| HP: Tell us about your company:
Scott Kuntz: Transparent
Protection Sys-tems, Inc. was founded in 2000. It is a wholly owned division
of Nytef Plastics, Ltd. and the manufacturer of ClearGuard® Hurricane
Panels made from super tough and UV-resistant polycarbonate.
Nytef Plastics was founded in 1972 and has been consistently focused on
serving the needs of plastic distributors and their customers. Nytef is
a leading manufacturer of engineering-grade thermoplastic stock shapes
(rod, plate and heavy-walled tube). Nytef Plastics offers the widest range
of materials with facilities in Woodhaven, NY; Bensalem, PA; Elk Grove
Village, IL; Whittier CA; and Fachbach, Germany.
Located in West Palm Beach, FL, Transparent Protection Systems, Inc. distributes
the ClearGuard Panel internationally through a comprehensive network of
authorized dealers and installers. Our manufacturing facility and other
buildings in West Palm Beach encompass over 50,000 square feet and 35
employees.
HP: What hurricane protection products
did you handle initially? What products do you handle today?
Kuntz: Due to the ultra-high
demand for our products, we have been focusing our efforts on just the
ClearGuard product. Our primary focus has been to increase our production
capacity without compromising quality. As soon as our expansion needs
are met, we can then introduce some of our newly developed products to
the marketplace.
Transparent Protection Systems, Inc., has utilized its R&D department
to identify and test new concepts and, at the same time, successfully
integrate leading edge technology to its state-of-the-art facilities.
HP: What best describes your niche
in the marketplace?
Kuntz: Our niche in the
market has always been with the clear hurricane panel. As we move forward
with our technological advances and our expertise in plastics, TPS will
always stay at the forefront in hurricane protection.
As a nationwide plastics company, we have never had to rely on active
hurricane seasons to stay viable. It is because of our diversity and unlimited
resources that we are able to forge ahead at all times while other companies
come and go.
HP: What are your strengths in the
marketplace?
Kuntz: As a dealer-based
organization, TPS has been working with other organizations to sell our
product to end-users. TPS works hard to facilitate this process. We have
some very strong relationships with key suppliers in the industry. These
relationships are built on trust.
With some of our high-profile dealers, we may have some accounts that
overlap and some accounts that we voluntarily turn over by referral. Our
dealers know that we look to support them and their customers and that
we can be trusted to do the right thing.
While others may give in to greed, Transparent Protection Systems stands
tall on corporate integrity and industry credibility.
HP: What distinguishes you from the
competition?
Kuntz: Our ClearGuard product
was once considered a niche product, but now has been transformed into
an industry staple. We have worked hard on dispelling myths and rumors
by those wishing to promote their own products. There has been little
or no competition as of late, but now there are some knock-off products
starting to turn up along with the potential for overseas counterfeit
or pirated products.
As the “exclusive licensee” for this patented product we are
afforded legal protection under the law. Our proprietary design has no
peer as we have the most desirable design that imitates the metal panel
shape. This allows for easy stacking and storing of panels while making
for a convenient upgrade when switching over from metal panels.
Our narrow design offers homeowners a safe and lightweight alternative
and eliminates what we call “The Plywood Effect” of big sheets
and unwieldy pieces. Our super tough polycarbonate is extruded with a
special UV resistance package that has made our ClearGuard Hurricane Panel
the most sought after clear panel by the largest companies in the protection
industry along with being an obvious choice for the most informed homeowner.
HP: What is your approximate sales volume?
Kuntz: In response to the
active hurricane seasons of 2004 and ’05, we have seen a dramatic
increase in business, which has amounted to a tenfold increase since 2003
with a projection for twice as much again going forward into 2006. Much
of our growth is based upon long term planning and is contingent upon
prior commitments and forecasting.
HP: Who are your customers? What
parts of the country do you service?
Kuntz: The bulk of our customers
are found in coastal areas throughout the Southeast, along with other
hurricane-prone areas such as the Caribbean Islands, countries along the
Gulf of Mexico, and countries throughout the Pacific Rim.
HP: How many salespeople do you employ?
Kuntz: Because we are a
manufacturer that distributes through an authorized dealer network, we
employ a small but experienced sales force that is responsible for processing
and shipping orders. We also make it our mission to support our dealers
with any issues that involve technical questions and marketing help.
HP: Is your business computerized?
Do you have a company Web site, and how is it used to communicate with
customers?
Kuntz: Our West Palm Beach
location also serves as Nytef Plastics, Ltd. corporate headquarters. We
have a fully computerized business, complete with an IT department that
helps to service our many Web sites and e-mail traffic.
HP: How has your segment of the industry
changed since you first began?
Kuntz: When I first started
in 2004, the market for clear protection was limited, but there was a
huge potential. With some hard work to create brand awareness and name
recognition, the seeds for success were planted in what became a record-breaking
hurricane season in 2004 that was followed up by the once-in-a-century
season in 2005.
Our tagline, “Come out of the Dark Ages” with ClearGuard Hurricane
Panels, soon became the reality. Just about everyone from the Gulf of
Mexico coast through the Atlantic Seaboard had felt the anxiety from numerous
hurricane watches and warnings. Many homeowners were boarded up for weeks
at a time going through what we call the living in a cave experience.
It seems now that homeowners understand how important it can be to have
an inexpensive and lightweight product that lets light come in and allows
outward vision. The weather-related phenomenon has caused new thinking
for homeowners seeking hurricane protection, and for those that already
had protection, Clear Panels have become an obvious upgrade.
HP: Where do you see yourself and
your company five years from now? Are there additional areas within the
industry that you would like to get involved in?
Kuntz: Down the road, in
a few short years, we can continue to expect to see TPS as an industry
leader that has a more diverse product line with even more established
lines of distribution. I expect to see myself leading the charge as we
move into areas once considered remote and with little or no market.
I hope to still be an active part of the International Hurricane Protection
Association (IHPA) and involved with other organizations that help shape
the future for building codes, code compliance and homeowner protection.
Transparent Protection Systems, Inc. (TPS)
6643 42nd Terrace N.
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561) 844-2445
fax: (561) 844-2447
www.transparentprotection.com
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