“We started tinting competitions in my neighborhood in Puerto Rico when I was 12,” says Eliu Albelo, owner of Best Deal Window Tint in Orlando, Fla. “Neighbors would compete to find out who was the better tinter. That pushed me to get better.”
Working For More
Growing up in a low-income family in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Albelo worked various roles at a young age.
“I’ve had to work hard since I was 11,” he shares. “Cutting grass, washing cars, and cutting hair–I did it all. It was very challenging growing up. But I found my passion.”
For Albelo, that passion was window tinting.
“My parents would cheer me on,” Albelo says of the tinting duels in his neighborhood. “Some would bully me because I got nervous at the competitions.”
Albelo proved his former competitors wrong when he was named a finalist in the Paint Protection Film (PPF) Competition at this year’s International Window Film Conference & Tint-Off (WFCT) in Virginia Beach, Va.
The Climb
Albelo entered the film industry in 1996, working for local shops in Puerto Rico until 2001. From 2001 to 2007, he operated his own business–AutoTint.com. He then moved to Orlando, Fla., to start his current company, which operates in a 1,200 square-foot space and offers automotive window tinting, PPF, and ceramic coatings. Albelo works with his brother, Jose, ceramic coating specialist, and master installer Angel Rojas.
On his way to the top, Albelo had to learn more than the art of hand-cutting and heat-shrinking methods.
A Language Barrier
“It was a struggle,” Albelo says of moving to the United States. “I didn’t know English. I lost customers because I couldn’t speak to them.”
Albelo says it took him three years to fully comprehend the language.
“I didn’t watch or listen to any Spanish television or radio [programs] for three years,” he shares. “I was a great installer, but I couldn’t communicate with the customer.”
Albelo says Best Deal Window Tint generated an estimated $30,000 in sales in 2010. In 2022, he says the company generated $300,000 in sales.
“I still feel like I haven’t found success; I’m still hustling,” Albelo says. “I wake up everyday trying to improve myself, my skills, and my sales. It’s been a long journey.”
The Tint Buster
Albelo, an authorized Autobahn dealer, has found success as an installer and business owner. He’s also the creator of tools like The Tint Buster Sprayer System.
“It’s a game-changing tool,” says Albelo, who wants to give back to the industry. “That is my greatest achievement. When I’m gone, I want to be remembered as the guy who brought the product to the industry.”
An industry veteran of nearly three decades, Albelo has plenty to be proud of. And he’s just getting started.
“I want to be remembered as one of the top dogs,” he says with a smile.
(Graphic by Kari Yochum, VP of Design at Autobahn, Huper Optik, and Edge)