 2080 Series Gloss Plum Explosion
