Tint World Carmel Brings Style & Shine to Every Vehicle
Writer & Photographer / Abbie Willans
Tint World is Carmel’s new one-stop shop for automotive styling and vehicle accessories. Part of a nationwide franchise, Tint World has been in operation since 1982, and new store owners Barney Storrs and Ron Huling are thrilled to be bringing the company to Indianapolis.
“There are a lot of different services that people might not think we do,” Storrs says. We call ourselves an automotive styling center. We do automotive tint, residential and commercial tint, paint protection film, ceramic coating, detailing, car audio, remote starts and alarms, dash kits, interior and exterior lighting — those are our main things.”
Storrs has worked hard to make sure it’s a relaxing atmosphere and clean environment. He says Tint World is not a traditional garage or mechanic shop, but more of a retail experience, and customers don’t have to go to multiple places to get a stereo, remote start and tinting done. It’s best if customers make a reservation to guarantee a slot that day. Storrs says they’re more than happy to take walk-ins.
“If we can get it done right then and there, we’ll do that,” he says. “We recommend they drop the car off, but they can wait if they want, and that’s why we offer a lobby with free drinks and coffee. If it’s just a couple of windows that need tint, it might only be an hour. But if you’re doing a full tint job or a ceramic coating, you’ll want to drop the car off, because it’s going to take several hours. Some of them might take days, depending on how big the job is. For example, paint protection on the whole car could take up to three days.”
They’ll work on any type of car and so far haven’t found one they couldn’t handle. Teslas are challenging because they have larger pieces of glass that require larger sizes of tint. It’s a little more difficult to install them without damaging or creasing the tint, and some take twice as long as a regular car.
“We’ll get people of all kinds of backgrounds and cars,” Storrs adds. “We might have a Lamborghini in one day and then a Toyota Corolla or a Honda Civic the next day. We cater to all different spectrums of what people need. But it’s a higher-end business than you’d initially think about a car place.”
While Storrs and Huling do not have backgrounds in the automotive industry, they’ve hired a skilled staff with several years of experience. Tint World has three full-time technicians on their team, each specializing in different aspects of vehicle modification: tint, detailing, and 12-volt electrical accessories.
“We’re still learning, and that’s the nice thing about having experienced techs,” Storrs says. “With all businesses, you’re only as good as your employees. We’re really lucky here, finding a good crew of technicians. We rely on them heavily to help us out if we have questions. We’ve been in customer service for a long time — we’re open and honest with our customers. If we don’t know something, we hop back and grab them to find an answer.
“The level of product knowledge that you have to have is highly important — more so than in some industries,” he adds. “There are so many options, so many makes and models of cars. You really have to study your product and know it well. These are not inexpensive things to do to your car. Some of the tint’s not super expensive, but it’s more of a higher-end retail.”
Storrs’ brother, Rory, lives in Indianapolis and serves as the operations manager for the Carmel location. Within the next few years, they plan to open two more stores — one in Zionsville and one in the Fishers or Noblesville area.
“Between Ron, Rory and myself, we have more than 50 years of experience in franchise operations and customer service, so everyone receives an exceptional experience when they come in,” Storrs says. “We always strive for a five-star experience for all our guests, and we have services and packages that will meet anyone’s budget.”
Tint World is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. More information can be found at tintworld.com/locations/in/carmel-150/ or by calling 317-975-0071. The store is located at 9700 Lake Shore Drive W., Ste. 1 in Carmel.
