The Training Blueprint for Faster Wrap Shop Growth | Sean Kenney

Being a great installer is one thing. Building a successful wrap shop is another. Joe Gigele, owner of Alpha Branding Solutions, joins Andrew Banks to share his journey from learning to wrap Chicago police vehicles to running his own wrap business. They discuss why understanding design, production and installation can give shop owners an advantage, the challenges of training employees and how to grow without burning yourself out. Joe also shares his plans to expand into wholesale printing through DJG Print House, helping smaller installers take on bigger jobs without needing their own printing equipment. In This Episode: • How Joe got his start in the wrap industry after losing his job • Why learning design, production and installation made him a better business owner • How poor design decisions can make installs harder and more expensive • Why Joe bought a car specifically to train his installer • How to recognise when it is time to hire instead of doing everything yourself • Why training employees is an investment in your shop's future • The problems with outsourcing print production and how to avoid them • How Joe plans to help smaller wrap shops through wholesale printing • Why building a business means learning to lead, not just install The Biggest Lesson for Wrap Shop Owners: You cannot build a growing wrap shop by doing everything yourself. Joe's journey shows why understanding the entire production process matters, but also why you eventually need to trust other people to do the work. Andrew shares his own experience of waiting too long to hire and how consistently spending 20 to 30 hours a week on one task can be a sign that it's time to bring someone in. For wrap shop owners, the goal is to build a business where the quality stays high, the team keeps improving and every job doesn't depend on you being there. About Joe Gigele: Joe Gigele is the owner of Alpha Branding Solutions in Elmhurst, Illinois, with over 12 years of experience in the wrap industry. Starting as an installer, Joe developed experience across design, print production, project management and vehicle wrapping before building his own business. He also operates DJG Print House, with plans to expand wholesale print services for independent installers and smaller wrap shops. Learn more: https://www.alphabrandingil.com/ This episode is sponsored by Wrap Fam Unleashed: https://www.thewrapfam.com/subscribe Get 15% off the Wrap Institute: https://www.wrapinstitute.com/join PROMO CODE: WRAPOPS15 Grimco: Use code WRAPOPS5 for a one time 5% discount on all Grimco items (excluding MRP items). Visit: https://go.grimco.com/3Mzt7eS Connect with WrapOps: http://www.wrapops.com http://Instagram.com/wrap.ops http://facebook.com/share/1VQgsUHygh/?mibextid=wwXIfr Produced in partnership with http://www.podlad.com

What actually goes into building a wrap training program at 3M? Andrew Banks sits down with Elizabeth Ziegler from 3M live from Grimco’s open house in Chicago. Elizabeth has been with 3M for more than 20 years and brings a rare perspective to the industry, combining product science, testing, installation experience and training program development. They talk about how 3M approaches installer training, why the programs have changed as the industry has grown and what wrap shop owners should understand about Preferred and Certified installer status. This episode also looks at the bigger picture of where architectural films, colored PPF, product testing and installer education are heading next. In This Episode: • How Elizabeth got started at 3M • Why her chemistry background helps explain product performance • How 3M training grew from one broad program into more focused categories • Why wrap training has to change as the industry changes • What installers can expect from 3M training and testing • Why the testing process is intentionally rigorous • How hands on training creates real confidence for installers • What Elizabeth learned from installing Di Noc architectural films • How architectural wraps can help banks, hotels, schools and retail spaces refresh faster • Why 3M tests products heavily before launch • How colored PPF differs when the color runs through the product • The difference between 3M Preferred and Certified status The Biggest Lesson for Wrap Shop Owners: Training is not just about learning how to install faster. It is about understanding the product, the application and the reason behind the method. Elizabeth explains how 3M builds its training around real product knowledge, real install situations and a testing process that proves the installer can actually perform. For wrap shop owners, that matters because the industry keeps changing. Vehicle wraps, fleet graphics, windows, walls, floors, architectural finishes and PPF all require different skills, different expectations and different levels of product knowledge. The shops that keep learning will be better prepared to choose the right materials, train their teams properly and stand behind the work they send out the door. About Elizabeth Ziegler: Elizabeth Ziegler works with 3M training across the graphics, personal auto and architectural products division. She started with 3M after college, first working in technical and quality roles before moving into product education, installation training and training program leadership. With experience in product testing, chemistry, Di Noc installation and 3M training development, Elizabeth brings both the science side and the installer side of the industry into this conversation. More about 3M: https://www.3m.com/ This episode is sponsored by Wrap Fam Unleashed: https://www.thewrapfam.com/subscribe Get 15% off the Wrap Institute - https://www.wrapinstitute.com/join PROMO CODE: WRAPOPS15 Grimco: Use code is WRAPOPS5 for a one time 5% discount on all Grimco Items (excluding MRP items). Visit: https://go.grimco.com/3Mzt7eS Connect with WrapOps: http://www.wrapops.com http://Instagram.com/wrap.ops http://facebook.com/share/1VQgsUHygh/?mibextid=wwXIfr Produced in partnership with http://www.podlad.com

Sign Team Inc did not start with a huge building, a full team or a fleet of printers. It started in a basement with a small vinyl cutter from eBay.

If Andrew and Tanor Banks could go back nine years and start their wrap shop again, what would they do differently?

The wrap industry is changing fast. New materials, new install methods, dry apply PPF, more price pressure and more people entering the trade all mean wrap shop owners need to know what is coming next. In this episode, Andrew Banks sits down with Molly Waters from Avery Dennison live from Grimco’s open house in Chicago. Molly has been with Avery Dennison for nearly 30 years and has watched the wrap industry grow from screen print and plotter cut graphics into the vehicle wrap world we know today. They talk about where the industry is heading, what Avery Dennison is building next and why wrap shops need to stay connected, keep learning and ask better questions before choosing the wrong material for the job. In This Episode: • How Molly Waters got started with Avery Dennison • How Avery Dennison supports shops when material questions come up • Why it is better to ask before using the wrong film • What MPI 1903 adds as a lower cost cast option • Where MPI 1105 still fits as a premium wrap film • How Prisma Pro dry apply PPF is changing the color change conversation • Why dry apply PPF creates a more paint like finish • How longer durability could affect wrap shops in harsh climates • Why training matters as more new installers enter the industry The Biggest Lesson for Wrap Shop Owners: The wrap industry is not standing still. Materials are changing, customer expectations are changing and shops are being asked to do more than ever. For wrap shop owners, that means the old way of choosing film, quoting jobs and learning installs may not be enough. Molly’s advice is simple: stay open to learning. About Molly Waters: Molly Waters has been with Avery Dennison since 1997 and has spent nearly 30 years watching the graphics and vehicle wrap industry evolve. She started by working with wide format digital print technology before modern wrap printers became common and has since seen the industry grow through new films, new adhesives, new training methods and major changes in how installers work. Learn more about Avery Dennison: https://graphics.averydennison.com/ This episode is sponsored by Wrap Fam Unleashed: https://www.thewrapfam.com/subscribe Get 15% off the Wrap Institute - https://www.wrapinstitute.com/join PROMO CODE: WRAPOPS15 Grimco: Use code is WRAPOPS5 for a one time 5% discount on all Grimco Items (excluding MRP items). Visit: https://go.grimco.com/3Mzt7eS Connect with WrapOps: http://www.wrapops.com http://Instagram.com/wrap.ops http://facebook.com/share/1VQgsUHygh/?mibextid=wwXIfr Produced in partnership with http://www.podlad.com