BROOKFIELD, Conn. — Kevin Awalt, who has detailed cars since he was a teenager, opened Arkham Shine Paint Correction and Detailing this past March, according to The News-Times.
Awalt decided to open his car care business after working on research and development for GTechniq, a company that makes a range of auto coatings and products, stated the article.
“We opened in March, and we’ve been doing well ever since,” said Awalt in the article. “Rather than focusing on the volume of business, we prefer to focus on the quality of products and services that we provide to our customers.”
In the article, Awalt reported that educating consumers about detailing and the several options/products available is one of the biggest challenges in the industry.
“There are thousands of us in the country who take detailing very seriously, but we struggle with the fact that people can pick up $50 worth of products at a discount store and call themselves a detailer,” stated Awalt in the article. “Detailing could really be defined as anything from a wash and wax to the kind of true paint correction that we provide our customers with. We want our customers to have quality products that provide long-lasting protection for the vehicle.”
Awalt uses an assortment of coatings that can correct blemishes in a car’s paint job through a chemical process which tactically bonds to the paint, continued the article.
“When it cures, it’s actually harder than the clear coat,” explained Awalt in the article. “We then add a hydrophobic layer that provides a slick surface that nothing can stick to.”
Awalt will also offer customers a two-year to lifetime guarantee on the work completed, informed the article, depending on the product used.
“Unlike most waxes that will last one season, these products will last for many, many years,” said Awalt in the article. “A vehicle is often the second-biggest investment most people make. Our services help to protect that investment for the long term.”
In addition to running his own detailing shop, Awalt also is the regional manager for Splash Car Wash’s Five Start detailing program, noted the article, and recently trained a car dealership’s preparation department in Texas on “the finer points of detailing.”
“It’s something I’m looking to become even more involved with,” added Awalt in the article.
You can find the article here.
