Anthony Timmerman, owner of Florida Vehicle Wraps in Melbourne, Fla., announced an April 12 launch of Wrap Link at the ISA International Sign Expo in Las Vegas. Wrap Link was conceptualized in January 2022 as an online service to connect installation shops with qualified contract installers.
Problem-Solving
“It started with me struggling to find installers,” Timmerman says of the application. “I’ve done work for other shops and not gotten paid. I’ve hired people who said they were capable of doing something, and then I ended up having to redo the work. Instead of complaining online, I decided to pursue a solution.”
Since then, Timmerman has demoed the product and gathered opinions on how to improve the platform. “We’ve taken input from people in the industry to make it work for every type of shop—from the one-person owner/operator to the big print house,” he says.
Eliminating Steps
“We’ve integrated features to make this an efficient process,” Timmerman adds. “Contractors can mark where they’re at, but also their service area. If they want to travel 200 miles or nationwide, they can put that down. They can also mark their availability. You know if the person is available, their service area and what services they do. It turns a three- to four-hour process of calls, emails and posts into five minutes.”
The application features a review system that allows both parties (installers and shops) to rate a particular job.
“If you get hired by a new shop, you can look at their reviews and pictures and see that everyone says they have materials ready, and they pay very quickly,” Timmerman says. “It takes the guessing out of working with new people.”
The service will initially launch as a web application that users can access via phone or computer. The platform covers the following services: commercial and color change wraps, sign installation, window tint, PPF, and detailing/ceramic coatings.
“It’s been a long road,” Timmerman says. “We’ve been tweaking it, and now I finally feel it’s perfect. But it’s still a living thing. It’s still going to keep improving over the years. That’s why I’ve taken time to talk with people with different experiences as far as where their shop is. We demoed at Wrapscon last year and got a lot of good input. It’s as close to perfect as it’s going to get.”
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