The wraps, window film and paint protection film (PPF) segments of the film industry can be rewarding and of interest – even to car enthusiasts. Steve Siques, owner of Xtreme Wraps LLC (Xtreme Wraps), located in Fredericksburg Va., can attest to this as he’s recently joined the industry and has been enjoying the creative side of vinyl.
“This is a very attractive industry as far as what can be done with the types of films that are out there and people have so many ideas and limitless possibilities to enhance the way a vehicle looks,” said Siques. “You can customize something to fit the person and their character.”
Siques said he’s always had an artistic touch, but when he first started using vinyl he quickly realized that he had to get used to the material. “It was very fun to learn how to install with it because there are so many different things that you can do design-wise,” he said.
Why Film? Why Now?
Siques considers himself a very detailed-oriented person, and getting into vehicle wraps seemed like a perfect fit.
“I had another business previously – it was cell phone repair, laptops and other similar products in the Spotsylvania, Virginia Mall called Phone Repairs Group,” Siques explained. “It’s been there for seven years and I was getting tired and burned out from it and that industry. I’ve always been a car enthusiast and what better way to fulfill a car fix, than to get into an industry that allows you to work with people who want to customize their cars?”
It was a “no brainer” for Siques to make the leap into the industry just about one year ago. He currently has four employees, including himself. His wife Julie handles the administrative tasks and marketing, as Siques noted he is fairly busy throughout the day with installations and it’s difficult for him to reply to emails and answer the phones. He also has two part-time employees who assist him with full vehicle wrap installations.
“Addison and Angelo worked with me in prior businesses for years and they’re both really good at working on cars,” said Siques. “Whenever I need more hands to get the process moving in a more fluid manner, I’ll call them in.”
Training
Siques had been introduced to vinyl by a friend who was doing small projects, but when it started getting harder he knew more training was a must. He went through an educational program in New Jersey that focused on mobile technical training. During the two-week course he learned a lot of techniques and some of the trouble areas with installing different films, including PPF.
“I learned that the majority of the work involves prepping the vehicle before you begin with any wrap or film,” Siques said. “During the course I was able to use as much film as I needed to help me learn the fundamentals. I’m currently looking for educational options to become a certified PPF installer because I want to offer this service more.”
Optimistic Outlook
“Starting out in this industry can be intimidating because there are so many things that can go wrong,” said Siques. “It’s just amazing that out of all of my customers I haven’t had one issue in working with and for them. It’s been a blessing so far and I’m excited to see what’s ahead.”
He said he’s done installations on everything from Bentleys, Porsche, Maserati, and your standard sedan. Every installation is unique to him. Siques recently finished a hood wrap installation that involved a custom design on a 2018 Dodge Charger—a model he says he often sees. “I thought it was going to be more challenging but everything went smoothly and the finished product was better than expected,” said Siques.
“I’ve always liked the Avengers and knew I wanted to highlight some of the African American characters, Steve worked with me to make sure my vision came to light,” said customer Nick Beard. “I wanted something powerful and well known so I went with what everybody loves.”
“The motivation is just to bring the customer’s vision to life,” Siques said. “I can’t wait to learn more and grow in this industry.”
