“I pride myself on these Red Dots,” says Roger Mann, Owner of Tri State Window Tinting in Blairsville, Ga. “This is a paintbrush for an artist. Everybody has a Red Dot. But not everyone has a Red Dot with their name, custom phrase, or business logo on it.”
Tinting in Style
Known as The Red Dot King, Mann has been laser engraving and customizing NT Cutter Pro’s (Red Dots) since February 2023. Mann has customized an estimated 750 tinting knives for window film industry professionals.
“I love the industry,” shares Mann. “This is a fun industry. Sometimes it’s nice to hand out a knife and see the smile on someone’s face.”
Mann’s Road to Success
“I fought hard while having a low-income job and raising a family,” Mann says. “Depression and anxiety set in during the early days.”
From 17 to 25 years old, Mann worked at a local furniture store in his hometown of Griffin, Ga. Mann started as a delivery driver, working his way up to store management positions.
“I dabbled with window tint, but we didn’t have YouTube,” says Mann, who attempted to tint his car at 16 years old in 1996.
Mann married his high school sweetheart in 2004, moving to Blairsville, Ga., in 2005. Two years later, he set a new career path in motion by completing a week-long window film training course.
“I came home, and went to town,” he shares. “I rented a storage building, and started tinting my friends and family’s [vehicles] … Back in 2007, I was probably at my lowest point. How was I going to pay bills and afford daycare for my kids?”
Mann then joined forces with the owner of a local auto accessory shop.
“He had a single-bay shop,” Mann says. “Within two years, we had a four-bay shop. We had a huge thing going. I didn’t master my craft until then.”
But the multi-year business relationship wasn’t without its challenges.
The Journey to Ownership
“I had never expected to own a business,” shares Mann, who opened Tri State Window Tinting in Blairsville, Ga., in June 2021. “I’m a very loyal person. But I should have done it five years earlier. I worked my whole life earning a paycheck. To go from earning a paycheck to having to make your paycheck every day? You don’t think you can do it.”
Tri State Window Tinting specializes in automotive, residential, and commercial window film installations. The company also offers windshield glass repair, a service that keeps Mann’s operations humming during slow seasons.
“The unknown of starting your own business is scary,” Mann says. “But if I could ever help anyone do it, I would 100% push them in the direction of opening their own business.”
The topic of seasoned window film installers branching out and starting their own businesses is a hot topic within the industry. Mann is all about team members receiving fair compensation for their efforts.
“I wanted to be compensated fairly for the amount of work I was doing,” Mann says of his motivation to start his own business. “Take the chance and do the dance. I was forced into it, and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”