On Wednesday, Oct. 30, Excel Window Tinting and Auto Spa shop in Brush Prairie employees wrapped vehicles to give them a new color at a lower cost than a full paint job.
While window tinting is what Mike Esse, owner of Excel Window Tinting and Auto Spa, says staff does most, appointments for window tinting slow down in the fall and winter months. He stressed, however, tinted windows serve many year-round purposes.
Not only do tinted windows provide privacy for the driver and the belongings in the vehicle, possibly deterring potential theft, tinted windows can hold shattered glass together, reducing injury risks in an accident, Esse said.
Esse first gained experience in the window-tinting world in high school before he worked at what he called “a big corporate place.” He also performed the same services out of his house for some extra money. After an agreement with his former employer, Esse launched Excel Window Tinting in Battle Ground.
“We started off just tinting windows, and then we kind of grew into doing paint protection film, like clear bras on cars to protect it from rock chips and stuff like that. And then from there, we grew into vinyl wraps, color change wraps,” Esse said. “And then we had so many people asking us about detailing, and that’s kind of when the auto spa thing kind of popped off, and we expanded into that realm of stuff.”
Now in Brush Prairie after moving from Dollars Corner two years ago, operations and volume have expanded to better serve their customers. They were only working on two cars at a time at the prior facility, Esse said.
“And now, we’re in a 9,000-square-foot facility, and we could probably do 25 to 30 cars at once,” he said. “… We have more staff, there’s just more space.”
Esse said the new location in a developing industrial area near Prairie High School has helped the business. Staying close to Battle Ground was important to Esse, a 2014 Battle Ground High School graduate. Along with expanding his hobby into a fulfilling career, Esse said a memorable moment in his ownership journey was when he hired his father, Aleksandr.
“I had the joy of teaching him the craft of tinting, turning our passion into a family affair,” Esse later added in an email. “Together, we are committed to providing top-notch service and quality work that our clients can trust.”
Esse said a lot of the clientele support comes from Battle Ground and the north Clark County community. Excel is in the process of performing 10 vehicle wraps for the Battle Ground Police Department, even.
In September, Esse said they began offering wheels, tires, lifts and other automotive accessories as well as light repair work with oil changes and brakes under the Excel Auto Industry umbrella.
To learn more about all of Excel’s offerings and to make appointments, visit excelwindowtint.com. They can also be contacted by calling 360-771-8169 and can be found on social media under their company title.
