Augustine Law found himself at a crossroads in the early 2010s. He was immersed in his position as an Engineering Manager at a well-known semiconductor factory, but he wanted more.
A Leap of Faith
“The happiest moment of my life was changing my hobby into my career,” says Augustine, who says that his grandfather inspired his entrepreneurship. “That’s the passion that keeps me moving.”
Augustine opened Malaysia’s Advance Tint Sdn Bhd in 2014, shifting his hobby into a new career. Today, the company is a Member of Autobahn Malaysia’s Dealer and Distribution Network.
“Bringing my family members to quit corporate life and venture into the window film business was my biggest challenge,” shares Augustine, whose company installs Autobahn’s Ceramic i3 Window Film and Edge’s Ceramic XR Window Film.
Augustine’s brother, Philip Law, believed in his vision from the start.
“I was introduced to this industry by my younger brother Augustine,” says 47-year-old Philip, Director of Operations at Advance Tint Sdn Bhd. “I was thrilled when my brother decided to venture into a totally different industry and asked me to join him.”
Family First
Like his brother Augustine, Philip had a stable career of his own before venturing into window film. Philip worked in the hospitality industry for nearly 20 years. He started as a waiter at a resort’s Chinese restaurant, working his way into a managerial position.
“I was 15 years old when I started supporting my mom and my siblings after my mother and father separated,” Philip says. “Life was tough. My mom was all alone, and didn’t have any income. I worked as a waiter with a minimum wage. I worked my way up to help my family.”
Augustine and Philip’s late father, Lau King Ngoung, carved out a career within the automotive detailing space.
“I remember my late father used to own a car detailing center when I was small; the business was called Tidy Car,” Philip says. “Their services included car washing, re-painting, polishing, and waxing. He later ventured into the timber industry and decided to close down the car detailing business.”
Growing as One
Advance Tint Sdn Bhd offers window tinting, paint protection film (PPF), and automotive detailing services in 2023. The company has grown from six team members to 25 during its nine-year history.
“I started by learning about automotive tinting and then architectural tinting and all of the brands available in the market,” Philip says. “I learned about tinting tools and studied how techniques in Malaysia differ from those in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.”
Reflecting on nearly a decade in the industry, Philip shares, “I’ve met many great people in this industry; all of them are very enthusiastic in their professions. I never dreamt that I would be given a chance to travel so far from Asia.”
Expansion Efforts
Autobahn recently celebrated an international expansion into Brazil. FilmStar Window Film, the Exclusive Distributor for Autobahn Brazil’s Dealer and Distribution Network, facilitated the launch.
The move follows Autobahn’s continued expansion in Malaysia, facilitated by Advance Tint Sdn Bhd, a Member of Autobahn Malaysia’s Dealer and Distribution Network. See below for more stories highlighting the Network.
- Advance Tint Sdn Bhd Grows Autobahn Malaysia’s Dealer and Distribution Network
- Meet Chiah Boon Chun and Teh Chong Wei of Autobahn Malaysia’s Advance Tint Sdn Bhd
Click here to read this story in Malay.
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